T2G Issue 913

profile IKE: America’s first & most influential ‘golfing president’

instruction Find a swing trigger that works for you

AnAlysis Is golf a sport or a game?

We investigate

trAvel Spectacular & dramatic: South Africa’s Golf Coast

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TEE TO GREEN

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FORE WORD

GOLFER FOR PRESIDENT

TEE TO GREEN www.tee2green.co.za

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 Illustration: Dave Edwards 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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FOLLOW THROUGH Got something to get off your chest? Have something good (or bad) to say about the paper? Any feedback is welcome so go ahead and mail us on teetogreen@ ballyhoomedia.co.za. The winning letter will receive a pair of Tag Heuer sunglasses.

I

n Blast from the Past this month I look at American presidents who played golf and thought I might reverse the theme and look at professional golfers who would make good presidents. Naturally I have only considered Americans.

Also the candidates are from the past and present with some of the best already deceased. Imagine them in their prime, probably just as their golfing career had come to an end and that they then went into politics.

And it must not just be a popularity contest.

Well here is a list of who would get my vote, and why: FRED COUPLES Something tells me if Fred Couples were president, there wouldn’t be a whole lot to worry about. He’s that cool.

If he were president everything would be run as smooth as his swing and suits would be traded in the White House for slacks, comfortable shirts and loafers.

However, notwithstanding his popularity, advising Jim Furyk by email/text that he was not getting one of the two captain’s picks for this year’s Presidents Cup was not cool at all. The president must be able to pick up the direct line to Putin in Moscow and tell him what he thinks.

And I am sure Furyk is far more accommodating than Putin.

PHIL MICKELSON Talk about a man

of the people. His interaction with the fans is second to none. He already works the crowd like a politician! He’s fair, honest, humble,

Stewart would be a great choice. He never gave up and won the hearts of many before, and after, his tragic end. And, how great would it look with the president wearing those traditional knickers outfits, in red , white and blue.

ARNOLD PALMER I’m not

sure why he’d want to be president when he’s already the King.

A little bit of love, a little bit of stubbornness, and a whole lot of class, passion, and care! He is already the grandfather of all of the golf fans out there. He has the skill of a successful businessman and the temperament of an effective ambassador. His word is his word. And he already has an army of followers.

caring. And with a running mate like his caddie, Bones, the voters will be begging him to become president.

Only problem – that smile. It just seems so insincere at times. But, then again, when has insincerity ever stopped a politician?

TOM WATSON A five-time winner of the British Open, it’s safe to say Watson’s strong suit would be foreign relations. If ever there was a class act it is Tom, and an education to go with it. There are rumours that he was a bit of a playboy in his youth. This only made JFK more interesting.

PAYNE STEWART A two-time US Open Champion and a man who lived for representing his country in the Ryder Cup, the late Payne

JACK NICKLAUS The greatest to ever play the game and beloved all over the world. When you win big as often as Nicklaus did, you’d have to believe he’d be a great leader. He’s the Golden Bear and he’s just a great man that is for all the people and would really work for all in his best way.

He has qualities of leadership, dedication and love for the game, and is the best ambassador the sport has ever seen. He is a businessman, an athlete, a scholar, a man of honour and integrity who would make a fine leader.

Dennis Bruyns Editor-in-Chief

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news

N

ot even among the top 200 players in the world two years ago, Stenson capped off the best three months of his career with a command performance in the Tour Championship to earn his second victory of the FedExCup playoffs and win golf ’s biggest prize – the FedExCup, with its $10million bonus.

If you add the bonus to the $1,44-million in prize money and convert it to rands, Stenson’s week was worth a staggering R112,675,992.

Even with a four-shot lead, the final round was a battle. There were two trophies on display on the first tee. He knew he could still win the FedExCup even if he didn’t win the Tour Championship. Ultimately, he figured good golf would take care of everything, and it did.

swiNgiNg celebs

Check-out who the paparazzi have spotted on the golf course PG

And Jordan Spieth made him work for it. The 20-year-old Texan left one last impression on his remarkable rookie season by running off four straight birdies on the back nine at East Lake to pull within one shot after Stenson went well over the 14th green and made his lone bogey.

Stenson could hear the cheers and knew what he faced over the last four holes. “I’m not just a pretty face. I can put 1 and 1 together,” the Swede said with his dry humour.

He drilled a 3-wood onto the fairway on the par-5 15th that set up an eight-foot birdie. Ahead of

Sensational Stenson Henrik Stenson knows better than most players how it feels to go from the depths of a slump to the elite in golf. He’s done it twice now. And the second time was sweeter – and richer – than ever.

5

him on the 17th, Spieth was between clubs and chose to hammer a 9-iron that he caught heavy enough that it plugged in the front bunker. He made bogey and had to settle for a 64.

Spieth wound up No 7 in the FedExCup, the highest ever for a rookie, which is even more impressive considering he started the year without status on any tour in the world.

The last challenge came from Steve Stricker, who rolled in an eagle putt on the 15th hole to get within two. Stricker saved par behind the 16th green, and then missed two birdie chances from about 18 feet on the last two holes for a 65. He tied for second with Spieth.

Stenson, who finished at 13-under 267, became the first European to win the Tour Championship and the

3 FedExCup. His amazing summer began with a tie for third in the Scottish Open. He was a runner-up at the British Open and the World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational, finished third at the PGA Championship and triumphed in the Deutsche Bank Championship.

“Obviously, the work was done before,” Stenson said. “It’s not like I woke up in the middle of July and played fantastic.

“Since the Scottish Open, it’s been just an incredible run,” he said. “I’m speechless. It was a tough day out there. To hang in there the way I did, I’m really satisfied… It hasn’t quite sunk in yet. I had to fight hard mentally to keep all this aside, and I managed to do that. It’s going to feel better as the week goes on. I’m pretty sure about that.”

Stenson, who only last week smashed a driver and his locker at the BMW Championship out of frustration brought on by playing so much golf, finally gets a break.

He was headed to his home in Orlando, Florida, for a four-week break before returning in Shanghai.

StenSon to defend DefenDing champion Henrik Stenson will spearhead the international challenge in the 103rd South African open Championship at Glendower Golf Club from 21 – 24 november 2013.

When Stenson lifted the prestigious trophy at the Serengeti Golf estate last year, the current world no 4 promised his delighted fans to come back to defend his SA open title. And he is making good on his word, even if it means that he won’t be teeing it up for Sweden in the World Cup over the same weekend.

“You are going to let someone down, no matter what you do,” the current leader of the european tour’s Race to dubai said. “I have great memories of my win last year and South Africa has been very kind to me in the past. I look forward to my title defence in november and I hope the SA open will spark another great year for me.” the South African open Championship is not only one of the most historic national opens in the world, but has a great reputation for the quality of its fields, hosting courses and its tremendous list of champions. It is a title golfers want on their CVs, for good things inevitably follow for the winners of the SA open. Just ask Stenson. the 37-year-old is a prime example of the wonderful spoils that could follow victory in the world’s second oldest national open.

When he teed it up in the SA open at Serengeti last year, he was not in the top-100 in the world rankings and 59th on the european tour’s Race to dubai.

“I have great memorIes of my wIn last year and south afrIca has been very kInd to me In the past”

Stenson’s solid bunker shot on the 17th hole during the final round, allowed him to save par, and go to the last hole with a clear lead.

Just a week before the lucrative World tour Championship, Stenson was pinning his hopes on a good enough finish to make the season finale, limited to the top-60 in the rankings.

In the last two rounds, the Swede suddenly found the form that had been eluding him. He held off a strong challenge from South African George Coetzee to win by three strokes and break a threeyear victory drought stretching back to his triumph at the 2009 Players Championship.

“It’s been so long since my last win that you begin to think ‘is there ever going to be another one?’, but you need to put a lot in to get decent results out,” he said after his victory last year.

Stenson took the form he showed on local soil abroad and earned nearly €175,000 for finishing in a tie for seventh in the World tour Championship in dubai.

Since then, he has been a regular member of the top-10 on the european tour. He finished in the top three at the Scottish open, the open Championship,

the WGC Bridgestone Invitational and the PGA Championship. And then really turned it on with a victory at the deutsche Bank Championship at the start of September and rounded off his season on the PGA tour with a wire-to-wire victory at the tour Championship. this took him to the top of the fedex Standings and a $10-million bonus. “there’s never a bad time to win a golf tournament, I know that much,” Stenson said after his recent win at the tPC Boston, but it seems his SA open triumph was especially timeous. the 37-year-old is undoubtedly one of the hottest golfers in the world at the moment. Sunshine tour executive director Selwyn nathan called Stenson’s participation a mark of respect. “By coming back to defend his title, Henrik is showing the South African open Championship, this country and the golf fans amazing respect,” he said. “this is where it all began and that is what I would call a true ambassador of the game of golf.”

4 news on tour

a card for immelman

Woods in the woods caught on camera again

T

iger Woods probably wasn’t particularly happy when he left the first hole on the Friday of the BMW Championship thinking he had made a double bogey.

When Woods got to the scoring area about four hours later, though, things got even worse. Woods was assessed a two-stroke penalty because he violated Rule 18-2a after his ball moved as he attempted to remove some loose impediments before hitting his third shot at the 331m par-4.

The infraction was captured by a PGA Tour Entertainment crew.

