Tee to Green November 2013

PREVIEW A smorgasbord of Festive Season tournaments

INSTRUCTION • Fix and learn • Get consistency from your irons

EQUIPMENT The low-down on what’s hot on the greens

TRAVEL Enjoy the parkland splendour & inland links of the Highveld

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EDITORIAL BOARD EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Dennis Bruyns bruyns@icon.co.za teetogreen@ballyhoomedia.co.za PUBLISHER Eric Bornman eric@ballyhoomedia.co.za CREATIVE DIRECTOR Steven Macbeth FINANCIAL MANAGER Morgan Lufumpa CONTRIBUTORS Theo Bezuidenhout, Dave Edwards, Wayne Westner PHOTOGRAPHY Getty Images/ Gallo Images, Sunshine Tour/Gallo Images, Supplied Cover photo-illustration: Steven Macbeth Ballyhoo Media Company Reg No 2007/207595/23 14 6TH Street, Parkhurst, Johannesburg South Africa, 2193 PO Box 3125, Parklands, 2121 Tel: 086 111 4626 Fax: 086 6706429 Printed by Paarl Coldset Tee to Green is published monthly

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1

SEVE DESERVES BETTER

M

y first encounter with Seve came at the Martini International at Wentworth in 1980.

By way of a round of 67 I had made it through the pre-qualifying held at some nearby course, the name of which escapes me now. So I went into the tournament feeling good about my game and hopeful of a good result.

England was in the middle of a severe drought and the course dry, hard and fast. Although this means greater length with your drives, these type of conditions make the golf course very difficult. You have no control over where the ball might bounce to and end up, especially if you miss a green.

I played poorly and posted a first round score in the low 80s. When I went back late in the day and stood before the giant scoreboard there was Seve’s name in the bunch after a round of 74. If we adjust his score to scratch, it made me a 10- or 11-handicap player. And if I was a 10-handicap, what was I doing at Wentworth? Seve went on to win the tournament with rounds of 74, 75, 67, 70 – 286. And me? Well, I comfortably missed the cut with 83, 80.

My next encounter with Seve was at the Million Dollar Golf Challenge.

I had since made a move from playing in tournaments to administering them as the Tournament Director of the PGA of South Africa. Johnny Miller won that first Million Dollar, but only after a nine hole play-off with Seve. Two years later, it was Seve’s turn and he won again one year later.

Seve was the most exciting player I have ever seen. I loved watching him stand over the ball at address, he

FORE WORD Rose, Rory McIlroy, Graeme McDowell, Luke Donald, Lee Westwood and Ian Poulter qualified for the GB & I, team but did not make the trip to Paris. Sergio Garcia qualified for the European team, but also declined to play Many seem to have forgotten what Seve did for the European Tour. His swashbuckling style of play and charisma helped bring sponsors to the table and increased prize money.

He helped open doors in the United States by winning the Masters, the first European to do so. Europe’s elite probably wouldn’t currently be earning colossal sums of money if not for Seve.

Yes, it’s a long season. True, Europe’s best can’t play in every one, but one week out of 104 does not seem too much to ask.

I am reminded of one of my favourite poems by ee cummings – Buffalo Bill’s Defunct. If cummings were alive today, and if by some wild chance he was a golf fan, would the poem read something like this:

always looked at one with the golf club, the ball and the game. The ball often did not go where he wanted it to, but he seemed undeterred by this, simply striding down the fairway knowing that is where he was destined to be.

Seve Ballesteros ‘s In honour of his excepdefunct tional achievements, the who used to European Tour introduced a stride down emerald green match between the profesfairways sionals of Great Britain and and shoot birdies ikethat Ireland and those of onetwothreefourfivejustl us Jes Continental Europe. This he was a handsome man year’s match for The Seve Trophy played at Saint-NomLa-Breteche in Paris is a sad reflection on some of Europe’s top Really, Seve deserves better. players, who decided not to play in Much better. an event to remember Europe’s greatest, most charismatic player.

Former Open champion Paul Lawrie was right in denouncing seven of his Ryder Cup teammates Dennis Bruyns who opted out of the event. Justin Editor-in-Chief

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2

news

getting better than age

Leo Luken acheives the impossible PG

5

TouRnAMenT cATch-uP With the Fedex play-oFFs behind us, and the Presidents cup come and gone, you might have thought there would be some respite from a schedule of week-byweek tournaments. not.

With a new schedule on the PGA Tour, we are already into the new season that now runs from mid-october 2013 through to the same time in 2014. no time for a breather at all.

The new fall system is an improvement for sponsors and players (especially fully exempt ones) because there are Fedex cup points and Masters berths at stake.

It’s also different because players will try to get a head start in earnings and Fedex cup points.

The new format, in theory, would also increase playing opportunities for lower-tier players, but the jury is out on that topic of access. only 29 of the 50 qualifiers from the Web. com Tour Finals (the Q-School replacement) made it to the season kick-off event, the 132-man Frys.com open. That left 21 on the sidelines and some eyebrows raised.

And in europe, we are in their play-off as the Race to Dubai gets into full swing – and then the new season starts with the South African open at Glendower. So it is already time to play catch-up!

Well, who and what has made the golfing headlines over the past few weeks?

Pace, Reto pass LPGA Stage Two test Mossel Bay professional Lee-Anne Pace and Paula Reto from Bloemfontein booked their berths in the final stage of the LPGA Tour’s Qualifying Tournament in December.

t

he local pair was among the top 80 players and ties in the field of 193 hopefuls who survived the second stage Qualifier at the Plantation Golf and Country Club in Venice, Florida and advanced to the final stage.

South Africa’s first lady of professional golf gave an impressive account of herself.

Pace navigated the 5,934m par-72 Bobcat Course in six-underpar 282 to claim a share of sixth on the final leaderboard.

The 32-year-old was slow off the mark with rounds of 71, 72 and 70, but found her rhythm to close with a solid final round 69 that catapulted her into the top 10.

“They tucked a lot of pins in the final round and you couldn’t really be aggressive,” Pace said. “I made some good putts coming in and made up good ground. It’s very tough out there, but I’m thrilled to have passed another hurdle.

“I’m heading back to Europe for a couple of events and then I’ll be back for the final in December.”

Reto will be joining Pace in the last stage at the Champions and Legends courses at the LPGA International Golf Club in Daytona Beach, Florida from 4 to 8 December.

The University of Oregon graduate, who impressed with top 10 finishes in the Volvik Championship and Symetra Championship, carded rounds of 73-71-71-73 to finish on even-par 288 in a tie for 28th.

Western Province’s Ulrika van Niekerk missed the cut-off after finishing on 12-over-par 300.

4 NEWS ON TOUR

PRESIDENTS CUP

Win for Ulrich

U

lrich van den Berg ended a three-year winning drought with a five-stroke victory at the BMG Classic at Glendower Golf Club. And, maybe to make it better, he did it in pouring rain.

“I knew I was in the lead, but I didn’t know I had won it until I made the putt at 16. It was tough to keep my focus going over the last two holes, but I played fantastically well,” he said.

The 38-year-old began the day one shot behind the lead, but peppered his card with seven birdies for a 15-under-par total, which took him to a comfortable five stroke win over runners-up Titch Moore and Hennie Otto.

“Hennie is one of the hardest competitors we have,” said Van den

Berg. “He never quits, and to beat him is a real feather in my cap, especially to do it on the stretch.”

The Sunninghill resident’s last victory came at Vodacom Origins of Golf Humewood in 2010. Over the last three years he’s come close many times, but the win has eluded him enough times for doubt to creep in.

“I’ve been playing well for a long time, but after a few years you start to doubt whether you’ll be able to win again. Today has restored so much of my belief in myself,” said the father of two.

The victory was his seventh career title at a course that will host the South African Open Championship in mid-November.

“Glendower is a gem,” he said.

“This is my favourite course up here and I’m looking forward to the SA Open, especially after this win!”

FOR THE RECORD books it was another fairly comfortable win for the Americans at Muirfield Village.

From day one they took the lead and continued to build on it despite the conditions, and although the final result 18.5 to 15.5 suggests a fairly close match, it wasn’t really that at all.

The question is what to do about it? Is there some way of making it a more competitive match?

The Americans win these Presidents Cups not because of the top of their line-up, but because of the bottom. That’s backwards from other sports. The so-called bench is the key here, because there’s not much sitting at a Presidents Cup competition.

Two players on each 12-man team sit out a Four-ball session and two different players from each side rest during Foursomes. That favours the far superior US depth and is the main reason they lead the series, 8-1-1.

It’s time for change, and the fix is to reduce the total points at stake from 34 to 28. In other words, follow the format of the Ryder Cup, which

IT’S TIME FOR CHANGE, AND THE FIX IS TO REDUCE THE TOTAL POINTS AT STAKE FROM 34 TO 28 has become one of the most competitive and exciting competitions in all sport. That would facilitate closer matches and overall interest and growth.

Consider this: The Americans have lost seven of the past nine Ryder Cups in an event where its depth is minimised and have won eight of the 10 Presidents Cups in a format that maximises US depth.

And this is not because the European Team is that much stronger than the Internationals.

Despite all this, Ernie Els believes the International team can take plenty of positives from their performance. While Els tasted defeat for the sixth time in his lengthy Presidents Cup career, he insisted his team-mates could hold their heads high after what he claimed was the highest-quality tournament he has been involved in.

PERTH INTERNATIONAL FORMER TOP-RANKED amateur Jin Jeong sank a par putt on the first hole of a sudden death play-off to beat England’s Ross Fisher to the Perth International golf title.

The Melbourne-based South Korean had two stints as the world’s highest-ranked amateur in 2010 and was also the leading amateur at that year’s British Open. Since turning pro in 2011, his best finish

has been a fifth placing at last year’s New Zealand PGA. Jiang said he was considering a return to Q-school before winning the $2 million Perth tournament, which gives him guest membership of the European Tour.

He shot a 3-under final round of 69 to finish tied with Fisher at 10-under 278. Fisher had a final round 68, but bogeyed the first play-off hole.

KO TURNS PRO FRENCH PHILOSOPHER Simone de Beauvoir said, “One is not born a genius; one becomes a genius.”

One could assume that Lydia Ko’s parents set out to raise an exceptional player when they moved the family from South Korea to New Zealand when Lydia was six, and set up shop in a house across the street from Pupuke Golf Club in Auckland. Ko’s mother’s, Tina Hyon, wanted her daughter to have four one-hour lessons a week.

And so it began. Hyon couldn’t have guessed that Lydia would grow up to win two LPGA titles by age 16.

She couldn’t know her child not only would have a game good enough to win early on Tour, but a mind strong enough to match it.

Yet here we are, a decade later, with Ko treading in uncharted waters. No amateur has enjoyed this much success on the LPGA at

such a tender age. Four professional titles worldwide, including her own national open, and close to $1 million in LPGA earnings that went in others’ bank accounts.

A decision loomed: Take the money or stay a kid?

Well that decision has been taken, so LPGA players: prepare to share with a teenager.

Ko has had to petition the LPGA to join because she doesn’t meet the tour’s minimum age requirement of 18.

That should be nothing more than a formality, however, as Ko’s two CN Canadian Women’s Open titles are more than enough to

warrant the nod from LPGA commissioner Mike Whan. There’s a precedent for someone that young: Lexi Thompson won at age 16 and got permission from Whan to join the Tour soon after.

Ko has been ranked as high as No 4 in the world, and is currently fifth. She finished runner-up to Suzann Pettersen at the Evian Championship, where she first hinted at turning professional.

When Ko won the 2012 US Women’s Amateur, the dream of playing college golf in the US was very much alive. The next week, however, she won an LPGA event in Canada, and her college prospects have dwindled with each passing tournament!

Fifteen-year-old Lydia Ko became the youngest player to win a Ladies European Tour event in the ISPS Handa NZ Women's Open in New Zealand.

5

AND ABOUT TIME TOO. Southern Africa’s incredible BOOK REVIEW record in world golf’s Majors is often commented on in newsprint and in magazines, so it is time that the stories and the stories behind the stories have been put in print in book form.

