Cecil Wells, former SAGF President, dies
The South African Golf Association (SAGA) mourns the passing of one of it’s former Presidents, Cecil Wells.
Aged 81, Cecil passed away in Pretoria on Thursday 7 July after a short illness.
“Cecil loved the game of golf. He was an efficient administrator and an active rules official officiating for many years on the Sunshine Tour,” said Colin Burger, the SAGA President. “His wry smile, never ending repertoire of jokes and stories will be long remembered by golfers and administrators both young and old that came into contact with him.”
Wells was President of the South African Golf Federation for a two year period from September 1994. The South African Golf Federation became the SAGA.
He joined the South African Golf Union Executive as far back as 1983. By 1991 and 1992, when amateur golf was going through a process of unifying two bodies, one being the South African Golf Union (white body) and the other the South African Golf Association (non racial body), Cecil Wells held the position of Vice President.
By 1993 the two bodies unified to form the South African Golf Federation.
Wells was a long standing member of Services Golf Club in Pretoria which was affiliated to Northern Transvaal Golf Association. This later became, under the South African Golf Federation, the Northern Transvaal Golf Union which subsequently was renamed Gauteng North Golf Union.
Northern Transvaal Golf Association fell under what was then known as the Transvaal Golf Union (TGU). Cecil was a keen administrator. He held the position of President of the Northern Transvaal Golf Association from 1981 to 1985, fulfilling a two year term.
He worked his way up to President of the TGU for the period 1988/89 and 1989/90.
“He was a devoted servant of the game of golf,” remembers Carl Lotter, former Golf Director for Central Gauteng Golf Union. Lotter also served in this position on the TGU.
Cecil Wells leaves behind his wife of 59 years, Theresa, a son, Lawrence, and a daughter, Marian.
“He was pleasant, helpful and a really good guy,” recalls Peter Morris, also a former President of the SAGA (2000/02).
“Cecil was a very keen sportsman in his younger days with a competitive instinct. He played provincial squash, bowls and boxing. He then went on to become an astute official always doing things by the book. He always had a joke to tell and was very easy to work with,” said Dave Davenport, a former President of the SAGA (1998/2000).