Andy Pazder, the Tour’s executive vice president and chief of operations, was contacted and he, in

turn, called Slugger White, the vice president of rules and competition for the PGA Tour.

The rules violation occurred after Woods hit his second shot over the green and onto some dirt under a stand of trees during the second round of the BMW Championship.

According to White, Woods thought the ball had rocked back and forth but stayed in position.

“He had a pretty large loose impediment behind his ball, which he moved, was no problem at all, and there was a little stick of some sort kind of obviously next to his ball, and when he rolled that, the ball in fact moved,” White said. “He knew there was movement there, but he was adamant that it oscillated, it stayed there.

Jimenez critical of teenage players Miguel Angel JiMenez is unimpressed with the european tour after it invited 13-year-old ye Wo-cheng to play in the european masters.

Jimenez, who became the oldest player to win on the european tour when he won the Hong Kong open as a 48-year-old last year, was perplexed by the sponsor’s decision to give the 13-year-old an exemption to compete. Jimenez, who also won the european masters in 2010, said, ‘‘it is nice to see that golf is interesting no matter what the age, but for me, a 13-year-old competing against professionals is a little bit too young.’’

‘‘people want to start things too early and a 13-year-old should be playing alongside other 13-year-olds and not players averaging 33 years of age. ‘‘they should not be pushing kids his age too hard as it could have a disastrous effect on their careers.” and the results of the tournament seem to confirm Jimenez’s point. the tournament was won by the 42-year-old thomas Bjorn. Jimenez finished in a tie for fifth, while the young ye missed the cut after rounds of 78 and 76. ye had become the youngest ever player on the european tour when he played in the china open in may this year as a 12-year-old.

“But this video was at the site, and the ball did, in fact, move.’

Had Woods put the ball back in place, he would have been penalized one stroke. Since he didn’t replace the ball, Woods received a two-stroke penalty and the round of 72.

White characterized Woods’ mood at first as “disbelieving”. Woods signed his scorecard, but White had him look at the videotape before he turned it in.

“It’s pretty clear that the ball did move,” White said.

And we can all look at the clip and judge for ourselves as it has been posted on You Tube. Already well over 100,000 have seen it and based on the many tweets from viewers the general concensus is that the ball obviously moved. Go to You Tube and judge for yourself.

iT seeMs sTrAnge to think that a player like trevor immelman’s future on the pga tour was threatened. after all he is a former masters champion. But that was back in 2008 and his five year exemption was about to expire.

Victory in the Hotel fitness championship on the Web.com tour in early september enabled him to keep his playing privileges. more than anything else immelman was relieved by his most recent win, which is perfectly understandable under the circumstances. “there’s no doubt this is huge for me. it’s been a long, frustrating road for me,” immelman said. “i’m not going to lie, i’ve struggled since 2008. i’ve been wondering if i’d be able to get back to playing the way i know i can play. now i know i can”. prior to this win, immelman had made only 12 of 24 cuts this year, his lone top-10 effort a tie for ninth at the rBc Heritage. “i started playing much better the last couple of months but ran into troubles here and there on weekends,” said immelman. “i started seeing so many nice signs that this may be turning around. But to be honest, up until this win the only real positive i could take out of it was that i was finally injury free,” he added.

cHange of dates TrAdiTionAlly held in august, the pga championship, final major of the season, looks set for a July date in three years’ time to make way for the rio de Janeiro games, where golf will return to the olympic schedule after more than a century. “i’m 99 percent certain that’s when it will be,” said pete Bevacqua, chief executive officer of the pga of america, in an interview with Bloomberg at Baltusrol golf club, site of the 2016 event. if the tournament is moved to July, that would likely necessitate an earlier date for the open championship as well, which is usually staged in mid-July.

Bevacqua isn’t troubled by the need to stage the Us pga championship earlier, and in fact sees it as a positive. “it’s a better time to host a major championship,” he said. “more people are around and in the swing of things. less people are on their summer vacations. We think it’s actually going to work out to our advantage.”

2016 is also a ryder cup year, meaning fans are set for a bumper year of golfing action.

5 JUSTIN BIEBER The teen hearthrob is passionate enough about his golf that he had a tantrum when some paparazzi interrupted his game last summer, even pulling a 9-iron and hitting at them. In fact, according to a Rolling Stone profile, Bieber’s music career is a by-product of his not having enough money for golf.

When he sought to scrounge up $20 for green fees, Bieber took his guitar to the steps of a downtown theater and played for cash. When he came home with $200, Biebermania was born.

MICHAEL PHELPS The Olympic star’s golf career has been fruitful enough to land a Golf Digest cover, a Golf Channel show, and an endorsement contract with Ping. All this for a guy who can’t really play worth a lick yet. “This is a passion that I have and I’m going to do everything I can to improve and get to where I want to be. I have friends that are single-digit and scratch golfers that I would love to be able to compete with,” Phelps said recently. “I know it is a very challenging sport. It’s the most humbling sport I’ve ever played in my life.”

Jackson said he carried a light sabre around in his golf bag. “I had to practice whenever I could because there were 109 movements to learn.”

“One of those moves is similar to a golf swing, used to block an overhand blow. The hands lead, like you’re playing a knockdown shot, and the block comes high in the follow-through.”

JACK NICHOLSON The three-time Oscar winner, who sharpens his game by bombing range balls off his back porch and into a canyon below, joined a bunch of Los Angeles-area clubs, including Riviera, Bel-Air, and Lakeside, when he first took up the game at age 50. Which is not to say he embraced all aspects of golf culture. “Frankly I was joining a golf course, not a social club,” he said, “so if you expect me to attend the fish soiree, don’t have me in.”

Seen on the course

ANDY RODDICK The retired tennis star is the rare celebrity who can say he played in the Masters… sort of. As a guest caddie for Zach Johnson in the 2011 par-3 contest, Roddick was able to get in a swing himself, although his ball landed in the pond.

JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE This singer/actor has taken his golf passion to a whole other level.

Timberlake not only works with famed instructor Butch Harmon, he is also responsible for restoring a municipal course in his native Memphis, and is the official host of the PGA Tour stop in Las Vegas.

“Golf is my getaway,” says Timberlake, “For me, golf is one of those things where you go out and forget about everything else.”

Which one of these swinging celebs would you most like to play a round with?

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Justin Bieber, Michael Phelps, Mark Wahlberg, Samuel L Jackson

BILL MURRAY Fair or not, Murray will forever be identified in golf circles as the loopy assistant greenkeeper Carl Spackler from ‘Caddyshack’, meaning he can’t step on a golf course without hearing the words, “It’s in the hole!” or “Cinderella story”. That hasn’t scared him off too much. Murray is a mainstay on the celebrity golf scene.

KEVIN COSTNER He once had a chance to win the US

Open at Pinehurst with one hole to play. OK, so maybe it was in his fictional role as a West Texas driving range pro in the film, Tin Cup, but Costner at least had the golf swing to make it look almost plausible.

SAMUEL L JACKSON Jackson’s golf addiction is significant enough he reportedly has a clause written into his contract that says he can take two days off a week to play.

When he was filming “Star Wars II,”

JOE PESCI & MARK WAHLBERG For years, Wahlberg pestered Pesci about playing golf together. Trouble was, Wahlberg wasn’t a golfer. Now, he’s a member at Wilshire County Club and an even better player than the Oscar winner. “I’ve learned a lot of shots from Joe, especially the short game,” says Wahlberg. “I’m down to an 8-handicap now, but somehow I end up paying Joe at the end of every round.”

Pesci, a dangerous 16 who plays at LA-area courses Lakeside, Sherwood, Bel-Air and Valencia, is friends with John Daly and many other top tour pros. “Now I’ve found someone who can hit it straighter and farther than me,” says Pesci, “... and he’s an actor.”

CATHERINE ZETA-JONES & MICHAEL DOUGLAS Douglas, a 16-handicapper, was dazzled by her beauty and talent. But when he found out Zeta-Jones is an avid golfer who plays to a 20, well, that made her irresistible. As he told one reporter: “When she said, ‘I like to play golf, too,’ frankly it brought tears to my eyes.”

WOODS VS MCILROY TIGER WOODS AND RORY MCILROY have agreed to play a lucrative 18-hole exhibition match in China in October.

The star pair, who faced each other in the “Duel at Jinsha Lake” last year, will play for a reported prize of $2m at the Mission Hills estate at Hainan Island on October 28.

McIlroy got the better of the 14-time Major winner at Jinsha Lake last year in an event that attracted thousands of fans who packed the fairways and stole balls from the driving range.

“I’m hoping to win this time,” said Woods. “We both played well last year, but Rory got me by one. I’ve had a really good year on the PGA Tour, so it would be nice to earn

another trophy in China.”

McIlroy, without a win since joining Woods in the Nike stable in January, added: “We had a lot fun last year and I’m expecting the same again this time in Hainan.”

Although these ‘exhibition’ styled one-on-one challenges might be frowned upon by purists, there is no doubt that they create

interest in the game, especially in an emerging golf market like China. And in the long run this can only be a good thing.