And Craig Urquhart’s book, The Kings of Swing, does just that.

It is an intimate and extraordinary story of those South Africans who have won numerous Major championships. Their victories were achieved despite decades of sporting isolation and, during the post-apartheid era, in the shadow of possibly the greatest athlete of all time. This is a story of plane, train and car crashes, psychosurgery, a lightning strike, a broken bottle, a misplaced marker, a beautiful autistic boy and a scandal that ensnared the country’s most famous athlete and led to the resignation of a prime minister.

It is a story of the power of the mind and the power of the body in this, the most fickle of all sports. A story of dramatic highs and lows, of desperate poverty and fabulous wealth and a rare glimpse into the extraordinary lives of South Africa’s top golfers.

The combined story of South Africa’s Major winners has never been told – and a fascinating tale it is! The book is based on interviews with the golfers, their family members, coaches and sports psychologists, among others, as well as extensive research. With South Africa riding the wave of its recent successes in the Major championships, the timing of the book’s release is perfect.

About the author: Craig Urquhart studied Journalism and Mass Communications at Michigan State University. He is a seasoned journalist with decades of experience in print and online media, as well as radio and television. A former FIFA World Cup media officer, he is the author of Road to 2010, a study of South Africa’s preparations for the quadrennial showpiece of international football. He is married with two sons.

Email your name, age, handicap and where you are a member to teetogreen@ballyhoomedia.co.za and stand a chance to win a copy.

Match this Tiger

T

he 95-year-old amateur posted an 18-hole score of 92, which marked the 1,000th time in his golf career that he has matched or bettered his age. Luken turned in his momentous round on the George Fazio Course at Palmetto Dunes Oceanfront Resort.

“I guarantee you that is a record that neither Tiger or Phil will touch,” said PGA Professional Doug Weaver, the director of instruction at Palmetto Dunes’ Robert Trent Jones Course, and a longtime pro-am partner of Luken. “I have played with Leo in pro-ams and pro-member events for 10 years, and he has the heart of a warrior. He knows how to compete.

When you think about all the people playing the game of golf today, his story is one that stands out for his sheer love of the game.”

Leo Luken of Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, recently established a feat that perhaps no other player will match – including Tiger Woods.

Luken, a 21 handicap, claims he has never taken a formal golf lesson and plays three times a week from the white (member) tees. Though he has had his share of health issues over the years, the lanky Luken said that he has been able to avoid the most serious health problems by “not overdoing things in life,” and staying away from lifting weights.

Eight years ago, when Luken shot his age for the 530th time, he

bettered his age by six shots and he picked a particularly sporty time to do it — the final round of the inaugural Shoot Your Age Championship at The Villages, Florida. This novel event brought together 58 amateurs and two legendary professionals, ranging in age from 67 to 96 on a course measuring nearly 6,000 m, with par represented by the competitor’s age.

Luken won by three shots in a field that included the LUKEN, A 21 HANDICAP, then 76-year-old Arnold CLAIMS HE HAS NEVER Palmer and Gary Player.

TAKEN A FORMAL GOLF Now this is an event I would like to see here in LESSON AND PLAYS THREE South Africa. Just 18 holes TIMES A WEEK FROM THE of senior golfers, amateurs WHITE (MEMBER) TEES and professional, matching their golf skills against par – being their age.

STARS CONFIRMED FOR WOODS’ CHARITY EVENT RORY McILROY and Ernie Els are scheduled to be among the competitors at the December golf tournament in Thousand Oaks.

A Tiger Woods Foundationbacked event, the Northwestern Mutual World Challenge, is scheduled for 5 to 8 December at Sherwood Country Club, and paying $1 million to the winner.

Woods, who was selected PGA Tour player of the year, is a five-time winner of the World Challenge, whose proceeds benefit Woods’ charitable foundation.

Besides Woods, McIlroy and Els, the field will include defending World Challenge winner Graeme McDowell, 2010 tournament winner Jim Furyk, Lee Westwood, Ian Poulter, Matt Kuchar, Hunter Mahan, Brandt Snedeker, Zach Johnson, Bubba Watson, Steve Stricker, Keegan Bradley, Jason Day and Jason Dufner, winner of this year’s PGA Championship.

“We are thrilled about the depth and talent of our field, and I’m looking forward to

another exciting year of intense competition at Sherwood Country Club,” Woods said. “It’s so great to welcome Northwestern Mutual as the tournament’s title sponsor.

They have been an exceptional partner to the Foundation over the years.”

This is not good news for the local Tour, as it means that many of the fans’ favourites will not be making the trip to Sun City for the newly extended Nedbank Golf Challenge field.

THIS IS NOT GOOD NEWS FOR THE LOCAL TOUR

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news 7 senior scene

disRuptions in McilRoy CaMp rory McIlroy is suing horizon sports just days after he split from the management company. the move comes after Mcilroy, 24, left horizon to form his own firm, Rory Mcilroy inc. a small-handpicked group, including Mcilroy’s father, gerry, will run the new company. the dispute, which irish media reports say concerns commissions paid by Mcilroy to horizon, was filed in Commercial Court in dublin. less than two years ago, Mcilroy left international sports Management, a company run by Chubby Chandler for Conor Ridge’s dublin-based horizon group. Mcilroy pointed to concerns about the direction of his career and development of his brand. soon

afterwards Mcilroy signed a contract with nike, initiating a legal battle with former sponsor oakley that is ongoing. Mcilroy since has signed with Bose and omega, among others, but the two-time Major champion has gone winless this year on both sides of the atlantic. “since october 2011, horizon has achieved exceptional results for Rory in realising his commercial objectives,” horizon said in a statement. “under horizon’s management, Rory has signed some of the most lucrative endorsements in sports history.” it seems that Mcilroy really needs to sort out his off course life, personal and business, and concentrate on what he does best – playing golf.

Building Relationships The hunTer’s CorporaTe Golf leaGue is a series of golf events guaranteed to help your company build strong business relationships. enter your company fourball and entertain, network, play and enjoy the ultimate refreshment!

Contact person: Riaan Myburgh tel: (021) 975 5358 Cell: 083 628 7395 email: riaan@golfbizniz.co.za Web: www.golfbizniz.co.za

Cape town results

Johannesburg results

CoMpany leadeR BoaRd – top 10

CoMpany leadeR BoaRd – top 10

CoMpany

points

CoMpany

points

Siba Quantity Surveyors

94

Hunters 1

41

Synergy

89

Protea Chemicals

37

Bluekey

85

Hunters 2

35

Nampak Liquid

80

Growthpoint

35

Metropolitan Health

79

Impro

31

EXEO

73

Ballyhoo Media

29

Hostmann-Steinberg

70

Bytes

17

Health Systems

62

Hammond Pole

14

GAC Laser

61

SAEL

18

SMEC

59

Entire Clean

15

individual oRdeR of MeRit – top 10

individual oRdeR of MeRit – top 10

playeR

points

playeR

points

Dave Thompson

149

Walter Kruger

73

Dustin Coombe

128

Stefan Ferreira

72

Theo van Zyl

124

Malcolm Auton

61

Elroy Kleinveldt

121

Shane McDonagh

56

Leon de Kock

117

Mark Hollow

54

Nico Prinsloo

111

Joe Alsida

39

Thando Mjebeza

107

Hank Swart

39

Nick Kutumane

107

Chris Arnison

38

Coen de Kock

107

Nathier Abraham

37

Rod Gush

104

Riaan Erasmus

36

noRth West open GavIn van asweGen, from Royal Johannesburg golf Club, was crowned champion at the senior north West open that was held at Rustenburg on 5 and 6 october. the 59-year-old returned two solid rounds of 71, 71 for a total of 142, relegating Mellette hendrikse and Basil naidoo to joint second place on 145.

What was the secret of his success? “i was driving the ball superbly and, when i did miss a green with my approach, i chipped and putted quite accurately every time. on the last day i dropped only one shot and made up for that with two birdies! the trick was to have patience, and thankfully i could manage that”.

RahMe Wins glasfit selBoRne spRing open

loWveld senioR ClassiC

raMon rahMe, from glendower CC, won his second senior amateur title when he was victorious in the inaugural ‘spring’ tournament that was played at selborne CC on 8 and 9 september. the 51-year-old overcame tricky, windy conditions on day one, carding a 75, and followed that up with a superb 71 to finish on 146. Morgan phillips was runner-up on 150.

MorGan phIllIps, 52-year-old golfer from KwaZulu-natal , shot 141 (69, 72) to win the senior lowveld Classic at White River CC on 21 and 22 september. amazingly, it was his first ever visit to this course. he ascribed his win to precise course management and using a putter that was best suited for slow greens. asked what he thought was the deciding moment in round two, he said, “My second shot to the par-5 11th ended in the water hazard, but luckily i managed to just get the ball out. from there i chipped it in the hole and a birdie was on my card, when i had been looking at maybe a double bogey!” lawrence franklin finished second (144) and derik piek and steve Cullen joint third (145).

8 BLAST FROM THE PAST

The World Cup of Golf Like many sporting events, the World Cup of Golf had a modest and relatively low-key beginning.

I

n 1953, when the inaugural Canada Cup and International Golf Championship took place in Montreal, Canada, only seven nations took part. It was no coincidence that the first event was held in Montreal, as the Canada Cup and International Golf Championship was the brainchild of John Jay Hopkins, whose name is carried in honour on the trophy that is presented to the winning team.

Hopkins could justifiably be called the founding father of international golf. He was president of General Dynamics Corporation, a company he originally formed, and chairman of its subsidiary, Canadair – hence the Canada Cup. The first tournament was won by Argentina, represented by Roberto de Vicenzo and Antonio Cerda, with Australia’s Peter Thomson and Kel Nagle winning in Quebec in 1954.

In the third year, the competition went to Hopkins’ home club at the Columbia Country Club, in Washington DC, where the US team of Ed Furgol and Chick Harbert emerged victorious. And although these players were among the best of their time, they were certainly not the glamour players at the forefront of the golfing world.

All this changed at the fourth running of the Canada Cup and International Golf Championship, in 1956, held at the Wentworth Club, one of England’s most traditional and prestigious courses. It was here that the tournament first received worldwide acclaim.

The greatest crowds ever seen at a golf tournament flocked to the Surrey Club to see two of the game’s greatest ever players, Ben Hogan and Sam Snead, carry off the Cup for the United States. Hopkins later proclaimed proudly, “The event has come of age.”

Finishing second that year was the team from South Africa, the start of a long and proud history in the tournament. Representing South Africa were two of its greatest ever players: the young Gary Player and the experienced Bobby Locke. South Africans would go on to win the World Cup on no fewer than seven times, more than any country in the world outside of America.

Hopkins had seen his lifetime’s ambition come to fruition. “Golf is a civilized and a civilizing game,” he once said. “It’s a game for good neighbours. It has the spice of good competition, while imposing the highest moral restraints.”

Hopkins was a keen golfer, who played the game for the friendship and companionship it offered. He wasn’t a particularly good player, although he could hit the ball huge distances. But his enthusiasm was all-embracing.

Born the son of a Presbyterian

9

preacher in Santa Ana, California, in 1893, he graduated from the University of California-Berkeley and entered Harvard University in 1916.

He enrolled in the US Naval Reserve in the middle of the World War I and returned to Harvard after the war to complete his degree.

After working as a lawyer in New York and Los Angeles, he finally became president of General Dynamics Corporation, a company responsible for the creation of the first nuclear submarine.

Hopkins’ devotion to golf led him to invent the International Golf Association in New York in 1952 with the slogan, “International Goodwill Through Golf ”.

It may sound corny in today’s world where success is everything, but Hopkins believed he could make a difference to how the world worked through the medium of golf.

“It is my hope that the International Tournament will serve,

through the spirit of the game, to bind people together. The thousands, and hopefully, ultimately millions who watch these sportsmen must inevitably recognize the common bond that links all nations.”

Hopkins selected the venue for the 1957 event during a 1955 visit to the Kasumigaseki Country Club in Tokyo, Japan. Sadly, he died before he could see the Japanese pair of Torakichi Nakamura and Koichi Ono win the tournament for Japan and create another piece of golf history.

