Derik Ferreira and Darren Blair each turned in 33 in round one of the Vodacom Business Origins of Golf tournament which got underway at Humewood Golf Club in Port Elizabeth on Wednesday.

Yet Ferreira found himself in the lead by two shots over Blair, thanks to the layout of the links course down on the Eastern Cape coast.

Blair started on the first nine, which, at 3,118 metres, is the shorter of the two loops – and the fact that there are loops on this links course make it something of an anomaly too, because most links courses are literally ‘out-and-back’.

There is one par-five on the opening nine at Humewood, the 525-metere seventh, the longest hole on the course. And, with two par-threes on the third and the sixth, it means that the opening nine runs at a par of 35.

The closing nine has three par-fives – the 11th, 15th and 17th, and just the single par-three in the 145-metre 14th, making it a par-37.

So Ferreira’s round, starting as it did without a single par from the 10th until the 17th – his opening seven holes read like this: birdie-birdie-bogey-bogey-birdie-eagle-birdie – got to four-under 33, while Blair’s birdies on two, seven and eight, and bogey on nine, meant he was two-under 33.

Humewood reopened on December 16 2009 after relaying its greens with bent grass, a process that began in 1998, and the 2006 SA Open venue is looking better than ever.

The club has a great history, having been inspired by course architect Colonel SV Hotchkin’s love of the Old course at St Andrews. It has been in existence since 1929, and it hosted the SA Amateur Championship 10 times, and the SA Open five.

General manager Brad Muller says the course would love to have another crack at hosting the SA Open.

“The reality is that it’s a huge loss-leader for conventional clubs like ours,” he said. “The championships that are held on golf estates have marketing and home sales budgets behind them, but clubs need some sort of participation by local government.”

So it will be hard work for the management and committee of Humewood to get into a position to host the SA Open again, but it’s something the club wants to do.

“I know club president Dave Reed has been exploring the possibilities,” said Muller.