However, plans for a similar exhibition between US Open champion Justin Rose and Ryder Cup star Ian Poulter on the same day have been shelved.

news 7

a seCond CaReeR – MayBe not former european footballer of the year andriy shevchenko made his debut on golf’s Challenge tour at the Kharkov superior Cup in his native ukraine. “this is the first big event for me and of course it is the first event in ukraine so it’s a huge event for golf in this country,” said shevchenko, a twohandicapper, who plays left-handed. “i have played with many good players in pro-ams but this is different. i hope i play well... but i just want to have a good time and enjoy the week. “the course is quite difficult. i’m happy with my game at the moment and i’m really happy to be here. i know the president of the club, he is my good friend and his daughter has been caddying for me. he

invited me to come and i had to.” the 36-year-old won the Ballon d’or in 2004 as the european player of the year. his rounds of 84, 86 did not threaten the cut, which was made at 146. the tournament was won by daan huizing who confirmed his status as one of the hottest up-and-coming prospects in world golf after the young dutchman claimed his second victory in as many appearances. the 22-year-old’s clinical 5-under par final round of 67 helped complete a marvellous double for the netherlands after Joost luiten’s play-off victory over Miguel angel Jiménez on home soil at the KlM open.

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individual oRdeR of MeRit – top 15

A game about nothing larry david, a comedian who gained fame and fortune as the co-creator (with Jerry seinfeld), often script writer and executive producer of the television show ‘seinfeld’, which was pitched as a show about nothing, has found that golf is certainly not nothing.

CoMpany leadeR BoaRd – top 20 CoMPany

Points

Siba Quantity Surveyors

49

Bluekey

44

Metropolitan Health

42

Synergy

42

Hostmann-Steinberg

39

Nampak Liquid

36

Khusela Solutions

36

EXEO

35

Health Systems

34

Rhino Agrivantage

31

Travelcape/CDK Labour

28

ILISO/Talani

27

GAC Laser

26

Hunters

25

PlayeR

Points

Dave Thompson

71

Rod Gush

68

Anthony Santana

67

Steve Berry

63

Elroy Kleinveldt

59

Theo van Zyl

57

Dustin Coombe

57

Wilhelm Meyer

57

Nico Prinsloo

54

Fairbridges

25

Patrick Jonsson

53

SMEC

23

Linley Wiener

50

Powelltronics

21

Leon de Kock

50

QlikView

21

Quinton Thomas

49

Safmarine

18

Mervyn Clarke

49

Tusk Events

17

Johan Kotze

48

Cape Town Results

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arry Dorman, a former senior vice president with Callaway Golf and now a writer for PGATour.com, recounts having played with David in a charity event at Riviera Country Club in Pacific Palisades, California, several years ago. It was a shotgun start and they began their round somewhere on the back nine. Dorman picks up the story from there.

“We get to 18,” he said, “and Larry hits his tee shot hard left into the junk. He hits his next across the fairway to the right and the next shot over to the left again. Then he skulls one through the green. He’s getting a little bit hot and he espies a local television station cameraman up on the hill shooting. Larry picked up his ball and made a beeline for the cameraman. He walked up to him, very seriously, and said, ‘I just want to tell you that I don’t want to see any single shot of mine on your air. If you do, you will hear from my attorney.’

“Now we go to the No 1 tee at Riviera, right by the clubhouse. He gets up on the tee and drills one, then spins around, spots the TV cameraman and says, ‘Did you get that?’ He was dead serious.”

David laments his golf passion.

“There’s no good reason I should be golfing at all,” he said. “There’s no reason for it. I’ve wasted so much

time. I could be speaking foreign languages now. I could be a concert pianist if I put this time into something else. It’s crazy. And all I do is get unhappy.”

“The Anger phase lasted for years, and then I entered the next phase, Denial,” David writes. ‘All I need are some lessons,’ I told myself. ‘Why should everyone else be able to do it and not me? Why are they good? I’m coordinated. I have a jump shot! I can go to my left. Obviously I have it in me. I have it in me! Next year, I’ll go to Orlando and spend a week taking lessons with Leadbetter. I don’t care what it costs. How can you spend a week with Leadbetter and not get better? It’s impossible.’ But I did, and I didn’t.”

Eventually he entered the final stage: Acceptance.

“I will never stand over the ball without considering the disaster about to befall me. I’ll never line up a putt and think I’ll make it. And yet I’ll continue to play, because I do hit some good shots, especially when I’m on the driving range. I actually hit some great range shots. What the hell is that? I’ve had swing compliments on the range. ‘I love your tempo,’ a woman once said to me. That’s right – I have good tempo. I’ve had many other range compliments that I won’t bore you with, but, believe me, I’m an eight or a nine on the range.”

photo: Masters historical iMagery

8 BLAST FROM THE PAST

And did he ever love the game! He had a putting green installed on the White House lawn and would occasionally slip out of the Oval Office in the afternoon for a round

9 among the many societal impacts of World War II was the fact that a military economy produced a more industrial America. And this created something working people never had before in the United States – leisure time. So as post-war Americans moved from the farms to the factories and those already in the cities migrated to freshly-built suburban housing tracts, new outlets for free time were sought.

Just when the hunger for leisuretime activities grew, a dynamic son of the people – Arnold Palmer – came along and changed the game forever. And the biggest recruiting tool that existed for Arnie’s Army was that new toy called television, which was just beginning to bring sports into the American living room in significant quantity. The swashbuckling Palmer and TV were a perfect marriage. This was the time when the masses discovered golf, taking it from the country club to the public course.

But there was one other ingredient often overlooked when deconstructing the success of this stew: President Dwight D Eisenhower. Eisenhower was the first ‘First Golfer’ of which Americans became acutely aware, and because of that he helped create many new golfers.

If Eisenhower was the right political leader for the time – a military hero to guide the transition to a post-war economy – he was also a quietly articulate and effective spokesman for golf. His passion for the game, which was communicated to the public through countless photos and articles about his golfing exploits, helped validate the sport as a meaningful activity.

According to a study by Golf Digest of his daily itinerary, from his inauguration on January 20, 1953 until he left office on January 20, 1961, Eisenhower played nearly 800 rounds and had more than 1,000 days in which he either played or practiced. Talk about a passion for golf. A photo of Eisenhower with a golf club in his hand was invaluable advertising for the game.

Born in Denison, Texas, in 1890, Dwight David Eisenhower – the man destined for great achievements – graduated from high school in Abilene, Kansas in 1909. With a strong family orientation, he took a job as a night foreman in a creamery to help support his brother Edgar’s college education. In 1911 he received an appointment to West Point where he graduated in the Class of 1915, known as ‘the class the stars fell on’, as 59 members became general officers. At West Point he played on the football team and once even managed to tackle the legendary Jim Thorpe.

At the beginning of World War II, he landed under the Army Chief of Staff George C Marshall.

It was there that Ike’s organisational and administrative abilities were recognised. After a series of increasingly important assignments, Ike was named Supreme Allied Commander in Europe charged with overseeing Operation Overlord, the liberation of Europe and the invasion of Germany. Ike demonstrated his talent for leadership and diplomacy in managing the unique personalities charged with melding the Allied forces.

After the War, Ike served as the Army Chief of Staff and later as the President of Columbia University before running for the Presidency in 1952. As President,

golfer

President

Dwight Eisenhower’s induction to the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2009 was a testament to his success introducing the sport to the masses.

OPPOSITE, CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Ike was was never ashamed of his love for the game; President Eisenhower Swings a Golf Club on the South Lawn of the White House, 12/02/1959; Arnold Palmer, Clifford Roberts and President Dwight D. Eisenhower share laughs during the Masters Tournament.

Ike presided over the cessation of hostilities in Korea, a tremendous expansion of the American economy, championed and signed into law the bill that made possible the interstate highway system, encouraged civil rights, began America’s entry into space and fought international communism.

Overall, it was an era characterised mostly by prosperity and peace.

It was truly a lifetime of achievement.

Eisenhower played his first round of golf at age 35 and, within a year, had managed to shoot in the 80s.

This is no reason for induction to the Golf Hall of Fame. How and why was a man who never won a Major or a professional golf tournament or a significant amateur event given this honour?

Eisenhower played nearly 800 rounds and had more than 1,000 days in which he either played or practiced Quite simply, Eisenhower profoundly popularised and significantly helped grow the game in America as no one else since perhaps Francis Ouimet in 1913 and Bobby Jones in 1930.

And did he ever love the game!

He had a putting green installed on the White House lawn and would occasionally slip out of the Oval Office in the afternoon for a round.

His 29 trips to Augusta National, where he was a member, during his Presidency were dutifully reported in the national press, sometimes derisively. Of course, all that publicity shone a hot spotlight on the game and helped fuel continued interest in it.

Eisenhower embodied the exact passion that possessed the new recruits to the game. He loved golf.

At one time, while President of the United States, Eisenhower played golf 18 consecutive days. The only thing that slowed him down was a heart attack in 1955 and a mild stroke in 1957, and then only briefly.

By all accounts, he was never ashamed of his love for the game, a love he seems to share with the current President, Barack Obama.

Perhaps there should be a special exhibit in the World Golf Hall of Fame that honours the three great growers of the game in America: That swashbuckler professional named Palmer, the President called Eisenhower and that promotional tool known as television.

All tHE PrEsiDEnt GolFErs When he took office Barack Obama became the 15th of the past 18 American presidents who has or still does play golf. And here is how they rank: 1 John F Kennedy – despite chronic back pain, averaged 80.

2 dwight d eisenhower – had a green outside the Oval Office.

3 gerald r Ford – clumsy, but was a legitimate 80s-shooter.

4 FranKlin d roosevelt - at 39, polio robbed him of a powerful golf swing.

5 george hw Bush – once got his handicap down to 11.