Since then, it has grown into the greatest world team event in the game of golf, where teams of two players representing 24 countries compete for the prestigious title on some of the finest courses around the globe.

The tournament has been graced by the greatest names in the history of the game. Winners include: Peter Thomson and Kel Nagle (winners for Australia in 1954); Ben Hogan and Sam Snead (winners for America in 1956); four-time winners Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer (for America in 1963/64 and 1966/67); Gary Player and Harold Henning (winners for South Africa in 1965); Tiger Woods and David Duval (US winners in 2000), Gary Player and Harold Henning, the winning SA pair in the 1965 World Cup.

Southern AfricA’S proud World cup record YeAr

WinnerS

runnerS uP

LoCAtion

1956

Ben Hogan, Sam Snead (uSA)

Bobby Locke, Gary Player (SA)

england

1965

Harold Henning, Gary Player (SA)

Angel Miguel, ramon Sota (SP)

Spain

1966

Jack nicklaus, Arnold Palmer (uSA)

Harold Henning, Gary Player (SA)

Japan

1971

Jack nicklaus, Lee trevino (uSA)

Harold Henning, Gary Player (SA)

uSA

1973

Johnny Miller, Jack nicklaus (uSA)

Hugh Baiocchi, Gary Player (SA)

Spain

1974

Bobby Cole, Dale Hayes (SA)

isao Aoki, Masashi ozaki (Jap)

Venezuela

1993

Fred Couples, David Love 111 (uSA)

Mark Mcnulty, nick Price (ZiM)

uSA

1994

Fred Couples, David Love 111 (uSA)

tony Johnstone, Mark Mcnulty (ZiM)

Puerto rico

1996

ernie els, Wayne Westner (SA)

Steve Jones, tom Lehman (uSA)

SA

2001

ernie els, retief Goosen (SA)

- thomas Bjorn, Soren Hansen (Den) - Michael Campbell, David Smail (nZ) - David Duvall, tiger Woods (uSA)

Japan

2003

trevor immelman, rory Sabbatini (SA)

Paul Casey, Justin roe (enG)

uSA

Shigeki Maruyama and Toshi Izawa (Japan’s winners in 2002), Trevor Immelman and Rory Sabbatini (for South Africa in 2003) and Paul Casey and Luke Donald (English champs in 2004).

The tournament became known as the World Cup of Golf in 1967, and in 2000 it became one of the World Golf Championships events.

When the World Cup went back to Japan, to the Taiheiyo Club’s Gotemba Course, in 2001, it produced one of the most dramatic finishes in its long and illustrious history. That year, four teams went into a sudden-death playoff.

South Africa, New Zealand, Denmark and the USA put on a show of epic proportions before Retief Goosen and Ernie Els finally emerged victorious for South Africa at the second extra hole.

In 2007, OMEGA become title sponsor of the World Cup and hosted the event in China in 2007, 2008 and 2009.

In 2010, it was announced that the event would change from annual to biennial, held in oddnumbered years, to accommodate the inclusion of golf in the 2016 Olympics Games. The World Cup was held in China in 2011 and won

by Matt Kuchar and Gary Woodland. In May 2013, the International Federation of PGA Tours announced the move of the World Cup to Australia.

During the more than 50 years of the competition, 15 different nations have been the proud possessors of the John Jay Hopkins Cup. Nicklaus has been a part of the most victories with six. Nicklaus’ four-time playing partner, Palmer, has the next highest number of wins with five. Fred Couples and Davis Love III equalled the record of team wins by Nicklaus and Palmer by winning four titles in consecutive years between 1992 and 1995.

The legacy Hopkins left the game of golf is immense. As Tim Finchem, Commissioner of the PGA Tour has said, “The World Cup of Golf has held an esteemed position within the golf world for decades. It has done as much to promote golf around the world as any event in the sport.”

Over the past half century, the World Cup has been encouraged and supported by presidents and prime ministers who realise the importance of the event and the value it provides in bringing nations together and creating greater understanding around the world.

As Matsutaro Shoriki, a kindred spirit of Hopkins who helped take the World Cup to Japan in 1957, succinctly put it, “If the people of the world learn to play with each other, they will know better how to live with each other”.

10 cover story

striking it rich

Money, Money, Money.

And if it’s all about money then the Professional Golf Tours of the World are indeed in good shape.

But is it sustainable? Is Professional Golf recession proof?

11

12 cover story

nd let’s be honest, for professional golfers, who compete week in and week out, it is all about the money. Let’s look at some facts and figures, first from the world tournaments and then here at home in South Africa.

The PGA Tour of America has expanded its area of operation and now includes not just its premier main tour and Champions Tour (for seniors), but the also the Web.Com Tour (now the only qualifying route to the main Tour), The PGA Canadian Tour and the NEC Latino-America Tour. Through these tours they promote and own tournaments played in the USA, Australia, Canada, Mexico and South America. And to top it up, they have a couple of Chinese events under their banner.

This year Tiger Woods banked $8,553,439 in prize money earnings on the PGA Tour, while 82 players earned $1 million or more. This is in official earnings only and does not include bonus money, appearance fees, product endorsements or any earnings from other world events.

A look at the European Tour tells a similar tale, although it is probably a misnomer to still refer to it as European in that as many as 24 of the 46 tournaments are outside the continent. The leading money winner at present is Henrik Stenson with €2,203,260 and the top 20 have all taken home more that €1 million. And this with two tournaments to go in 2013.

Over the next three months South Africa will host seven co-sanctioned European Tour events that will carry prize money well in excess of R100 million.

In addition to that, Durban Country Club will host the European Tour’s Champion of Champions-style event, the Volvo Golf Championship, that is restricted to tournament winners on the 2013 European Tour. Louis The things we do for money!

Tiger Woods hits a ball from Oosthuizen is the defending champion East to West on Bosphorus in this elite line-up, for which Ernie Els Bridge that connects the continents of Europe and also qualifies.

Asia on the sidelines of the Our biggest money event, the 'Turkish Airlines Open Golf Nedbank Golf Challenge with its Tournament' in Istanbul. expanded 30-man field, that now offers more opportunities for the elite South African professional – as many as seven or eight could make it into the tournament – carries a first prize of $1,250,000. The player finishing last, in this case 30th, will go away with $100,000. The total purse is $6,500,000, but in terms of money that is where it all begins.

Promotors and/or sponsors of these events must come up with not only the prize money for the professionals, but the huge costs of staging and promoting their event.

For a tournament like the Nedbank Golf Challenge the total cost is in excess of R100 million and other co-sanctioned tournaments will certainly carry an overall bill of between R30 million and R40 million. Total sponsorship for the summer swing, which includes seven of these co-sanctioned tournaments and a few domestic Sunshine Tour events (like the

Didata, Investec Cup and Telkom PGA Championship) will not leave any change from R350 million. Yes that is R350 million.

Where does all this money come from? Can it really be justified by the returns gained? And, most of all, therefore, is it sustainable?

How does all this affect the game in South Africa? There’s no doubt that the incentive is there for our top golfers to perfect their game, turn professional and compete on not just the South African but the world stage. By the end of the year the top 10 South African players will have banked appoximately R200 million.

And some players who might well be described as journeymen professionals will earn R5 million and more from prize money alone.

So yes, money like this will certainly continue to incentivise young golfers in South Africa to be the best they can be. This proud tradition has seen South Africa produce more Major winners than any country outside of the US in the last 70 years. With many and regular winners of golf tournaments around the world, South Africa must rank in the top five golfing nations in the world. And we will probably continue to be. hat about the game at grass roots level? Do these enormous prize monies and tournaments ensure the health of golf clubs around South Africa?

Do they help in some way to make these clubs sustainable? I’m afraid the answer is no!

The game is facing major threats at this level. Over the past years the number of golf club members has shrunk by as much as 20% and many clubs have become financially marginal. If something is not done to turn this around, certain golf clubs will have to close and the cost down the line of reviving the numbers by way of building new golf courses will be so restrictive that the game will simply shrink, have fewer players and become more elitist.

This rather bleak forecast needs to be addressed now, when the opportunities still exist for it to be turned around. The game’s custodians, the South African Golf Association, the PGA of South Africa, Women’s Golf SA and, of course, the Southern African PGA Tour, which as I‘ve pointed out is thriving, need to get together, strategise and come up with solutions and a plan of action for the future of golf in South Africa.

Much of the groundwork has already been done. In the US where the game has also suffered over the past few years, the major role-players have done just that – got together and formed a vision for the game to take it through to 2020. The same has happened in the British Isles with Golf England and Golf Scotland leading the way. Many of the strategies and plans that they have implemented, need only to be tweaked a little in order to be used in South Africa.

The bottom line for the health of the game is a large pool of golfers; for South Africa somewhere between 150,000 and 200,000 member golfers, a pool of casual golfers (not as critical in South Africa as most of our golf clubs are member’s facilities with very few public courses), and most importantly the frequency that this pool of golfers use the golf courses.

In order to sustain the 450+ courses that exist in South Africa, between eight and 10 million rounds of golf must be played annually. If not, the number of golf courses must either decrease or the price per round must increase. If the latter happens it will make the game more elitist.

The Southern Africa PGA Tour should be congratulated for its efforts in producing this number of tournaments for local players to compete in. The SAGA, Women’s Golf and the Junior Unions do a wonderful job to ensure that the game remains competitive and that there are many tournaments for our best players to play in and improve and develop their game.

But what about the bigger picture?

How do we ensure that the achievement of the Sunshine Tour filters down into all aspects of the game and so guarantee that this proud and successful golf nation continues to bring us honour, success and respect around the world?

14 cover story nd although it would be unreasonable to expect even the most dedicated fan to make the trip Down Under for the World Cup of Golf, local fans are encouraged to get to Glendower, Leopard Creek, Sun City and/or Mount Edgecombe near Durban and give these tournaments and the players the support they deserve. Four European/Sunshine Tour co-sanctioned events, over R100 million in prize money and some of the best players in the world competing over excellent parkland courses, should be incentive enough for any self-respecting golf fan. And prepare for some early morning TV viewing from Australia to top it all.

World Cup of Golf Australians Adam Scott and Jason Day, who have been dubbed the ‘super team’, will form part of an elite field of 60 players from around the world competing for honours at this year’s World Cup of Golf. The event boasts an $8 million total purse and returns to an individual stroke-play competition for $7 million with a concurrent team competition (adding the total scores of the two man teams) for $1 million. This new format is almost a trial run for the 2016 Olympics, which will have the same format.

The World Cup of Golf is scheduled to be played at The Royal Melbourne Golf Club from 21 to 24 November.

Masters Champion Adam Scott says, “I am looking forward to playing the World Cup and representing Australia at Royal Melbourne with Jason Day. It will be a great week for Australian golf; we will be playing a World Cup in Australia for the first time in 25 years!”

The World Cup has been played every year since its inception in 1953 except for 1981 and 1986. The United States of America holds the record for the most number of wins with 23. South Africa is next with five, then Australia and Spain with four, followed by Canada’s three titles.

Arnold Palmer (1960, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1966 and 1967) and Jack Nicklaus (1963, 1964, 1966, 1967, 1971 and 1973) jointly hold the record for most victories by a player.

Palmer and Nicklaus (1963, 1964, 1966 and 1967) first established the record for the most victories by the same partnership, with four titles, later matched by the American duo of Fred Couples and Davis Love III in 1992, 1993, 1994 and 1995.

Ernie Els and Wayne Westner, who represented South Africa in 1996 in front of their home fans at Erinvale Golf Club in Cape Town, hold the record for the largest winning margin of 18 shots. This beat the previous best of 14 by Ben Hogan and Sam Snead at Wentworth Club in 1956.

The venue this year, Royal Melbourne Golf Club, is the gem of Australian golf. It has two courses, both ranked in the World’s Top 100, an extremely rare distinction that no other facility outside the United States can equal. The West course, designed by the legendary Alister MacKenzie, widely considered the greatest architect in golf history, is ranked 14th, the only Top 20 course outside of the US, Scotland and Ireland.

In 1959, in order to host the first of many international tournaments, 12 holes of the West Course and six from the East were combined to create what is known as the Composite Course, which is ranked as one of the top 10 courses in the world. The Royal Melbourne’s Composite Course has hosted many important tournaments, including the 1998 and 2011 Presidents Cups.

In addition to Australians Scott and Day, committed to play are Matt Kuchar and Kevin Streelman of the United States, and South Africans Branden Grace and George Coetzee. Also included in the field are top names like Northern Ireland’s Graeme McDowell and Shane Lowry, Sweden’s Jonas Blixt and Peter Hanson, Matteo Manassero and Francesco Molinari of Italy, Japan’s Ryo

Ishikawa and Hideto Tanihara and South Korea’s Sang-Moon Bae and K.J. Choi. In all players, from 34 countries will compete for the coveted World Cup of Golf.

South AfriCAn open ChAmpionShip Every young boy who gets hooked on golf and becomes immersed in the grand history and traditions of the game, invariably dreams to one day win his national open. In the case of the South African Open, it was no different for James Kingston, who

witnessed Gary Player win a bunch in the 1970s and Hennie Otto, who was 15 when he watched Ernie Els capture the first of his five SA Open titles as a young man.

And that got them dreaming of emulating their heroes.

Kingston realised that dream when he annexed the 2007 SA Open for his first European Tour victory. After 19 long and frustrating years of trying, of often coming close and being told he wasn’t mentally tough enough, Kingston proved everyone wrong at the ripe old age of 42.

15 CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: Our biggest money event, the Nedbank Golf Challenge, carries a first prize of $1,250,000; South Africa’s number 1 ranked golf course, Leopard Creek, host of the Alfred Dunhill Challenge; An emotional Hennie Otto, the 101st winner of the South African Open Championship; Australians Adam Scott and Jason Day team up for the World Cup of Golf.

“You can’t put a price on what this means to me,” Kingston said after sinking the winning putt.

Otto, too, was extremely emotional after winning the 101st edition in dramatic fashion. Otto had to finish par-par merely to tie, but the man they call the ‘Boksburg Bomber’ reached for his driver at the 17th and hit a shot so good, it actually ran through the green. He skilfully chipped to about four feet from the cup and, kneeling as if praying, carefully lined up the putt before rolling it in for birdie.

He knew victory was in his grasp. After another big drive down 18, and a safety-first approach to the right side of the green away from the water, he two-putted from 40 feet for victory.

“To win the SA Open, to win your own national open, is very special,” said Otto. “You just have to look at the names on the trophy – Els, Goosen, Player, Locke – to know you’re in esteemed company.”

And Kingston and Otto will be in esteemed company for the 103rd edition of the South African Open at Glendower Golf Club, a course that has hosted the SA Open on three previous occasions, with American Fred Wadsworth, South Africa’s own Clinton Whitelaw and the legendary Vijay Singh being the respective winners.

This current year’s line-up not only includes the 2012 champion Henrik Stenson, two-time US Open champion Retief Goosen, Kingston and Otto, but also two-time Alfred Dunhill Championship winner Pablo Martin and no less than 29 other Sunshine Tour winners, including South Africa’s top ranked player at present, Charl Schwartzel.

Although European Ryder Cup captain Paul McGinley’s mind must already be focussed on how to keep the Samuel Ryder trophy in European hands when he leads Europe’s defence against the United States at Gleneagles next year, the popular Dubliner is coming to South Africa to play at Glendower.

McGinley has enjoyed an illustrious career on The European Tour, including four European Tour victories and three victorious Ryder Cup performances. He will always be remembered for holing the winning putt at The Belfry in 2002.

“There is certainly an impressive list of names already on the trophy and I would love nothing more than to add mine on there as well,” said McGinley.

McGinley first came out to South Africa in 1997 and returned for the South African Open in 1999, 2001 and 2004. The 46-year-old says he is relishing the opportunity to return to South Africa.

“I love playing in South Africa because the crowds are always supportive and cheerful; they just want to come out and watch great golf and support everyone. The weather is always great, too.”

While the professionals compete for the honour of capturing the national title, the rising amateur stars invited to participate compete for their own historic piece of silverware – the Freddie Tait Cup, which is presented to the leading amateur after 72 holes.

But the player they will all need to beat is defending champion and current world no 3 Henrik Stenson.

GOLFING SMORGASBORD South African golf fans can look forward to a veritable ‘smorgasbord’ of golf over the next month.

“To win the SA Open, to win your own national open, is very special,” said Otto.

“You just have to look at the names on the trophy – Els, Goosen, Player, Locke – to know you’re in esteemed company”

16 COVER STORY NEDBANK GOLF CHALLENGE Germany’s Martin Kaymer has confirmed that he will defend his Nedbank Golf Challenge title at the Gary Player Country Club from 5 to 8 December 2013.

Kaymer claimed a two-stroke victory in the 2012 showpiece at Sun City at the end of a memorable year in which he holed the key putt to secure Europe victory over America in the Ryder Cup. His victory at Sun City last year made for a German double when Bernhard Langer also won the Nedbank Champions Challenge.

Spain’s Sergio Garcia will seek to become the first foreigner to win three Nedbank Golf Challenge titles. Garcia won the Nedbank Golf Challenge in 2001 and 2003, beating Ernie Els and Retief Goosen respectively, and both in play-offs. The only players to have ever won three titles are the Southern African trio of Els, Nick Price and David Frost.

Brendon de Jonge has qualified for the 30-man field at the end of what has been a memorable year for the young Zimbabwean. A strong finish to the FedEx Cup, combined with his trademark aggressive play, saw him selected as one of Price’s captain’s picks for the International Team for the Presidents Cup. It was a resounding endorsement of a player who at one point had scored more rounds in the 60s than any other player on the PGA Tour this year, and made more birdies than any other PGA Tour player since 2009.

Two-time PGA Tour winner Darren Andrew Points will join a strong American presence in this year’s field. He is the third American to confirm his place in the field after Kevin Streelman and Gary Woodland. Points claimed his second PGA Tour title in this year’s Shell Houston Open, using a putter he had stolen from his mother’s golf bag. His previous victory came in the 2011 AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am, the same year he also claimed his best finish in a Major to date (tied 10th in the PGA Championship).

Arguable the hottest player in the world at present and the player they will all need to beat, is Swede Henrik Stenson. Since his second placed finish in the Open Championship in July, Stenson went on an incredible run that saw him finish third in the PGA Championship and then win the Deutsche Bank Championship and the Tour Championship to claim the overall FedEx Cup title and a $10 million bonus.

It marked one of the most amazing comebacks in the game, with Stenson ranked as low as 230th in the world at the start of 2012 and then rising to a career high of fourth on the official world golf ranking in 2013. He returns to Sun City seeking a second Nedbank Golf Challenge title after beating American Kenny Perry by a crushing nine strokes in 2008.

But US Open champion Justin Rose will certainly make his presence felt.

The English professional broke through with his first Major victory in a year in which he rose to a career-high third on the official world golf ranking. Rose became the first English professional in 43 years to win the US Open when he beat Phil Mickelson and Jason Day by two shots at Merion, and the first English winner of a Major since Nick Faldo won the 1996 Masters.

It was an emotional triumph for the man who first stunned the golf world when, as a 17-year-old amateur, he holed a 50 metre chip from the 18th fairway at Royal Birkdale during the 1998 Open Championship, and then struggled through 21 consecutive missed cuts at the start of his professional career.

Rose’s affinity for South Africa stretches beyond just his family ties to this country. It was in Johannesburg that Rose won his first professional title in the 2002 Dunhill Championship at Houghton Golf Club. That same year he won the Nashua Masters at the Wild Coast Sun.

You can be sure these ‘uitlanders’ won’t have it all their own way and, although it is a few years since a South African victory at Sun City (Trevor Immelman in 2007), the likes of Charl Schwartzel, Louis Oosthuizen, Branden Grace and Richard Sterne will be aiming to change that.

ALFRED DUNHILL CHALLENGE Although few confirmed entries have been announced for this classic event played at South Africa’s number 1 ranked golf course, Leopard Creek, you can be assured that a world class field will make their way to the bushveld from 28 November to 1 December.

For the record the defending champion is Charl Schwartzel and this year the players will be competing for a purse of €1,5 million

You can be sure these ‘uitlanders’ won’t have it all their own way

NELSON MANDELA CHAMPIONSHIP Mount Edgecombe Country Club will play host to this year’s playing of the Nelson Mandela Championship from 12 to 15 December. The R13,5 million tournament, with its unique trophy, will again be cosanctioned by the Sunshine Tour and the European Tour and it closes out the 2013 Sunshine Tour season (and chase for the Order of Merit).

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Selwyn Nathan, executive director of the Sunshine Tour, said the Tour was looking forward to renewing its association with Mount Edgecombe.

“It’s an excellent course, and to put on this tournament there, in association with the European Tour, is an indication of how important the tournament is to us. It’s the concluding tournament of our 2103 season, and the seventh event of the year co-sanctioned by the European Tour,” he said.

The tournament was reduced to 36 holes last year on a shortened Royal Durban Golf Club layout, and was won by Scotland’s Scott Jamieson on the second hole of a sudden-death play-off with Steve Webster of England and Spain’s Eduardo de la Riva.

Mount Edgecombe Country Club has two 18-hole championship courses, and the older Course One, on which the tournament will be played, was upgraded about 20 years ago when the Mount Edgecombe residential estate was initially developed. Originally known as the Hullets Country Club, and created by eight-time South African Open Championship winner Sid Brews in 1936, the course was upgraded and modernised in 1992 by Hugh Baiocchi.

Midori Miyazaki, the Executive Director of the ISPS, a philanthropic organisation based in Japan and headed by Dr Handa, confirmed that ISPS will continue to support the Nelson Mandela Championship as a presenting partner, “ISPS and Dr Handa very much look forward to once again be working together with the Nelson Mandela Children’s Fund in delivering a world-class tournament and demonstrate the ‘power of sport’ through the tournament”.

This tournament will help in the fundraising that will go a long way in helping to build the Nelson Mandela Children’s Hospital. As with the inaugural event, the tournament will donate all proceeds to the Nelson Mandela Children’s Fund.

18 rules his ball to move, Rule 18-2b does not apply.

This recent amendment to the rule is open to interpretation and it may be best to look at various examples of the circumstances in which a penalty is incurred or not.

It is likely that the incident that caused this Rule to be revised occurred at the unusually windy 2008 British Open at Royal Birkdale, when a player whose ball lay in a bunker, was wary of even approaching it; he was concerned that the strong winds could cause the ball to move at any moment.

After he had eventually taken his stance the ball did move. There was no doubt that it was the wind that caused the ball to move, yet the player incurred a penalty. This situation caused concern to the Ruling Bodies as there was no way the player could have protected himself from penalty (as he could have done through the green or on the putting green by not grounding his club).

the incident that caused this Rule to be Revised occuRRed at the unusually windy 2008 bRitish open

The toughest call in golf Calling a stroke penalty when all you have done is address the ball.

T

iger Woods has certainly kept rules officials on their toes this season, and barely a month has gone by without there being some infraction or incident involving Tiger. The latest was again captured on video in high definition and has caused some consternation.

Rather than go into the pros and cons of whether the ball moved or did not move; whether it changed position or merely oscillated; and, of course, whether Woods caused it to

move by removing or attempting to move a loose impediment; and whether he saw it move, I want to lay out what Rule 18-2 actually provides for, and give some clarity on how it should be applied.

Rule 18 deals with a ball at rest that moves, and in broad terms if the player, his partner, caddie or equipment causes the ball to move the player incurs a penalty of one stroke. The player must then replace the ball or the player incurs a further penalty of one stroke.

The subsection of the rule that causes the most issues is 18-2b, which says “if a player’s ball in play moves after he has addressed it (other than as a result of a stroke) the player is deemed to have moved the ball.� The ball must be replaced, unless the movement of the ball occurs after the player has begun the stroke or the backward movement of the club for the stroke and the stroke is made. The exception to the rule states: If it is known or virtually certain that the player did not cause

There were several subsequent situations, mostly on the putting green, that brought the Rule under even more scrutiny. While the old Rule was black and white, it could sometimes result in inequitable penalties being incurred in situations where the player had obviously not caused their ball to move.