6 george w Bush – a capable 15-handicapper.

7 Bill Clinton – can break 90, especially using his ‘Billigans’ (mulligans to us).

8 BaraCK oBama – a more than competent lefty

9 ronald reagan – didn’t play often or well (best was low 90s).

10 warren g harding – struggled to break 95.

11 william howard taFt – not a player or a president of note.

12 woodrow wilson – played the most but not that well, never broke 100.

13 riChard m nixon – rumoured to have shot 79 once, then quit the game.

14 lyndon B Johnson – played with senators to secure votes for the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

15 Calvin Coolidge – when he vacated the White House, he left his clubs behind.

10 2013 president’s cup

11

Is the Price going to be right this time?

As NIck PrIce PrePAres for The Presidents Cup match, he is under no delusions about the task ahead.

“Muirfield Village is a great fit for The Presidents Cup and Jack (Nicklaus), I know, will do a phenomenal job setting up the course,” he writes in his tournament blog.

“The Ohio and Columbus golf fans have always welcomed the PGA Tour with open arms, and they will be treated to some wonderful golf at The Presidents Cup. I’m sure the Americans will have a lot of support from the fans, but seeing that most of the International Team members play in the United States full-time, we will have plenty of supporters too.

“For most of us international players, 95 percent of our golf is played outside our homelands and we are used to fans rooting for the home players.”

The International Team is ready to get to Columbus. And as many of us know, 18-hole Match Play is very unpredictable – anything can happen.

It’s all about momentum and team spirit. It’s about the competition and winning the Cup. The Internationals have been putting in some solid performances over the last month with Adam Scott winning at The Barclays. The Canadian Graham DeLaet also had a

fantastic week at The Barclays, putting in his best finish on the PGA Tour so far.

Then just last week at the BMW Championship, Jason Day was in a tie for fourth, while Charl Schwartzel finished in eight spot.

The International Team is shaping up well, but the biggest concern among the co-captains will be creating some team spirit, always a problem when players are drawn from different countries and cultures. This year nine of the team are from southern Africa and Australia and this will help captains build spirit.

As Price puts it: “Camaraderie and the spirit of a team can always overcome a lot of things. I wish I could show the guys the feeling I had of being on a winning team. When we won in Australia (in 1998), the 11 teammates I had, they were like my brothers. We had a phenomenal week of emotional ups and downs. If I could put that feeling in a bottle and show the guys what that is like, we would have their attention.”

The Presidents Cup has grown from little more than an idea in the early 1990s to one of the most anticipated events on golf ’s global calendar. Along the way, this world-class competition has not only brought together the game’s best, but has also established itself as an event that stands for international goodwill and a positive, charitable impact across the globe.

It will be played for the 10th time in 2013 and was developed to give the world’s best non-European players an opportunity to compete in international team Match Play competition. A biennial event played in non-Ryder Cup years, the US holds a 7-1-1 record in The Presidents Cup overall.

Past results The first Presidents Cup was played in September 1994 at Robert Trent Jones Golf Club in Virginia, USA. The US Team, captained by Hale Irwin, defeated the International Team, captained by David Graham, 20-12.

The United States also won the second Presidents Cup, held in September 1996 and played again at Robert Trent Jones Golf Club. Arnold Palmer, no stranger to high-level international competition, had the reins as the United States edged Peter Thomson’s International Team, 16 ½ – 15 ½.

The 1998 Presidents Cup was played in December at Royal Melbourne Golf Club in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. The International Team made the

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12 2013 president’s cup most of home-field advantage, winning 20 ½ –11 ½. Jack Nicklaus served as captain of the US Team, while Peter Thomson repeated his role as captain for the International Team.

In 2000, The Presidents Cup returned to Robert Trent Jones, with the United States avenging its 1998 loss with a decisive 21 ½ to 10 ½ victory over the International Team. Thomson captained the International Team for a third time, while Ken Venturi was victorious in his debut as US Team captain.

The Presidents Cup 2003 was held at The Links at Fancourt Hotel and Country Club Estate in George, South Africa. The competition ended in a tie, after both teams completed regulation with 17 points. Ernie Els of the International Team and Tiger Woods of the US Team were designated to represent their teams in a sudden-death playoff. After three playoff holes, and as darkness was descending, captains Gary Player and Jack Nicklaus, in the spirit of the competition, decided that the two teams would share the Cup. In 2005, Nicklaus and Player returned as captains, and the matches were held once again at the Robert Trent Jones Golf Club. The tie from 2003 was broken with an 18 ½ to 15 ½ United States victory.

The US Team wrapped up its fifth Presidents Cup victory in seven tries at Royal Montreal Golf Club in 2007 with a 19 ½ to 14 ½ victory, the US Team’s first at an international venue in the competition’s 13-year history. David Toms earned the most points for the US Team, while Woody Austin earned a new nickname, Aquaman, after falling into the lake on hole 14 while attempting a shot. And while his team did not win, Canadian golf hero Mike Weir thrilled the crowds with a 1-up victory over World No 1 Tiger Woods in Sunday’s singles competition.

In 2009, The Presidents Cup was held at Harding Park Golf Course in San Francisco, California, one of the top public golf properties in the United States. Two of the most dominant players on the PGA Tour during the 1980s and 1990s, Fred Couples and Greg Norman, led the United States and International Teams, respectively. The Presidents Cup 2009 marked the first time in event history that both captains were former participants in The Presidents Cup. Couples has appeared four times (1994, 1996, 1998, 2005) for the United States and Norman three (1996, 1998, 2000) for the Internationals, and both factored prominently in victories secured by their respective teams.

As first-time captains at The Presidents Cup 2009, Couples and Norman each led strong teams as they competed in front of record crowds at Harding Park. The US Team retained the Cup, winning for the sixth time, by a score of 19 ½ to 14 ½.

The ninth playing of the event occurred in November 2011, at Royal Melbourne Golf Club in Melbourne, Australia – the first international venue to host this prestigious competition more than once.

The US Team captured The Presidents Cup for the seventh time, led once again by Captain Couples and boosted by a 5-0-0 performance by veteran Jim Furyk. Tiger Woods, one of Couples’ two captain’s picks, clinched the Cup for the United States with a 4-and-3 win over Australia’s Aaron Baddeley in Sunday Singles.

or prize money. Instead, each competitor designates charities or golf-related projects of his choice to receive a portion of the funds raised through the staging of the event.

With players, captains and captains’ assistants hailing from dozens of countries, their donations have positively impacted a variety of charitable causes around the world. From providing medical care for neglected animals in Greenville, South Carolina, to school lunches for underprivileged children in South Korea; from funding for teachers and facilities in earthquakeravaged Haiti to support for programs that bring golf to the disabled in South Africa; from scholarships for children of fallen California firefighters to addiction recovery programs in Australia – these are but a few examples of the myriad ways those involved in The Presidents Cup have been able to affect change in their communities, home countries and globally.

In total, more than $27-million has been distributed to approximately 425 charities in 15 countries since the inception of The Presidents Cup in 1994, including a record $4,5-million from The Presidents Cup 2011. But more compelling than numbers and dollar figures are the stories from those whose lives have been touched by the generosity of the event’s participants.

It’s often said that The Presidents Cup represents all that is good about

In total, more than $27-mIllIon has been dIstrIbuted to approxImately 425 charItIes In 15 countrIes sInce the InceptIon of the presIdents cup For Woods, it was the second consecutive time he had scored the winning point at The Presidents Cup, becoming only the second player to accomplish that feat (Couples, 1994, 1996) and the first captain’s pick to do so. Norman’s International Team played well, but was undone by the Foursomes competition. The Internationals were outscored 8 – 3 in foursomes and eventually lost the Cup by four points (19-15).

Charity the biggest winner Unlike most sporting events, players are not paid for their participation in The Presidents Cup; there is no purse

The Teams There is no doubt that on paper the Us Team is far stronger. But when it comes to 18 holes of match Play (be it betterball, foursomes or singles) anything can happen.

and is not afraid to challenge rookies to perform their best. he’s also great with the caustic comment that keeps everyone loose in the team room.

Bradley responded with a mammoth drive that gave mickelson a sand wedge for the approach. Keegan is a player who responds to a challenge.

United StateS Tigers Woods With five PGa Tour wins in 2013, he is the best player in the world and brings the experience of seven previous trips to The Presidents Cup with a 20-14-1 record. You wonder if he will once again be paired with steve stricker or has that union gotten a little stale after a disappointing Ryder Cup last year?

Matt Kuchar matt is your ‘steady eddie’. he is very much a family man and that seems to balance out the occasional frustration from a bad round. Kuchar is a player with an even disposition who even walks away from bad holes with a smile on his face. In a match Play format, remind yourself who is the defending champion at the World Golf Championships-accenture match Play Championship.

Steve Stricker Respected by everyone from fellow players to media to the golfing public, he has an 11-8-0 record in The Presidents Cup and, at age 47, might be making his last appearance in this tournament as a player. he should be a future captain.

Brandt Snedeker a rib injury derailed a season that was off to a great start on the West Coast. he’s a two-time winner on the PGa Tour this year and making his Presidents Cup debut. snedeker does everything very quickly, from pace of play to swing tempo to putting stroke.

Phil Mickelson a few years ago it seemed problematic who should be paired with Phil. That is no longer an issue. he is a team leader who matches well with young players. mickelson has become a mentor

Jason Dufner has had a very curious season with just four top-10 finishes. Of course one of those was a win at the PGa Championship and three of the top-10s have come in the last month.

Bill Haas has a big game that shows well on big golf courses. a winner at places like Riviera and Congressional Country Clubs, haas received a tip from Brad Faxon this season: “Look and go.” he was spending too much time looking at putts and analysing them instead of letting his athleticism control the stroke.

Keegan Bradley When Bradley was shaking on the first tee of last year’s Ryder Cup, mickelson got in his face and told him he was expecting to hit wedge to the opening hole in Foursomes. Not an 8-iron, not a 9-iron… a wedge.

Hunter Mahan Was bumped out of last year’s Ryder Cup at the last second and did not make the team.

That alone should fire his engines. he is a former accenture match Play champion and was runner-up to matt Kuchar this year.

Zach Johnson Bang in form after victory at the BmW Championship, Zach is another very steady player who is excellent at match Play.

Webb Simpson a captain’s pick.

Fred Couples said it was only right for simpson to be on the team. he’s played a heavy schedule this year, with 23 events that resulted in four top-10s and 13 top-25 finishes, including a playoff loss at the RBC heritage.

Jordan Spieth also a captain’s pick, spieth is building a reputation as quite the closer in his PGa Tour rookie season, with an average of 69.63 in the final round.

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2013 president’s cup tiger Woods of the u.s. team celebrates with aussie fans on the 17th hole after the day Four singles matches of the 2011 Presidents cup at royal melbourne Golf course

the game of golf, sportsmanship, international goodwill and friendly competition. When a sporting event is contested within this framework, there are only winners – on and off the golf course – no matter what the outcome of the competition.

Format and schedule The competition consists of 34 matches – 11 foursomes (alternate shot), 11 four-ball (better ball) matches and 12 singles matches involving all players on the final Sunday. All matches are worth one point each, for a total of 34 points.

Foursome and Four-ball matches all square at the end of 18 holes are halved, with each side receiving ½ point. Singles matches all square after 18 holes go extra holes until a match winner is determined. The winning team have to accumulate no less than 17,5 points to win The Presidents Cup. In a change inspired by the events of The Presidents Cup 2003, if the match is deadlocked at the end of singles play, the competition will be deemed a tie and the teams will share The Presidents Cup.

15

LOOkING aheaD

tuesday october 1

• Practice rounds all day Wednesday october 2

• Player practice rounds • Opening Ceremony/International Festival/Rascal Flatts concert – from 17:00 (23:00 SA time)

the Jack nicklaus Golf club Korea, located in the songdo International business district, Incheon, Korea, has been selected as the host course and Incheon city as the host city for the Presidents cup 2015 when the event makes its first trip to asia.

Jack nicklaus Golf club Korea, which is located 40 miles west of seoul in the country’s largest economic development zone, celebrated its opening in september 2010 with the champions tour’s first official money/official victory event held in asia. the course hosted the songdo championship in 2010 and 2011, and the 2012 Korea Women’s open on the KlPGa tour. the course is a par-72, 6,778m signature Golf course designed by the Golden bear, and offers world-class amenities, including an award-winning, 60,000-square-foot clubhouse. For the Presidents cup 2015, the course has undergone some minor renovations and the holes rerouted to accommodate hospitality and the match Play format.

Previous international venues for the Presidents cup include: the royal melbourne Golf club in melbourne, Victoria, australia (1998, 2011); the links at Fancourt, George, south africa (2003); and the royal montreal Golf club in montreal, Quebec, canada (2007).

thursday october 3

• First day of competition • Six Four-ball Matches – from 11:30 (17:30 SA time) FrIday october 4

• Second day of competition • Six Foursome Matches – from 13:10 (19:10 SA time) saturday october 5

• Third day of competition • Five Four-ball Matches – from 7:30 (13:30 SA time) • Five Foursome Matches – from 13:20 (19:20 SA time) sunday october 6

The winning Team have To accumulaTe no less Than 17,5 poinTs To win

• Final day of competition • 12 Singles Matches – from 12:00 (18:00 SA time)

The Teams InternatIonal team Adam Scott he was lost in golf before The 2009 Presidents Cup at harding Park. Greg Norman selected him with a captain’s pick and scott’s confidence slowly returned. as masters champ, scott will be a leader of the International Team. adam has been a very aggressive hitting driver this summer, another indication of his confidence. he brings a very positive attitude to the golf course every day and his enthusiasm will fire up the Internationals.

Jason Day here’s a question to ponder: how has Day managed to win just a single Tour event? he is blessed with oodles of talent and is a very hard worker. Jason is a long hitter and good putter. a very dangerous opponent in match Play.

Charl Schwartzel he has finished in the top-10 four times in 17 events, including a pair of third-place finishes and a dozen top-25s. he averages 4,07 birdies per round, which is second best on Tour.

Couples should be very wary of schwartzel.

Ernie Els he only seems like he’s 60 years old because he has so much experience. ernie is actually going to turn a young 44 in October. he’s played in seven Presidents Cup competitions, posting a 17-16-2 record, and is now a much better putter than he has been in the past.

Nick Price will look at ernie for both leadership and point production.

Louis Oosthuizen This man is the wild card of the International Team. he has neck and back issues but insists he will be fine next month.

Oosthuizen will test-drive his health at the alfred Dunhill Links Championship the week before The Presidents Cup. When Louis is healthy, he is as good a player as any in the world.

Hideki Matsuyama Matsuyama did not arrive in the United states with the fanfare of Ryo Ishikawa but is very, very talented. matsuyama posted top-10 finishes in both the Us Open and Open Championship.

Branden Grace One of six players from southern africa on the team. he made the cut in 7 of 12 events, including a T18 at the masters. You

would be mistaken to judge him solely on this year’s limited Tour appearances.

Graham DeLaet always seems to have a great attitude and might just be starting to tap into his talent. The Canadian finished second at The Barclays and third at the Deutsche Bank Championship to automatically qualify for the International Team. he is a ballstriking machine and will match well with any pairing.

Richard Sterne another south african who is making his first Presidents Cup appearance. he’s played in seven Tour events this year, posting five top-25 finishes, including a T9 at the Bridgestone Invitational.

Angel Cabrera Plays the game with a passion. Watch his facial expressions and body language and they will go from elation to anger to happiness… and that’s just in the course of a single shot. This will be his fourth Presidents Cup and will be looked upon for leadership on the International Team.

Marc Leishman a captain’s pick.

This is what Price had to say: “marc is a guy on the rise who has played really well this year. he’s performed well in the majors this year, with a top-10 finish at augusta as well as a T8 at The Players Championship. I think he’s going to feel very much a part of the team with fellow australians adam scott and Jason Day there to support him.”

Brendan de Jonge Nosed out Tim Clark as Price’s final pick. Price noted Brendan’s experience and length at muirfield Village as being part of the determining process.

This number also had to be a huge determining factor: De Jonge leads the PGa Tour in total birdies. he has made a whopping 371 birdies this season, more than any other player.

16 RULES

Rules is Rules (And in golf cheaters never prosper)

Dustin Johnson is informed of his rules violation in the 2010 PGA Championship.

This effectively ended his hopes of making the title playoff.

S

oon the cheater will find that the only players willing to play with him are fellow cheaters.

When it comes to immortality at your club, a reputation for improving one’s lie is as lasting as getting your name on the honours board. And although, among friends, the Rules of Golf might not be as strictly observed with the same exactitude as pros competing for prize money, rules is rules and ‘she who must be obeyed’ is the rules book itself.

But are we all 100 percent, never ever to stray from being honest in this regard, or as, with other pursuits in life, do we adopt the premise – if you are not caught with your hands in the cookie jar then it’s OK? In golf it is never OK! Here is a short list of questions with responses prepared by Golf Digest when they surveyed more than 2,000 avid golfers in the United States.

One must remember that most casual golf in America is just that, with no formal competition in play.

Here in South Africa, more than any other country in golf, we are almost always part of an organised competition.

Most golfers say they are honest and rules infractions come as a result of not knowing the rule rather than knowingly breaking it.

Here are some of the results of the survey: 1. At the end of the round, you see your playing partner has marked you down for a score one stroke lower or indeed higher than you actually shot. Do you fail to point out the error and accept the score?

MOST GOLFERS SAY THEY ARE HONEST AND RULES INFRACTIONS COME AS A RESULT OF NOT KNOWING THE RULE RATHER THAN KNOWINGLY BREAKING IT Never: 92% Under some circumstances: 8% Rule-breakers who think most people break the rule: 89% Rule followers who think most people break the rule: 41% 2. Your ball is in the rough. You take a full swing intending to hit the ball but miss it completely.

You did not touch any part of the ball, nor did you change the ball’s position. Would you pretend the stroke was a practice swing and not count it?

Never: 87% Under some circumstances: 13% Rule-breakers who think most people break the rule: 97% Rule followers who think most people break the rule: 54% 3. You’re chipping and accidentally double-hit the ball. Do you count this as only one stroke?

Never: 82% Under some circumstances: 18% Rule-breakers who think most people break the rule: 98% Rule followers who think most people break the rule: 47%

4. You play a shot from the deep rough. When you reach the green, you realize that you played the wrong ball. Do you score the hole as if you’d played the correct ball?