The following examples should help provide some clarity for what is a very subjective matter.

On a windless day, on a level putting green, a player grounds his club immediately behind the ball and as he prepares to make his stroke the ball moves. It is not known whether the grounding of the club was the cause of the ball moving.

Ruling: As there is no obvious reason why the ball moved after the player had addressed it the player is deemed to have moved it, therefore he incurs a one stroke penalty and the ball must be replaced.

On a very windy day, on a level putting green, a player grounds his club immediately behind the ball and as he prepares to make his stroke there is a strong gust of wind and the ball moves. It is obvious that the wind caused the ball to move.

Ruling: It was known or virtually certain that it was the wind that caused the ball to move and not the player, therefore there is no penalty and the ball must be played from where it came to rest.

On a windless day, on a putting green steeply sloping down to the hole, a player grounds his club

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rules immediately behind the ball and as he prepares to make his stroke the ball moves nearer to the hole. Everyone present agrees that the player could not have caused their ball to move.

Ruling: One stroke penalty and the ball must be replaced. Decision 18-2b/11: This decision confirms that gravity is not in itself an element that should be considered when applying the exception to Rule 18-2b, and so the player is still deemed to have moved their ball after taking address.

Through the green, a player takes his stance but does not ground the club and the ball moves. Everyone present agrees that the player could not have caused their ball to move.

Ruling: no penalty and the ball must be played from where it came to rest.

You will note that if a player grounds their club according to the definition and there is no obvious cause of the ball moving such as wind or another element, the player is still deemed to have moved their ball under Rule 18-2b. Of course, there is no change in the Rules where a player does cause their ball to move; there is a one stroke penalty under Rule 18-2a, notwithstanding the weather conditions prevailing or the slope at where the ball was at rest, and the ball must be replaced.

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Some Frequently ASked queStionS A player replaces his ball on the putting green and the ball is at rest. Without addressing the ball, the player steps away to read his putt. The ball moves either due to the wind or the slope of the putting green. How should the player proceed? the player must play his ball from the new position without penalty. if the ball has moved and fallen in the hole then the player is deemed to have holed out with his previous stroke (decision 20-3d/1). if the ball moves and comes to rest off the green, in a bunker or in a greenside hazard, that is the new position of the ball and the player must proceed accordingly. note: it is not relevant whether the player had removed his ballmarker before the ball moved as the player’s ball was in play when it was replaced (rule 20-4).

A player putts his ball uphill to the hole, the ball curls around the hole and begins to move back down the slope, the player steps in and putts the moving ball back to the hole, sinking it. What rule and what penalty incurred? the stroke that the player made by putting the ball into the hole counts and there is an additional

penalty of two strokes for playing a moving ball (rule 14-5). So, if the player’s putt up the hill to the hole was his fourth stroke, he holed out in seven strokes.

A player was about to strike the ball on the putting green, the ball moved. It was too late to stop the swing, and he hit a ball in motion.

Is he exonerated from the ball movement penalty? What about the fact that he hit the ball while it was moving? if a player’s ball in play moves after he has addressed it (other than as a result of a stroke), the player is deemed to have moved the ball and incurs a penalty of one stroke. the ball must be replaced, unless the movement of the ball occurs after the player has begun the stroke or the backward movement of the club for the stroke and the stroke is made.

Golfers often misread the second sentence and assume that there is no penalty if the ball moves after they have begun the backward movement of their stroke, but this sentence only clarifies the fact that the ball (obviously) does not have to be replaced. the penalty in this case is one stroke.

this is the rule that requires complete honesty from a player. An example of this dates back to the legendary Bobby Jones. in the first round of the 1925 uS open at the Worcester Country Club near Boston, his approach shot to the 11th hole’s elevated green fell short into the deep rough of the embankment.

As Jones took his stance to pitch onto the green, the head of his club brushed the grass and caused a slight movement of the ball. He informed his playing partner, Walter Hagen, and the uSGA official covering their match, that he was calling a penalty on himself.

Hagen was unable to talk him out of it, and they continued play. After the round and before he signed his scorecard, officials argued with Jones but he insisted that he had violated rule 18, moving a ball at rest after address, and took a 77 instead of the 76 he otherwise would have carded.

Jones’ self-imposed one-stroke penalty eventually cost him winning the open by a stroke in regulation, necessitating a play-off he then lost. Although praised by many sports writers for his gesture, Jones was reported to have said, “you might as well praise me for not robbing banks”.

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INSTRUCTION

By Dennis Bruyns, Illustrations Dave Edwards

USE YOUR DIVOT-REPAIR TOOL TO TEST THE FIRMNESS OF THE GREEN

READING THE GREEN The nearer you get to the hole the more important distance control becomes.

I

f you are faced with a 10 metre putt it’s no good to hit it eight meters. Never up and never in they say. By the same token it’s no good to hit it twelve metres because once the ball has passed the hole it is not going in either.

Bobby Locke is recognised as one of the greatest putters the game has ever seen. And his greatest skill was reading the speed of the greens correctly and therefore getting the ball to come to rest at the hole.

Putting from 10 metres or more is a stern test for any golfer, and

as you would for any exam, you have to do your homework to be successful. The more you study the texture and slope of the green, the easier it is to gauge the break and speed of the putt, and the better your chances of two-putting or even holing out. Put the following greenreading tips to work and you should start seeing a lot fewer three-putts.

FIX AND LEARN It’s proper etiquette to fix your ballmark, but it’s also a good way to test the firmness of the green. If your approach shot leaves a giant crater behind to repair, then the

green is very soft and you can expect a slower roll than usual, along with less break, since you’ll hit the putt harder. Conversely, if your repair tool or tee hardly makes a dent in the ground, then the green is very firm and you can expect a slicker putt than normal and more break, since you’ll have to hit the putt more softly.

The direction the grass grows is also very important in determining the movement of the putt. As a general rule, if the grass has a shiny glow to it, it’s lying down grain and you can expect a faster putt; if it’s darker in colour, it’s lying toward you (into the grain) and you can expect a slower putt.

21 PULL OUT AND KEEP

CHIN T UP

here is a distance element to all golf shots, but whereas with the driver we might be willing at times to sacrifice direction for distance the opposite is true with iron play. Even though direction is primary with irons, distance or rather distance control is of equal importance in my opinion.

It is not so much how far you hit a particular iron but more how consistently you hit the iron that distance.

In order to get good consistent distance from your irons, you need to make a relatively full shoulder turn while remaining in your original, address posture. The deeper the turn, the easier it is to swing the club down from the inside and release the clubhead. To

encourage a bigger shoulder turn, raise your chin at address so that there’s at least a fist’s width between it and your breastbone.

Picture a second ball just outside the original ball and point your nose at it, a move that will lift your chin. As long as your chin is up and your back is relatively straight, you should be able to rotate your shoulders more freely and, in turn, hit the ball more solidly and consistently.

IMAGINING A SECOND BALL AND POINTING YOUR NOSE AT IT WILL FORCE YOU TO LIFT YOUR CHIN

22

WESTIE’S WAY

25 YEARS AGO

By Wayne Westner

I

s it really that long ago?

Twenty five years since I had the honour of winning our national championship. My story begins a few years earlier.

After three tournament victories on the Sunshine Tour, I made the trip to Europe to seek success there. I started well in the Italian Open and was one stroke behind with two rounds to go, but did not have a good weekend and finished around 30th or so. I decided to go out and watch Seve Ballesteros for a few holes. After watching him eagle the last to tie with Bernard Langer and Ken Brown, I realised that I still had a long way to go in order to achieve my dream of becoming a top golfer. So it was off to America to visit the best teachers there. At this time there was a lot of experimentation going on with regard to the ‘perfect’ golf swing, and the coach I worked with believed that the legs must be less active in the golf swing. Well, he took away my legs completely and I have never found them again.

This was the start of a long journey of mine to perfect my swing, leading me to spend time with many of the game’s foremost coaches, including Bob Torrance, Denis Pugh and Phil Ritson, to name just a few.

At the same time I continued to work a lot with my father Eldred, an excellent coach in his own right.

Then came a life changing experience for me at the 1987 Lexington PGA Championship at the Wanderers Golf Club. After the final round I was so depressed, as I could just not break through into the winner’s circle, I prayed to God to please help me and, lo and behold, when I came off the 18th green, Helen Bland handed me an envelope.

Inside was a note saying, “If you need help, call me” signed, Rene Kurensky. I called her and went to see her that same Sunday.

What happened next was amazing.

Here was this 55-year-old, tiny little lady, who had studied a number of religions and philosophies and had come up with a technique to play golf properly, maximising the power of one’s mind. I was fascinated with her as she taught me what fear (False Evidence Appearing Real) was, and how I was actually creating all my bad shots through the wrong thought process.

It was so mind blowing that I spent four or five hours with her. This was at a time when the mental game was not really understood and being taught to top sportsman, but she had devised a method to keep one in the present and show you just how to visualise and create the shots you

And so started my eight year love affair with DCC wanted, as opposed to the shots you did not want to hit. Rene’s book The Right Mind for Golf is must for any golfer wanting to understand the mental side of the game.

The next tournament was the SA Open at Mowbray in Cape Town. In the first round I took a driver off the first tee, drove it on the green and made eagle. I shot 66 that day, followed it up with a 67 in round two, and found myself leading Fulton Allem and Mark McNulty by three shots. However, I did lose my way a little in the final two rounds, got somewhat apprehensive and finished third.

With my new found mental technique I proceeded to finish second the next two weeks, narrowly losing to Mark McNulty on both occasions.

This was the year that Mark won everything on the Sunshine Tour –

something like five or six tournaments if I remember correctly.

Naturally I was now very excited about my prospects in Europe and I started to record a number of top 10 finishes. At the Portuguese Open in 1988, I remember just having finished the back nine of the last round in 28 shots, to finish eighth in the event. We were having dinner in a restaurant, and on the news our then leader told the rest of the world that South Africa would not need them, and before we knew it, numerous countries in Europe would not allow us to play in their events.

I returned home resigned to the fact that my efforts would need to be concentrated on the Sunshine Tour. I arrived at the 1988 South African Open at Durban Country Club feeling really good about my game, as I felt I really

understood this grand old course and how to play it. And so started my eight year love affair with DCC. I chose to take my driver out of the bag for the whole week even though in those days DCC was still a relatively long course.

I also knew that the key to a good score was getting through the first five holes in par or better. I have no idea of how I did it, but I could, in those days, hit my trusty Ping 1-iron 285 metres. There was no par-5 that I could not reach in two, and I proceeded to have one of my best ball striking rounds ever in the third round, shooting 65 in the wind.

In those days ball strikers were really rewarded, as there were not too many people that could hit a 1- or 2-iron consistently well. Nowadays, with the big headed drivers and hybrids, the gap between true ball strikers and average ones has narrowed.

Luck also played its part in the eventual outcome of the Championship – lucky for me, but not so for Eamonn Darcy and David Feherty. They were right up there after three rounds, but assumed that the starting times would be the same for the final round. The officials had, however, brought the times forward by two hours to accommodate the TV Broadcasters and so they missed their times. The only challenge therefore came from Ian Mosey and Mark James and I prevailed after making an eight foot putt on the final green to beat Mosey by one shot.

Twenty five years ago, not really, for me it was like it all happened yesterday and the memories both on, and off the course, come flooding back. Staying with my close friend Miles for the week; hitting my tee shot in one round down next to the squash courts (how it was not out of bounds I do not know); breaking one of Gary Player’s records; hitting a gentleman by the name of ‘Deacon’ on the head at the dangerous ‘Prince of Wales’ 12th hole; and my family surprising me before the last round. It is amazing what one remembers.

What an experience, and one I will treasure for the rest of my life, lifting that coveted trophy on what is still to this day my favourite golf course in South Africa.