Never: 74% Under some circumstances: 26% Rule-breakers who think most people break the rule: 99% Rule followers who think most people break the rule: 54% 5. You’re preparing to hit out of a bunker but accidentally ground your club in the sand. No one noticed. Do you play the shot without taking a penalty?

Never: 66% Under some circumstances: 34% Rule-breakers who think most people break the rule: 98% Rule followers who think most people break the rule: 62% 6. You reach the green and mark your ball with a coin. There’s a spike mark directly in front of your coin. Do you replace your ball a little to the side of the coin (less than an inch) to avoid the spike mark?

Never: 62% Under some circumstances: 38% Rule-breakers who think most people break the rule: 99%.

Rule followers who think most people break the rule: 54%.

7. Your putt comes up a foot short of the hole. You step carefully around the ball markers of the other members of your group and take an awkward stance to avoid standing in anyone’s line. You make a quick stroke and miss what would normally be an easy tap-in.

Would you count the putt as if you made it?

Never: 59% Under some circumstances: 41% Rule-breakers who think most people break the rule: 98% Rule followers who think most people break the rule: 57% 8. Your ball is in the woods.

There is a gap in the trees to hit an escape shot, but your ball is nestled against a small rock. Not only could the rock negatively affect your shot, it might also damage your wrists and club. Do you move your ball or the rock without penalty?

Never: 45% Under some circumstances: 55% Rule-breakers who think most people break the rule: 99% Rule followers who think most people break the rule: 53% 9. You have a short putt just outside the usual ‘gimme’ range of your playing group. As you’re about to make your stroke a player in your foursome says, “That’s good.” You continue your stroke but miss the putt. Do you score it as if you made it?

rules Never: 32% Under some circumstances: 68% Rule-breakers who think most people break the rule: 99% Rule followers who think most people break the rule: 60% 10. A friend lets you try out a new hybrid on the range, but you forget to remove it from your bag. Midway through your round you realize you’re carrying 15 clubs. No one in your group has noticed. Do you stay silent and keep playing without assessing the proper amount of penalty strokes?

Never: 29% Under some circumstances: 71% Rule-breakers who think most people break the rule: 99% Rule followers who think most people break the rule: 56%

I

mentioned how costly rules infractions can be for the professional tour player and, although most of us are aware of the Roberto Di Vincenzo incident at the Masters, here are some others that are of interest: DUSTIN JOHNSON, 2010 PGA CHAMPIONSHIP Dustin Johnson looked to be headed for a three-man playoff with Martin Kaymer and Bubba Watson. However, what he didn’t

know was he had grounded his club in one of Whistling Straits’ 1,000 odd bunkers before his approach shot to the final hole of regulation.

Johnson had played from a sandy area outside of the ropes that had been walked through by fans. He was informed of the violation after finishing the hole and the twostroke penalty ended his championship hopes.

MORGAN PRESSEL, 2012 SYBASE MATCH PLAY After making a par on the 12th hole of her semi-final match, Pressel appeared to take a three shot lead on Azahara Munoz, but she was informed she would be penalized for slow play. Pressel had taken two minutes and nine seconds to play her three shots on the hole, putting her 39 seconds over the 30-second limit per shot. As a result, the hole was awarded to Munoz, who would go on to win the match and win the tournament.

MICHELLE WIE, 2005 SAMSUNG WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP As a 16-year-old phenom, Wie made her much ballyhooed debut as a professional at the 2005 Samsung World Championship, but came away empty handed. Wie was

stripped of her fourth-place finish and a check for $53,126 after it was determined that she had taken a drop approximately a foot closer to the seventh hole after hitting a wayward shot into a bush during the third round. The illegal drop warranted a two-shot penalty and should have been added to that day’s score. Since it wasn’t, Wie was disqualified. The player vowed to be more careful after the incident, but has since had a couple more run-ins with the rules, including grounding her club during the final round of the 2010 Kia Classic – a mistake that dropped her from second place to T-6 and cost her roughly $90,000.

IAN WOOSNAM, 2001 BRITISH OPEN In the final round of the 2001 British Open at Royal Lytham & St Annes, Ian Woosnam had a good chance of capturing a second career Major championship. But after birdieing the par-3 first hole to move into the lead by himself, Woosie was informed by caddie Miles Byrne that he had an extra driver in his bag, giving him 15 clubs, one more than the legal limit. Woosnam angrily tossed the extra driver to the ground and proceeded to bogey two of the next three holes. He never recovered,

17

finishing third to David Duval.

Apparently, neither did Byrne. He kept his job until oversleeping the final round of the Scandinavian Masters two weeks later, leading to him being fired.

JACKIE PUNG, 1957 US WOMEN’S OPEN In the 1957 US Women’s Open at Winged Foot, Pung appeared to have beaten Betsy Rawls by a stroke, but she recorded a five instead of a six on the fourth hole of the final round. Although she had signed for the correct total score, Pung was disqualified. So heart-breaking was the result that Winged Foot members and USGA officials took up a collection and presented Pung with more than $2,000, a sum that exceeded the first-prize winnings.

PORKY OLIVER, 1940 US OPEN With a potential storm on the horizon, Oliver and five fellow competitors decided to tee off early for their final round at the 1940 US Open. Oliver shot a 71 to get into a playoff with Gene Sarazen and Lawson Little, but didn’t participate in the extra holes since he violated Rule 6-3a/2.5, which basically says you have to start at your designated time.

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WESTIE’S WAY

THE RIGHT SWING

By Wayne Westner

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ER PLAYER ERNIE

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PLAYER BUBB AW AT SO

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The secret is to ascertain what type of swing would most suite you, taking into account your physique, height and flexibility. This is almost impossible to do on your own and therefore requires a trip to your local PGA professional to help with this determination.

A prop forward like the great Os du Randt can never be a shoulder player because of his build, but he can become a hands and forearm player. I also see so many older guys who were taught to keep their left heel on the ground and now struggle to get any distance on the ball. They have simply lost their flexibility and, although not lifting your left heal is fine for a 20-year-old elastic band, as you get older, you have to incorporate your feet in order to allow a turn to take place.

In my opinion there are six different types of swings and these depend entirely upon height, suppleness and overall build. They are:

BODY PLAYERS

Ian Woosnam and Charl Schwartzel are good examples. Woosie because he is really short and can stand very upright and just turn like a spring and then un-turn and his chest is facing the target. Charl has a perfect physique for golf and is very athletic, therefore he can turn his whole body around the fixed axis, which is the spine.

SHOULDER PLAYERS

Look no further than our own Ernie Els for a fine example of a shoulder player. He is so tall that he can bend over so far, turn his shoulders and allow his arms to follow his shoulder plane.

FEET AND LEG PLAYERS

Tom Watson is a good example of a fine feet player. I was taught by Bob Torrance, who always said the game is played from the ground up, and all the greats have had a beautiful leg action.

Just look at Nicklaus, Snead, Jones and, more recently, Bubba Watson.

HIP PLAYERS

COLIN MONTG OM ER Y

Colin Montgomery is an example of this type of player. Watch as he almost slides his weight across into his right hip and back across to his left hip.

R AYE PL P HI

There is no one specific way to swing a golf club, as can be seen by simply watching all the different styles of the top players we see every week on broadcasts of Tour events.

However, there are certain principles that are the same. Among these are: the club must travel down the same path to impact and on line through the ball, the face of the club must be square to the target line at impact, and there must be a consistent angle of attack. In order to hit the ball with a consistent flight and distance, these principles must be repeated.

My years of studying the golf swing have led me to believe that the game is a lot easier for someone who is really tall, as they can bend over and just turn their shoulders and be on plane, and equally as easy for someone who is really short, who can stand very straight and do the two rotations in a bucket. But for the majority of us in-betweeners, I have found the game to be somewhat difficult as our shoulders, hips and arms all have to travel on different planes.

LD OU SH

The secret is to ascertain what type of swing would most suite you, taking into account your physique, height and flexibility

Y E R C HA R L S W A RT PLA ZE DY L BO

find it amazing how, over the last 50 years, the golf swing has done a full 360 degrees. It started in the old days with Cotton, Jones, Locke and company doing two rotations in a barrel, changed to the under and under golf swing made popular by the great Jack Nicklaus, who tilted his shoulders under his chin going back and under again coming through, and now to the modern swing, which in truth is full circle back to the rotations in a barrel.

Nicklaus won everything, so it was only natural that everyone thought that was the best way to swing the club. I for one copied Jack, as did Greg Norman, Colin Montgomerie, Tom Watson and Seve Ballesteros, to name a few. The problem with that swing was that it was a little inconsistent as well as creating back problems for all who used it. You cannot argue with the success achieved by these players; however, the real question is what is the right swing for each one of us?

HANDS PLAYERS

A fine example of a hands player is our own Simon Hobday.

HANDS AND ARM PLAYERS

Phil Mickelson is a hands and arms player, as is Jason Day. I am particularly familiar with this type of action as I fall into this category.

I’m not saying either that you must fall into one of these as there are also variations to the above, and they are only guidelines as there are

H

DA Y ARM PLAYER JA SO N

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SO WHO SHOULD YOU TRY AND COPY? • If you are really short and stocky, try standing straighter at address and incorporating your body into your swing, which is simply two turns (back and through). However, you must be careful when you are making two turns that you don’t go too flat. You must also take into account your age and flexibility. If you are young and supple it should be quite easy to do, but if you are older and have lost flexibility you may have to allow your left heal to come off the ground to allow you a full turn. It is also good for young kids to make a two-turn body swing as it keeps

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combinations of all the above.

• Ben Hogan was a shoulder, body, legs as well as a hands player.

• Jim Furyk is a feet, hips and hands and arms player.

• Mickelson is a feet, shoulders and hands and arms player.

• Nicklaus was a shoulder, feet and hands and arms player.

• Tom Watson is a feet and hands and arms player.

• Monty is a hips and hands and arms player.

There are so many variations, but again I say watch them from behind and you’ll see the one common denominator is that, from just before striking the ball and through impact, they are all on line.

LAYER SIMON HO SP BD D AY AN

19 them centred as well as allowing the mass of the body to carry the club.

• If you are of medium height you are bound to be more of a hands and arms player. You will find that you are not quite tall enough to bend over enough to allow your hands and arms to follow your shoulders. A good drill is to try swinging your hands and arms freely while keeping your feet together.

• If you are really tall you can begin to bend over enough to start becoming a shoulder player, but this again depends on your age and flexibility.

There is no set rule. Never let anyone tell you there is only one swing. Do not be afraid to experiment but keep these basics in place: • Don’t move your head on the backswing.

• Keep your right leg anchored.

• Keep your left arm straight on the backswing.

And remember to have fun, whatever way you swing the club!

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.

20

INSTRUCTION

By Dennis Bruyns, Illustrations Dave Edwards

FIND A SWING TRIGGER Sometimes the hardest part of the swing is simply starting it.

T

he pressure of going from a static address position to a smooth takeaway is enough to make any developing golfer herky-jerky. The solution is to bridge the gap between address and takeaway with a swing trigger.

It’s a simple movement that smoothly sets the body in motion.

However, there are different ways to trigger the swing. The key is to find one that works for you.

HANDS One of the most common swing triggers is a slight movement towards the target with the hands – known simply as a forward press.

From your normal address position, squeeze the club a little with the last three fingers of your left hand.

This moves your hands slightly toward the target and creates a smooth transition to your backswing.

RIGHT KNEE To create the feeling that the entire body is in motion, push your right knee toward the ball to trigger your swing. This is especially good if you have weight-shift problems; pushing the right knee in sends your weight toward the front foot so it can properly rebound over the back foot on the backswing. This is the movement used so successfully

by Gary Player.

BOTH KNEES A great way to break lower body tension is to trigger the swing with your knees. Just before you start the club away, make it a quick downward bounce with both knees, giving them a hair of extra flex, then bring them back to their original position. Check out Ernie Els to see this trigger in action.

DRILL: THE PRACTICE TRIGGER Using a swing trigger when you practice can help improve your ball-striking. Address the ball as you normally do, then trigger your swing by turning your entire body into the impact position: your weight slightly left, hips rotated open, right knee turned in, and your hands slightly ahead of the ball. Hold for a beat, then start the backswing. If you can pose the proper impact position before you swing, chances are you’ll repeat it for the real thing.

HEAD Jack Nickaus’s famous head roll is a great trigger, provided you do it properly. Start at address with both eyes looking at the ball. Just before takeaway, swivel your head so you focus your left eye on the ball. This helps you move to your right side in the backswing and stay behind the ball coming through. Make sure the head only swivels; if it rises, lowers,or sways back and forth, it will throw off your whole swing.

21 PULL OUT AND KEEP

Head swivel

Knee flex.

Hands towards target

TRIGGER YOUR TAKEAWAY WITH A SMALL MOVEMENT THAT SETS YOUR BODY IN MOTION

22 ANALYSIS

A S P O R T O R A G AME ?

In a series of articles over the next LET’S BEGIN WITH THE OFTEN DEBATED ISSUE: IS GOLF A SPORT OR A GAME? few months T2G will be looking at GOLF IS A SPORT different aspects of golf. I’ll attempt Golf meets the definition of the word ‘sport’ found in many dictionaries. MerriamWebster defines sport as “physical activity engaged in for pleasure: a particular to answer questions such as, ‘why activity (as an athletic game).” Dictionary.com says a sport is “an athletic activity golf?’, analysing its impact and its requiring skill or physical prowess and often of a competitive nature, as racing, baseball, tennis, golf, bowling, wrestling, boxing, hunting, fishing, etc.” current health, both in terms of the Like all sports, golf requires physical exertion. And although nowhere near that of long distance running, its level is still more than many accepted sports. Sports Professional Tours and the broader require coordinated muscle use, and the golf swing uses at least 17 muscle groups participation of average players. I’ll in the coordinated movement of the hands, wrists, arms, abdomen, and legs to a study in the BMJ (British Medical Journal). Playing golf on a also look at what challenges face golf according professional level requires athletic ability to walk long distances (8 kilometres per 18-hole course) and hit long drives with consistent depth and aim. in the future, and what should be The Olympics are the ultimate worldwide sporting event, and golf was selected by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) for inclusion, starting in 2016. It done to ensure its survival. had been included in two prior Olympics, 1900 and 1904.

by Dennis Bruyns Sports agents, sponsors, and sporting goods manufacturers consider golf to be a

23 sport. Nike’s website calls golf a “great sport” and it makes products to help “athletes to perform at their physical and mental peak.”

Golfer Tiger Woods is the richest athlete in history and was the first athlete to surpass $1-billion dollars in career earnings (prize money and endorsements). Sport’s biggest management group, IMG (International Management Group), began by representing the interests of three iconic golfers – Arnold Palmer, Gary Player and Jack Nicklaus.

The Associated Press has named a golfer its “Female Athlete of the Year” 24 times (30 percent of honourees) since the award began in 1931; a golfer has been named “Male Athlete of the Year” nine times (11 percent of honourees).

In golf, like in other sports, there is a correlation between physical training and improved performance. A 2009 peer-reviewed study found that golfers who focus on balance, flexibility, posture, core stability, strength, power, and cardiovascular training have better results. Rory McIlroy, World No 1 for a period since May 2012, credits his training regimen with helping him reach the top spot. Woods has reportedly bench pressed as much as 315 pounds.

Golf is so physically demanding that up to 62 percent of amateur golfers and approximately 88 percent of professional golfers suffer injuries each year. Playing golf can lead to problems in the lower back, elbow, wrist, hand, shoulder, or head.

Golf has an anti-doping policy and conducts drug tests on the players because performance enhancing drugs could improve a player’s results. In 2009, American Doug Barron became the first player to be suspended by the PGA Tour for testing positive for an unnamed performance-enhancing drug.

A June 2011 peer-reviewed study categorized 159 sports as one of three types: combat, independent, or object.

Golf is one of 74 independent sports, along with others such as gymnastics, track and field, swimming, speed skating, and surfing. Not all sports have to be object (like football and cricket), or combat (like boxing and karate).

Golf has many things in common with other sports, including: professional men’s and women’s tours with rankings, tournaments all over the world, millions of fans, television coverage, scoring, and winners. it is not a sport Golf better matches the definition of a game than a sport. Merriam-Webster defines a game as an “activity engaged in for diversion or amusement.”

Dictionary.com says a game is “an amusement or pastime; a competitive activity involving skill, chance, or endurance on the part of two or more persons who play according to a set of rules, usually for their own amusement or for that of spectators.”

Unlike a sport, golf is not a rigorous physical activity.

The panel deTermined ThaT The level of aThleTicism in golf ranked lower Than ping-pong and jusT ahead of roller skaTing

Golfers are not athletes. Professional golfers are sometimes overweight, old, or out of shape, and their caddies carry the equipment for them. There is no running, jumping, or cardiovascular activity in golf. If an activity does not make you break a sweat, or if it can be done while drinking and smoking, then it is not a sport.

The fact that golf can be difficult and requires practice and skill to achieve proficiency does not mean it qualifies as a sport. Brain surgery, chess, and computer programming are difficult tasks that also require practice and mental acuity, but they are clearly not sports.

Golf involves competition, keeping score, and declaring a winner, but those qualities alone do not make it a sport.

Spelling bees, poker, and darts are competitions with scores and winners, which are sometimes broadcast on the sports network ESPN, but one would not consider those activities to be sports.

Athletic experts agree that golf lacks the athletic rigor needed to be a real sport. Golf was ranked 51 out of 60 activities by a panel of sports scientists, athletes, and journalists assembled by ESPN. They ranked the athletic difficulty of 60 activities based on 10 categories such as endurance, agility, and strength. The panel determined that the level of athleticism in golf ranked lower than ping-pong and just ahead of roller skating.

The fact that golfers are able to be competitive professionally so far past the age of peak athleticism – age 26 according to a June 2011 peer-reviewed study – shows that golf is not a sport.

For example, Tom Watson nearly won one of the biggest tournaments in professional golf, the British Open, at age 59 in 2009. Jack Nicklaus won 11 of his 18 majors after turning 30.

The possibility of getting injured while playing golf does not make it a sport, because many non-sport activities, such as sitting at a desk and typing all day, lifting a heavy box, or sleeping in the wrong position, also commonly lead to injuries.

Some people think that if an activity does not involve defence or an opponent trying to affect your performance, then it is not a sport. In hockey, a player can steal the puck and a goalie can block a shot. In rugby, a pass can be intercepted and someone can be tackled to prevent him from scoring.

There is no defence in golf, and participants are unable to impact the outcome of their opponents’ scores.