PROFILE: Wayne Westner is the winner of multiple tournaments worldwide, including two SA Open titles, the Dubai Desert Classic, the 1996 World Cup of Golf (partnering Ernie Els, they won by a world record margin) and the 1996 SA Order of Merit. He studied the golf swing for 25 years under all the top world teachers, including David Leadbetter, and now runs an advanced golf college at Selborne Golf Estate on the KwaZulu-Natal South Coast.

24

SWING THOUGHTS

By Theo Bezuidenhout

NO MAJOR…TIGER

S

ixteen events played. Five wins. Eight top 10s. Ten top 25s and all the cuts made. On the face of it, 2013 seems to have been another one of the (insert yawn) Tiger Woods dominated years on the PGA Tour. Added to this, there were also the small matters of more than $8million worth of winnings and the Player of the Year prize. So, same old, same old for Mr Woods. Or so it would appear to the untrained eye.

Delve a bit deeper into the statistics of 2013 and one would see that Woods has come up woefully short in the one area of the modern game he covets more than any other: the Majors. The last year would be one Tiger would rather forget when it comes to the biggest stages in golf.

His scoring also let him down as it came to a combined 10-over-par for the year at Augusta, Merion (US Open), Muirfield (The Open) and Oakhill (PGA). Not the kind of record one would expect of Tiger, and not one that his great start to the season promised.

So what went wrong for Tiger in the Majors in 2013 and is there any chance that he can have a better 2014? Let’s investigate.

PLAY IT AGAIN SAM If one studies Tiger’s records and schedules, it becomes clear that he loves certain golf courses and simply cannot win on others. It is insightful to notice that even though Woods has won 14 Majors, he has done so on only 8 courses (Medinah, Valhalla, Southern Hills, Pebble Beach, Bethpage Black, Torrey Pines, St Andrews and Royal Liverpool). To his critics this has been an indication that Tiger can only win on courses that suit him, and to his fans an indication of his ability to dominate some very tough courses.

However, any way you look at it, it seems that Tiger’s lack of motivation to play the courses that he does not play well on might be backfiring on him. Take into account that Tiger had

Championship in 1968 to become the oldest ever Major winner.

So although Tiger might win until he is into his forties, it would be interesting to see if the Roses, Scotts and Dufners of the world will allow it.

They might even inflict a bit of their own intimidation on a weary Tiger.

never won at any of the Major venues for 2013 before (bar Augusta), and as one can see by his scoring, Merion, Muirfield and Oakhill were definitely not in awe of the Woods reputation.

So what to do? It is essential, as with all us normal folk, that Tiger gets exposure to conditions and maybe even Tours that he is not used to. It is interesting to note the little amount of golf Woods plays outside the US, and this might also have led to him not competing so well in the Majors.

Thus, in his search for Majors 15 to 19, Tiger might have to search farther afield (Asian Tour or European Tour) to get his Major mojo back. Or as the saying goes, ‘what got you here won’t get you there’.

NOTHING TO FEAR BUT FEAR ITSELF In the last few years many columnists (myself included) have noted that the fear that younger players had of Woods when he was at his dominant best, has waned. One need only look at the host of younger players who have won Majors recently to see that these ‘millenials’ have very little respect for their most famous ‘elder’.

Although this theory holds water, it might be the reverse that has caused Tiger to regress so dramatically in the Majors the last five years. Could it be that the fear that Tiger once engendered in younger opponents is now the fear they are causing him?

Goodness knows Tiger is not stupid or naïve, and he will be painfully aware that younger and healthier individuals are vying for his crown.

Add to this that he is also not the healthiest 37-year-old on Tour, having had multiple surgeries and lay-offs caused by several failing body parts, one can imagine Tiger hearing the sands of time run out on his body more than his game. Thus, instead of counting up to 19 Majors as he did in the first part of his career, he is in all likelihood counting down the opportunities he may still have left to get past Jack’s record.

A simple sum will do nicely to illustrate this point. If Tiger starts to win Majors again next year, it will be his first in roughly five years. Thus if he is to pass Jack he will need to win five more Majors in the next 10 years.

Why 10 years you ask? Because in 10 years Tiger will be 48, the same age at which Julius Boros won the PGA

2014 Before the Tiger fan club chastises me for an unnecessarily harsh review of a great year for Tiger, I have to add that there is a silver lining to the dark Majorless cloud of 2013. In fact I truly believe that he will win a Major in 2014. What do I base it on?

My positive assessment of Tiger’s chances to get to number 15 in 2014 has more to do with the venues than his form, physical fitness or his psyche. Of the three Majors that have rotating venues, two will be played on courses where Tiger has won Majors before: Hoylake and Valhalla. And we all know what Tiger can do at his beloved Augusta.

Thus, if I were a betting man, which I am not, I would wager a bet on Mr Woods getting his Major act together in 2014. Goodness knows he needs to; otherwise it might be too late for the biggest cat of his generation.

Please share your mental issues with us (teetogreen@ ballyhoomedia.co.za; we will pass it onto Theo). The WINNING LETTER will receive a Titleist glove and one dozen Titleist Pro V1s.

PROFILE: Theo Bezuidenhout is a sport psychologist in private practice and consults with golfers of all abilities and ages. His clients include top juniors, amateurs and Sunshine Tour professionals. Theo has been a columnist for Tee to Green for over seven years. He is also an ambassador for Titleist. He has a special interest in parental involvement in sport and has also been involved with the Glacier Junior Series for the last two years as a consultant. He refuses to divulge how often he gets to work on his own golf.

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CHIN T UP

here is a distance element to all golf shots, but whereas with the driver we might be willing at times to sacrifice direction for distance the opposite is true with iron play. Even though direction is primary with irons, distance or rather distance control is of equal importance in my opinion.

PREVIEW A smorgasbord of Festive Season tournaments

INSTRUCTION • Fix and learn • Get consistency from your irons

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It is not so much how far you hit a particular iron but more how consistently you hit the iron that distance.

In order to get good consistent distance from your irons, you need to make a relatively full shoulder turn while remaining in your original, address posture. The deeper the turn, the easier it is to swing the club down from the inside and release the clubhead. To

encourage a bigger shoulder turn, raise your chin at address so that there’s at least a fist’s width between it and your breastbone.

Picture a second ball just outside the original ball and point your nose at it, a move that will lift your chin. As long as your chin is up and your back is relatively straight, you should be able to rotate your shoulders more freely and, in turn, hit the ball more solidly and consistently.

USE YOUR DIVOT-REPAIR TOOL TO TEST THE FIRMNESS OF THE GREEN

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The nearer you get to the hole the more important distance control becomes.

I

f you are faced with a 10 metre putt it’s no good to hit it eight meters. Never up and never in they say. By the same token it’s no good to hit it twelve metres because once the ball has passed the hole it is not going in either.

Bobby Locke is recognised as one of the greatest putters the game has ever seen. And his greatest skill was reading the speed of the greens correctly and therefore getting the ball to come to rest at the hole.

Putting from 10 metres or more is a stern test for any golfer, and

as you would for any exam, you have to do your homework to be successful. The more you study the texture and slope of the green, the easier it is to gauge the break and speed of the putt, and the better your chances of two-putting or even holing out. Put the following greenreading tips to work and you should start seeing a lot fewer three-putts.

FIX AND LEARN It’s proper etiquette to fix your ballmark, but it’s also a good way to test the firmness of the green. If your approach shot leaves a giant crater behind to repair, then the

green is very soft and you can expect a slower roll than usual, along with less break, since you’ll hit the putt harder. Conversely, if your repair tool or tee hardly makes a dent in the ground, then the green is very firm and you can expect a slicker putt than normal and more break, since you’ll have to hit the putt more softly.

The direction the grass grows is also very important in determining the movement of the putt. As a general rule, if the grass has a shiny glow to it, it’s lying down grain and you can expect a faster putt; if it’s darker in colour, it’s lying toward you (into the grain) and you can expect a slower putt.

IMAGINING A SECOND BALL AND POINTING YOUR NOSE AT IT WILL FORCE YOU TO LIFT YOUR CHIN

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28

equipment What’s hot on the greens

T

here is an old adage that most men who are serious about their golf have more putters than women have shoes. That may or may not be true, but finding the right putter as a golfer seems more important than the right shoes.

During my active playing days I had three, quite different putters - a Wilson Blade (8813), a centre shaft (Acushnet Bull’s Eye) and a mallet (Ray Cook). And if one misbehaved, she was immediately relegated to the bench (in this case the closet) only to come out again if her replacement was not performing. I have always referred to a driver as a he, but a putter is female, a she, and always therefore needing a softer more loving touch.

But, and I am sorry ladies, she must know her place.

There are few things more important to your game than having a putter that you are comfortable, confident and successful with.

Today there are more putters on the market than any other type of golf equipment. That’s good - variety means it should be easier to find one best for you. Putters come in all shapes, sizes, weights, lengths and lie angles. And all of these factors will affect your putting stroke.

So before you buy, consider these factors.

Length This is maybe the most important component to a putter.

What you want to do is get into a correct, comfortable address position. When you tilt from your hips, you want your eyes over the ball, hands under your shoulders,

1

Putt for Dough Perfect is as perfect does

elbows bent just touching your rib cage, and hips over your heels. The putter needs to fit this set-up. If you grip a “standard” length putter and find you’re gripping down the shaft, you will need a shorter putter. If you grip beyond the end of the putter, you will need a longer putter. Now with the correct length putter in your hands, the shaft would be in line with your forearms. I have found that most golfers play with too long a putter for their stance.

Weight If you find you need a shorter putter, just cutting your putter shaft will do you no good.

The putter is built to be a certain swing weight at a certain length.

Cutting it down will also make the swing weight go down and it will feel too light in your hands. So you need to buy a putter that has the proper weight.

BaLance Point There are basically two types of putter head. One is called face balanced and one is called toe balanced. If you lay the shaft into your hand with the shaft parallel to the ground and the face is facing the sky, you have a face balanced putter. If the toe is hanging toward

2

3

the ground, you have a toebalanced putter. Now if you want a square-to-square stroke (which means the putter face is always square to the target and the stroke is straight back and through), you would benefit with a face balanced putter. If you want to be have a pronounced arc type stroke (which means the putter face will open and close relative to the target and the stroke travels on a slight curve, you would benefit with a toe balanced putter. The best stroke is a variation on both. As the putt gets longer one must introduce some arc into the stroke. head design This is where it is all about player preference.

Putter heads come in all different shapes and sizes, but it really boils down to do you prefer a mallet head or more of a blade head? Do you prefer a sight line or none? If you prefer a square type putting style with a faced balanced putter, you may benefit from a mallet head with sight line. If you are an arc putter, you may benefit from a blade putter with no sight line. The modern mallet-styled heads are certainly easier to line up correctly.

4

5

BeLLy Putters and Long Putters These have hit the PGA Tours big time of late causing a review of the rules. You may benefit with a belly putter or long putter if you have “tremors,” or to put it bluntly, the “yips”. And they do help solve this problem as the putter is anchored to your stomach or chest, and this stabilizes the putter during the stroke. There are many golfers who would be lost to the game without this style of putting. But as we all know by now “anchoring” will be banned in 2016. Does this mean that these long putters will be a thing of the past? I do not think so as players will find a way to use them without breaking the anchoring rule. Until then those players using this method should carry on and only worry about it in two years. rememBer Consult a PGA Professional when choosing a putter. These days a number of PGA Professionals have done advanced courses in putting (fitting and instruction) and are Certified Putting Instructors (a certification recognised by the PGA’s of South Africa, Great Britain and Ireland, and America).

At the end of the day there really is only one criterion to determine if a putter is right for you. It’s not looks, price, manufacturer or who on Tour plays with it.

It is: Does it help you make more putts?

If the answer is yes, you’ve just found the perfect putter for you.

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July 7, 2013: Graeme McDowell, Alstom French Open May 19, 2013: Graeme McDowell, Volvo World Match Play Championship April 21, 2013: Graeme McDowell, RBC Heritage March 24, 2013: Kiradech Aphibarnrat, Maybank Malaysian Open February 10, 2013: Brandt Snedeker, AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am 3 WINS: ODYSSEY TANK September 8, 2013: Thomas Bjorn, Omega European Masters June 23, 2013: Ernie Els, BMW International Open March 31, 2013: Marcel Siem, Hassan II Trophy 3 WINS: ODYSSEY WHITE HOT PRO August 18, 2013: Patrick Reed, Wyndham Championship May 5, 2013: Brett Rumford, Volvo China Open April 28, 2013: Brett Rumford, Ballantine’s Championship Although multiple winners, like Tiger Woods with five victories in the period under review, might skew he statistics somewhat – a win is still a win.

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PREVIEW A smorgasbord of Festive Season tournaments

INSTRUCTION • Fix and learn • Get consistency from your irons

EQUIPMENT The low-down on what’s hot on the greens

TRAVEL Enjoy the parkland splendour & inland links of the Highveld

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striking s triking it rich

Money, Money, Money.

And if it’s all about money then the Professional Golf Tours of the World are indeed in good shape.

But is it sustainable? Is Professional Golf recession proof?

34 TRAVEL

Parkland Splendour & Inland Links It really does not get any better than this

35 BEING A BORN AND BRED ‘highvelder’ might make me somewhat biased, but I do believe that overall the best golf (weather conditions, course conditions and course quality) is right here on the doorstep of the Johannesburg and Ekurhuleni areas.

It is where I learned to play and many of my best golfing memories involve courses like Windsor Park (now Bushwillow), Bryanston CC, Wanderers Golf Club and Houghton. I have played many tournaments at these courses and have had the honour of winning the odd one. Later I worked for the PGA of South Africa as Executive Director for 10 years. We had our modest offices at the Wanderers Golf Club and it was here that we played our own ‘Major’, the Lexington PGA Championship.

For me the Highveld and these and other courses are my golfing home, of which I am proud. w CluB wanderers Golf CluB PGA Championships the world over are truly the ‘professional’s tournaments’. They are generally organised and run entirely by the professional association and the contestants are all professional golfers.

For over 20 years from the early-70s, for a period of 20 odd years, Wanderers was synonymous with the PGA Championship. In 1971 the redoubtable Louis Luyt approached the club with an attractive proposition to provide an underground fairway water irrigation system. This project was to be linked to his Luyt Lager becoming the sponsor of the future PGA tournaments, with The

Wanderers becoming the permanent home for this event.

The deal was struck and the first PGA was played at the Wanderers in January 1972. It was won by Harold Henning and a year later by the great American player Tom Weiskopf. Thus began an association with the PGA that endured for 23 years. Lexington took over the sponsorship in 1977, until they relinquished it in 1995.

During this period, the Wanderers was privileged to play host to many of the world’s best golfers, including Lee Trevino, Tom Weiskopf, Tom Lehman, Corey Pavin, Hale Irwin, David Feherty and, of course, our well known South African players.

BELOW: Bryanston Country Club.

BOttOm right: Bushwillow at randpark golf Club.

And what a host it was. The course in many ways reflects the way the City of Johannesburg has built a reputation as being the biggest manmade forest in the world, with the greatest variety of trees to be found anywhere. Here you will find the American Ash, the White Stinkwood, various types of Oaks, Wild Chestnut trees, Beech trees, the Silver Birch (national tree of Finland), Bobbejaan Druifboom, the magnificent London Plane, Elms and many others. All this within walking distance of the central business district of Sandton.

More information: www.wanderersgolfclub.com Bryanston Country CluB The Club was founded in 1948, and over the next 65 years has experienced two major fires, hence the club emblem – a Phoenix rising from the ashes.

And what ashes they are!

As one of South Africa’s finest golf clubs, the course is graced with undulating grounds and a wide variety of birdlife. Here, the immaculate grooming of the course almost diverts ones attention from the challenges of the 18-hole course. Held in high regard by the best golfers, it maintains a soft spot in the hearts of up-and-coming enthusiasts. The Course was designed by Charles H Alison in 1949 and was constructed by Koos de Beer over the next two years before opening in 1951.The Bryanston Country Club course plays to a par-72 and is 6,768 metres long. It is a typical parkland course with tree lined fairways and numerous water hazards.

The Club’s experience and styling capture the essence of Bryanston’s relaxed, yet elegant family lifestyle with club facilities that include a full service clubhouse complete with restaurants, function and event venues, which welcome members and guests into a world of personal attention.

More information: www.bryanstoncc.co.za randpark Golf Clu B Bushwillow at r CluB The original Windsor Park course was commissioned during wartime, in the late 1940s. Twelve holes were in play by 1946. A complete redesign of the course was undertaken in 1952 – the architect being none other than Robert Grimsdell, responsible for the design and construction of more courses in South Africa than any other.

In celebration of the course’s 70th anniversary, it received a well-deserved birthday present in the form of a facelift in April 2012. The result is a stunning new 18-hole, par-72 layout. Even though it was safe to say that the leafy, old ‘Windsor’ course was a favoured haven of green away from the hustle and bustle of the city, the club felt there was room for improvement and a splendid transformation has taken place.

The nines have been switched, re-routed and three completely new holes created. Several others were altered for the better with new greens and bunkers. A number of artificial ponds were also removed and the course given a general ‘spruce up’ by Golf Data’s senior course designer, Sean Quinn.

Now known as the Bushwillow Course it remains an exceptional, superbly manicured golf course, and with the many trees lining the fairways, it surely is one of Gauteng’s prettiest layouts too.

With two of the best manicured courses in South Africa, Randpark’s uniquely different, Firethorn and Bushwillow courses, offer golfers of varying ability an unforgettable experience.

The courses are complemented by a modern clubhouse with facilities to rival the best and a five-star hotel and spa (the Fairway).

More information: www.randpark.co.za – and the hotel www.thefairway.co.za

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34 TRAVEL

Parkland Splendour & Inland Links It really does not get any better than this

BEING A BORN AND BRED ‘highvelder’ might make me somewhat biased, but I do believe that overall the best golf (weather conditions, course conditions and course quality) is right here on the doorstep of the Johannesburg and Ekurhuleni areas.

It is where I learned to play and many of my best golfing memories involve courses like Windsor Park (now Bushwillow), Bryanston CC, Wanderers Golf Club and Houghton. I have played many tournaments at these courses and have had the honour of winning the odd one. Later I worked for the PGA of South Africa as Executive Director for 10 years. We had our modest offices at the Wanderers Golf Club and it was here that we played our own ‘Major’, the Lexington PGA Championship.

35 For me the Highveld and these and other courses are my golfing home, of which I am proud. wanderers Golf CluB PGA Championships the world over are truly the ‘professional’s tournaments’. They are generally organised and run entirely by the professional association and the contestants are all professional golfers.

For over 20 years from the early-70s, for a period of 20 odd years, Wanderers was synonymous with the PGA Championship. In 1971 the redoubtable Louis Luyt approached the club with an attractive proposition to provide an underground fairway water irrigation system. This project was to be linked to his Luyt Lager becoming the sponsor of the future PGA tournaments, with The

Wanderers becoming the permanent home for this event.

The deal was struck and the first PGA was played at the Wanderers in January 1972. It was won by Harold Henning and a year later by the great American player Tom Weiskopf. Thus began an association with the PGA that endured for 23 years. Lexington took over the sponsorship in 1977, until they relinquished it in 1995.

During this period, the Wanderers was privileged to play host to many of the world’s best golfers, including Lee Trevino, Tom Weiskopf, Tom Lehman, Corey Pavin, Hale Irwin, David Feherty and, of course, our well known South African players.

BELOW: Bryanston Country Club.

BOttOm right: Bushwillow at randpark golf Club.

And what a host it was. The course in many ways reflects the way the City of Johannesburg has built a reputation as being the biggest manmade forest in the world, with the greatest variety of trees to be found anywhere. Here you will find the American Ash, the White Stinkwood, various types of Oaks, Wild Chestnut trees, Beech trees, the Silver Birch (national tree of Finland), Bobbejaan Druifboom, the magnificent London Plane, Elms and many others. All this within walking distance of the central business district of Sandton.

More information: www.wanderersgolfclub.com Bryanston Country CluB The Club was founded in 1948, and over the next 65 years has experienced two major fires, hence the club emblem – a Phoenix rising from the ashes.

And what ashes they are!

As one of South Africa’s finest golf clubs, the course is graced with undulating grounds and a wide variety of birdlife. Here, the immaculate grooming of the course almost diverts ones attention from the challenges of the 18-hole course. Held in high regard by the best golfers, it maintains a soft spot in the hearts of up-and-coming enthusiasts. The Course was designed by Charles H Alison in 1949 and was constructed by Koos de Beer over the next two years before opening in 1951.The Bryanston Country Club course plays to a par-72 and is 6,768 metres long. It is a typical parkland course with tree lined fairways and numerous water hazards.

The Club’s experience and styling capture the essence of Bryanston’s relaxed, yet elegant family lifestyle with club facilities that include a full service clubhouse complete with restaurants, function and event venues, which welcome members and guests into a world of personal attention.

More information: www.bryanstoncc.co.za Bushwillow at randpark Golf CluB The original Windsor Park course was commissioned during wartime, in the late 1940s. Twelve holes were in play by 1946. A complete redesign of the course was undertaken in 1952 – the architect being none other than Robert Grimsdell, responsible for the design and construction of more courses in South Africa than any other.

In celebration of the course’s 70th anniversary, it received a well-deserved birthday present in the form of a facelift in April 2012. The result is a stunning new 18-hole, par-72 layout. Even though it was safe to say that the leafy, old ‘Windsor’ course was a favoured haven of green away from the hustle and bustle of the city, the club felt there was room for improvement and a splendid transformation has taken place.

The nines have been switched, re-routed and three completely new holes created. Several others were altered for the better with new greens and bunkers. A number of artificial ponds were also removed and the course given a general ‘spruce up’ by Golf Data’s senior course designer, Sean Quinn.

Now known as the Bushwillow Course it remains an exceptional, superbly manicured golf course, and with the many trees lining the fairways, it surely is one of Gauteng’s prettiest layouts too.

With two of the best manicured courses in South Africa, Randpark’s uniquely different, Firethorn and Bushwillow courses, offer golfers of varying ability an unforgettable experience.

The courses are complemented by a modern clubhouse with facilities to rival the best and a five-star hotel and spa (the Fairway).

More information: www.randpark.co.za – and the hotel www.thefairway.co.za

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Whether you enjoy the challenge of our NGU rated golf course; a breath-taking trip up Sani Pass with our Sani Pass Guided Tour or simply want to soak up the beauty you’ll find plenty to keep you entertained!

The recently revamped Gooderson Monks Cowl Golf Resort set in the Central Drakensberg’s Champagne Valley has relaunched with an additional 18 luxury rooms for a great family getaway.

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TRAVEL

37

During a visit to Johannesburg in 1930, the Prince of Wales, later to become King Edward VIII, played the course

LEFT: East Course at Royal Johannesburg and Kensington Golf Club.

BELOW: Houghton Golf Club.

EAST COURSE AT ROYAL JOHANNESBURG AND KENSINGTON GOLF CLUB Without question, Royal Johannesburg & Kensington Golf Club is one of the most prestigious golf clubs in South Africa. In its almost 130 years of existence, it has hosted seven South African Opens and numerous other major tournaments. Royal is now home to Joburg Open, a European cosanctioned tournament on the Sunshine Tour, and has for a number of years been the preferred venue for the International Final Qualifier (Africa) for the Open Championship.

Although the club’s two courses are both ranked as major achievers in awards lists, it is the East Course that is regarded by many as one of the top 10 courses in the country.

Over a century of South African golfing history, few clubs, if any, are able to claim a heritage like that of the Royal Johannesburg & Kensington Golf Club.

The club is the product of a merger (in 1998) of the former Royal Johannesburg Golf Club and the former Kensington Golf Club.

Possibly the first merger of its kind in South Africa, it has produced a financially sound club with modernised facilities and a strong and supportive membership base.

Essentially, the improvements to the clubhouse and the two courses at Royal Johannesburg were funded from the sale of the Kensington property. The result is a superb facility, with two outstanding parkland golf courses ideally suited to preserve the value of both clubs, and meet the challenges of the 21st Century.

The Johannesburg Golf Club was founded in 1891 and was located on the current premises as far back as 1909. It received its Royal Charter in 1931. On the occasion of the club’s centenary celebrations in 1991, the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews sent both its Captain and

Chairman of its Rules Committee as official representatives.

The Club was instrumental in forming the Transvaal Golf Union in 1908 and, from its membership, provided the first President of the South African Golf Union in 1910.

The Club has been the home of the Gauteng Senior Golfer’s Society for over 60 years. The PGA of South Africa also relocated to the Club in 2005.

Founded on 6 November 1890, members of the Johannesburg Golf Club first began playing ‘behind Hospital Hill’, in the area that later became known as Clarendon Circle and Empire Road. The search for more suitable land, and the rapid development of the city, caused the club to move no less than four times, before finally being established in 1909 on the land it still occupies today.

During a visit to Johannesburg in 1930, the Prince of Wales, later to become King Edward VIII, played the course. Some six months later, he agreed to become its patron. In July 1931, a letter was received

confirming that King George V had graciously consented to adding the ‘Royal’ prefix to the club’s name.

In 1933, the founding fathers recognised the need for a second course, resulting in the purchase of a suitable farm to the east. Just two years later, the club professional, Robert Grimsdell, had constructed 21 new holes, and both courses were in play.

No sooner had he completed this onerous task, than he was asked what alterations would be required to accommodate a new clubhouse to be built in a more central position. By the third Saturday of March 1939, the present clubhouse, and the ‘East’ and ‘West’ courses, were officially taken into use.

More information: www. royaljk.za.com

HOUGHTON GOLF CLUB Steeped in tradition, Houghton Golf Club is one of South Africa’s premier golfing venues. The course has a proud history as a championship facility, having hosted no fewer than eight SA Open events, the first of which took place in 1951.

A firm favourite among the Highveld golfing fraternity, its original design dates from 1926. AM Copland, the club’s first professional, was the course architect, laying out the course on a thickly treed tract of land featuring considerable undulation. Houghton’s underlying qualities as a test of golf have not been radically altered with the passing of the years, though, to stay abreast of developments in the game, the decision was taken to appoint the Jack Nicklaus design group as the course architects for the new layout.

There will probably be those golfers, and even members of Houghton, who might say that they preferred the original course, and there was certainly not a lot wrong with its design. It was first rumoured that all Jack Nicklaus did was turn the course around, and route it from green to tee.

This is not correct, although certain holes follow the original fairways and are indeed played the other way around. The original, mature trees were for the most part left in place, but this is a very different golf course. One must assume that because of the limitations of space (and the course is short by modern standards), Nicklaus decided that the putting surfaces and greens surrounds would be an important part of the course’s defence. The bunkering is also quite spectacular and in places penal, and typical of Nicklaus and other great designers, the player is given all the visual clues needed to plan a strategy, which on this course is not about trying to overpower the layout.

With all the changes to the club have come new changes in management, and the club could have found no better director of golf than Richard Kaplan. A long-time member of Houghton who compiled a stellar amateur record before embarking on a successful professional career, Kaplan is passionate about his club and has worked tirelessly since the re-launch to fine-tune the systems and ensure that members and guests enjoy a great golfing experience. “Jack Nicklaus assured us that he would produce the best possible course in the available space, and I believe that he has achieved this, although there are a few minor changes that we will be making with his permission.” These include softening some of the radical slopes on a few greens and surrounds, and the extension of some tees.

38 travel

Glendower Golf Club is said to be a test for the world’s best golfers, hence the welcome return as host of the prestigious 103rd south african open Championship for 2013 “We may be able to find a few more yards here and there, and by moving laterally in some cases, we will be able to offer some interesting new perspectives to some holes.”

The parkland layout is dotted with ponds and dams, an abundance of flowering shrubs also provide great variety and colour. Situated adjacent to the greenbelt of The Wilds, the site is a perfect extension to Johannesburg’s natural fauna and flora and is a proclaimed bird sanctuary with Egyptian geese, guinea fowl, dikkops, plovers and a variety of waterfowl being present.

More information: www.houghton.clubhouseonline-e3.com Glendower Golf Club – a ClassiC parkland Golf experienCe Glendower Golf Club is an exquisitely designed, highly ranked parkland golf course. A challenging golf course set amid gorgeous surroundings, Glendower Golf Club is said to be a test for the world’s best golfers, hence the welcome return as host of the prestigious 103rd South African Open Championship for 2013.

One of the country’s true classics, Glendower Golf Club’s association with the world’s second oldest Open dates back to 1989 when American Fred Wadsworth captured the coveted title. The club also hosted the 1992 championship, won by South African Clinton Whitelaw, and the 1997 championship that saw Fijian Vijay Singh defeat Zimbabwe’s Nick Price for victory. This was also the first time that the Open was hosted as a European Tour event.

With a proud history dating back to 1935, Glendower has held many of the country’s flagship tournaments. In 1939 the club played host to its first major tournament, The Transvaal Open Championship. This was won by Bobby Locke with a then world record score of 265, shooting rounds of 66, 69, 66 and 64. Other national amateur championships include the 1986 Women’s 72-hole Teams Championship, 1987 SA Amateur and SA Stroke Play Championships, the 1993 SA Men’s Inter-Provincial and the SA Women’s Amateur and SA Stroke Play Championships in 2003.

The course boasts lovely kikuyu fairways with 64 bunkers, 27 on the front nine and 37 on the back nine, and water hazards on 11 of the 18 holes. Glendower truly offers a challenge and accuracy is the key. The golf course is a par-72 Glendower Golf Club offers brilliant practice facilities with Master PGA Professional Gavan Levenson and his Elite Golf Academy. The practice area is located behind the clubhouse, and the practice putting green is in front. Chipping greens and bunkers can be found beside the 10th tee.

More information: www.glendower.co.za

ebotse links Making your way through the spectacular Ebotse Links course on a particularly windy day, you would be forgiven for imagining that you can hear the sounds of distant bagpipes.

A ‘links’ is the oldest style of golf course, first developed in Scotland.

The word ‘links’ comes via the Scots language from the Old English word hlinc that means ‘rising ground or ridge’ and refers to an area of coastal sand dunes and open parkland. Links golf courses tend to be on or near to a coast, often amid sand dunes, reflecting the nature of the Scottish scenery, where the sport originated.

Designed by Matkovich Hayes golf course architects, the Ebotse Links is currently ranked 37 by Golf Digest South Africa. This beautiful course has seven holes on water and has been built to US PGA specifications with a 6,372 metre par-72 rating.

The Ebotse course has been referred to as Peter Matkovich’s ‘little secret’, since many people are not yet aware of the spectacular course he has created.

ABOVE: Glendower Golf Club.

BELOW: Ebotse Links.

Describing his handiwork, Peter said, “Ebotse was a wonderful opportunity to create an environmentally sensitive and balanced golf course, combining links, lakeside and parkland”.

Underpinning this project is an unyielding respect for the land and its natural surroundings. It is a Matkovich & Hayes’ philosophy to ‘listen to the land’, believing that nature shapes their design. Never has this been truer than at Ebotse.

“With no additional sand required, I was able to simply use what already existed to create spectacular features such as tee shots from a height of 15 to 25 metres,” he says.

Surrounding Rynfield Dam, the Ebotse Links boasts a truly unique driving range in a man-made lake experienced by few golfers. Peter’s vision includes the clever use of what once was a quarry, now dramatically transformed into a driving range, where golfers are able to hit floating balls into the lake. It is a unique Highveld experience.

More information: www.ebotselinks.com

Tee to Green-Nov13 (FOC) 08 November 2013 04:26:08 PM

40

humour Illustration Dave Edwards

Deadly 8-iron Off the seventh tee, Brian sliced his shot deep into a wooded ravine. He took his 8-iron and clambered down the embankment in search of his lost ball.

After many long minutes of hacking at the underbrush, he spotted something glistening in the leaves. As he drew nearer, he discovered that it was an 8-iron in the hands of a skeleton.

Brian immediately called out to his friend, “Jack, I’ve got trouble down here!”

“What’s the matter?” Jack asked from the edge of the ravine.

“Bring me my wedge,” Brian shouted. “You can’t get out of here with an 8-iron!”

First putting lesson A schoolteacher was taking her first golf lesson.

“Is the word spelt, p-u-t or p-u-t-t,” she asked the instructor.

“P-u-t-t is correct,’’ he replied.

“Put means to place a thing where you want it. Putt means merely a vain attempt to do the same thing.”

Couples alternate shot A husband reluctantly agreed to play in the couples’ alternate shot tournament at his club.

He teed off on the first hole, a par-4, and blistered a drive 250m down the middle of the fairway.

Upon reaching the ball, the husband said to his wife, “Just hit it toward the green, anywhere around there will be fine.”

The wife proceeded to shank the ball deep into the woods.

Undaunted, the husband said, “That’s OK, sweetheart” and spent a full five minutes looking for the ball.

He found it just in time, but in a horrible position. He played the shot of his life to get the ball within two feet of the hole. He told his wife to knock the ball in.

His wife then proceeded to take her putter out and knock the ball off the green and into a bunker.

Still maintaining composure, the husband summoned all of his skill and holed the shot from the bunker.

He took the ball out of the hole and while walking off the green, put his arm around his wife and calmly said, “Honey, that was a bogey-5

and that’s OK, but I think we can do better on the next hole.”

To which she replied, “Listen sweetheart, don’t give me a hard time about it , only two of those five shots were mine.” the perFeCt shot A guy stood over his tee shot for what seemed an eternity, looking up, looking down, measuring the distance, figuring the wind direction and speed... driving his partner nuts.

Finally his exasperated partner says, “What the hell is taking so long? Hit the damned ball!”

The guy answers, “My wife is up there watching me from the clubhouse. I want to make this a perfect shot.”

“Give me a break! You don’t stand a snowball’s chance in hell of hitting her from here.” lost golF ball The golfer had lost his ball and was a little annoyed with his caddy. “Why the hell didn’t you watch where it went?” he asked.

“Well sir,” said the boy, “it don’t usually go anywhere, so when you did hit the ball, it sort of caught me by surprise!” golF injury A couple of women were playing golf on a Sunday morning. The first of the twosome teed off and watched in horror as her ball headed directly toward a foursome of men playing the next hole.

They say golf is like life, but don’t believe them. It’s more complicated than that.

– Gardner Dickinson Indeed, the ball hit one of the men, and he immediately clasped his hands together at his crotch, fell to the ground and proceeded to roll around in evident agony.

The woman rushed down to the man and immediately began to apologise. She explained that she was a physical therapist: “Please allow me to help. I’m a physical therapist and I know I could relieve your pain if you’d allow me!” she told him earnestly.

“Ummph, oooh, nnooo, I’ll be alright...

I’ll be fine in a few minutes,” he replied breathlessly as he remained in the fetal position, still clasping his hands together at his crotch.

But she persisted, and finally allowed her to help him. She gently took his hands away and laid them to the side, loosened his pants and put her hands inside. She began to massage him, then asked: “How does that feel?”

To which he replied: “It feels great, but my thumb still hurts like hell.”

the politiCally CorreCt Country Club Did you hear about the local country club that was determined to be politically correct? Instead of saying the golfers have handicaps, they say they’re stroke-challenged. the amazing golF ball A golfer, playing a round by himself, is about to tee off, and a greasy little salesman runs up to him, yelling, “Wait! Before you tee off, I have something really amazing to show you!”

The golfer, annoyed, says, “What is it?”

“It’s a special golf ball,” says the salesman. “You can never lose it!”

“Whattaya mean,” scoffs the golfer, “you can never lose it? What if you hit it into the water?”

“No problem,” says the salesman.

“It floats, and it detects where the shore is, and spins towards it.”

“Well, what if you hit it into the woods?”

“Easy,” says the salesman. “It emits a beeping sound, and you can find it with your eyes closed.”

“Okay,” says the golfer, impressed.

“But what if your round goes late and it gets dark?”

“No problem, sir, this golf ball glows in the dark! I’m telling you, you can never lose this golf ball!”

The golfer buys it at once. “Just one question,” he says to the salesman. “Where did you get it?”

“I found it.”