Consider this Sports philosopher Bernard Suits named four elements that distinguish sports from games. “First, it is a game of skill, which marks it off from games of chance... Second, it is a game of physical skill... Third, a sport is a game that has a wide following... Fourth, and last, a sport is a game that has achieved institutional stability.”

Sociologists Tim Delaney and Tim Madigan defined sport as “institutionalised, structured, and sanctioned competitive activity beyond the realm of play that involves physical exertion and the use of relatively complex athletic skills.”

Lincoln Allison, Founding Director of the Centre for the Study of Sport in Society at Warwick University, noted that the definition has shifted over time.

“In English, the primary meaning of the word ‘sport’ changed dramatically in the period after 1880. Before that date, if you picked up a book on sport... it would certainly have been about some combination of hunting, shooting or fishing...” According to Allison, the modern concept of sport began to solidify around 1930. “And yet, for all that sport can mean... the core of what people understand by sport in its serious and interesting sense can be defined briefly: sport is the institutionalisation of skill and prowess.”

In 2009, IOC members voted 63-27 to return golf to the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Rugby was also voted in for the first time since it was removed in 1924. IOC President Jacques Rogge voiced his support for the decision, saying, “both golf and rugby are very popular sports with global appeal and a strong ethic. They will be great additions to the Games.”

Some people who opposed including golf said that the vote was neither a reflection of golf ’s merit nor an endorsement that it is a sport, but rather that the IOC wished to add golf because of megastar golfer Woods and golf ’s potential for increased sponsorships and television earnings.

Golf industry Two years ago the then PGA (Professional Golfers’ Association) of America Chief Executive Officer Joe Steranka estimated that golf ’s $76-billion annual industry provides more than two million jobs and raises more than $3.5-billion for charity each year. “We are bigger than the motion picture and video recording industry, we’re bigger than the newspaper publishing industry. That rolls up into $61-billion of wages, makes our induced economic impact $195-billion.”

The PGA of America is composed of 27,000 male and female professional golfers. Since the Official World Golf Ranking system was established in 1986, 16 different men have held the No 1 spot. Woods has been the world No 1 for a record total of 623 weeks in his career. The women’s comprehensive ‘Rolex Rankings’ system has been in place since February 2006, when Annika Sörenstam was named as the first female world No 1.

The winners of the men’s four Major Championships each took home more than $1.4-million in prize money last year. About 8,1 percent of households in the top 56 US television markets watched the April 2012 Master’s Tournament on television.

As of January 2012, there were 15,751 golf facilities (complexes containing at least one course) in America.

So, is golf a sport, a game or a pastime? It probably depends on whether you’ve got a set of golf clubs in the garage, and when you last used them.

24

SWING THOUGHTS

By Theo Bezuidenhout

UNEASY ALLIANCE

S

ince you can remember you have been the fiercest of rivals. Many times you have stared at each other across the practice green, neither wanting to avert your gaze first. This sworn enemy is the one person you love to beat in club competitions, but hate so much to lose to them that people wonder why a game of golf can depress you so much.

He or she is the Nadal to your Federer or the Warne to your Tendulkar: that one person that can bring out both the best and worst in you while challenging your very psyche and rationality.

And then one day the unimaginable happens: you are selected to play together as a team.

In this month’s Swing Thoughts, as part of our Presidents Cup build-up, we look at what you can do from a psychological perspective when you get paired with a regular opponent.

Thus, if you are Phil and Tiger or just the two best players in your club, the question is how can you best pull together to the benefit of your country, in the case of Messrs Woods and Mickelson? Or, even more importantly, how can you pull together for your local club?

FIND COMMON GROUND The first and most important thing to do is to find an aspect in life where you either share common interests or have a shared passion other than golf.

Spending a full day on the course not saying a word to an opponent could still be seen as a tactic. Doing something similar to your Foursome’s partner is akin to mental suicide. By having conversations about other topics you will be taking the focus away from the tension and pressure both of you may be feeling. Thus helping both of you to play a more relaxed round of golf.

Communication also has another benefit. By being able to engage around common topics on the course, you will make your day shorter and also show your

opponents a solidarity that they will find intimidating. Even if you do hate the other person’s guts, you are still playing for the image and reputation of the country, team or club you represent. If you won’t get along for your own sake then at least do it for something bigger than yourself ? (You guys reading this Tiger and Phil?)

EARLY APOLOGIES One of the most common complaints I hear from competitive Foursomes pairings is how the one “did this wrong” and the other “did that wrong”. It is also quite easy to execute this kind of “character assassination” on a person that you don’t like or compete against regularly. It is much harder, but much more beneficial, to protect the image of your partner and keep their self-confidence up even when they are playing poorly.

A good example of this was the rumoured off-field tension between Australian leg-spinning legend Shane Warne and then wicket-keeper Adam Gilchrist. Now, if there is one person a bowler would like to get on with the

best, it is the guy trying to catch your edges or fixing your mistakes.

However, Warne and Gilchrist reportedly could not get along due to their differing personalities.

Something interesting would happen once they stepped over the boundary rope though. Judging only by the support they would give one another on the field, you would have guessed they were best chums. Joyous high fives and many “C’mon Warney’s” were exchanged throughout many overs, and this led to great success for both, despite their differing personalities.

So when you and your partner are drawn together, make sure you make a conscious decision to be “best buds” inside the ropes. This could also entail apologising for any bad shots before the game and then not saying a single word of sorry on the course. Sorry is self-defeating and team-defeating in a competitive environment and, if nothing else, both of you are fierce competitors.

That’s why the Warne’s and Gilchrist’s of the world get along on the field, not so?

LEAVE YOUR EGO AT THE DOOR In golf, as in life, certain things are clear as daylight. Dustin Johnson drives the ball farther than his Presidents Cup teammate Bill Haas, and Phil putts better than Johnson.

When you are playing in a team format and your playing partner may not be your favourite person, remember this is not about comparing skills, it is about beating another team. Both of you need to check your egos at the door and acknowledge your individual strengths and weaknesses.

Does your partner drive the ball straighter while you are better with a wedge or putter in your hand?

Can you play a bump and run while he or she can flop the ball really well? Instead of making your match a competition between the skills that you may or may not possess, be honest about your shortcomings and design your team’s game-plan around this.

In the end it is important to remember that only two things count in team events: One, there is always only one winner – and, more importantly, two: when one of us wins, all of us win.

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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26

HOW TO BECOME A SUPPLEMENTS SLEUTH

HEALTHY GOLF

By Anastasia Dobson-du Toit

help heart health, depression, migraines, and insomnia and reduce muscle cramps.

• Did you know that Vitamin D also helps to improve muscle strength, thereby helping to reduce the risk of falling by approximately 20 percent?

All this from your calcium supplement – more than just healthy bones and teeth.

IT’S ELEMENTARY, MY DEAR WATSON!

W

hen you take into account the vast array of multivitamin supplements available today, just walking down the vitamin aisle of your local pharmacy can be a daunting task.

Even with the help of qualified pharmacy staff or promoters, how do you know if the product they have recommended is the best available, or just the one that makes them the most commission?

To be informed is the best way of understanding the marketing jargon and deciphering the truth behind the ad spend.

SLEUTHING BASICS

THE RIGHT OMEGA-3 SUPPLEMENT FOR YOUR HEART, BRAIN AND EYE HEALTH!

Omega-3s contain the essential fatty acids DHA and EPA, which cannot

be produced by the body and must be obtained from your diet or via an Omega-3 supplement. DHA and EPA are very important as they can improve cardiovascular performance, mental focus, and visual function.

Omega-3’s can also help with healthy skin, hair and nails, reduce the impact of ADD and ADHD, and, due to the natural anti-inflammatory effect, alleviates arthritis.

WHEN CHOOSING AN OMEGA-3 SUPPLEMENT, COMPARE COST VERSUS QUANTITY AND QUALITY UNDER THE MICROSCOPE

It’s false economy to buy a cheaper Omega-3 with lower amounts of DHA and EPA, as you will need to increase the dosage to achieve the same goal. Make sure that the supplement you selected has been purified through a certified process (visit www.puremax.com) that guarantees only the highest quality.

BREAKING THE CALCIUM CODE BUT NOT YOUR BANK (OR YOUR BONES)

Here are a couple of secrets that you need to keep in mind when purchasing a calcium supplement.

• Your body can absorb a maximum of 500mg elemental calcium in a four-hour period. So, a calcium supplement containing more than 500mg per dose may look good on paper, but doesn’t really provide you with any additional benefits as the extra calcium is simply excreted by your body.

• To be effective, an ideal calcium supplement needs to contain both Vitamin D and magnesium. Calcium is essential for building and maintaining healthy bones and teeth.

However, magnesium and Vitamin D are also important, as they help with the absorption of Calcium.

• Magnesium helps to preserve bone structure, reducing the risk of osteoporosis, but magnesium can also

Seldom do you find vitamins and minerals in their purest form; instead, due to stability reasons, they are used in their salt form.

You can identify this on the label where you may see ‘oxide’, ‘carbonate’, and ‘hydrochloride’ after the name of the vitamin or mineral.

When evaluating a product written in this way, remember that the value written includes that salt and is not the elemental value. For example, 500mg calcium carbonate is made up of 200mg calcium and 300mg carbonate, so if you require the recommended 500mg elemental calcium, you in actual fact require 1250mg calcium carbonate. It’s easy once you know what to look for.

However, if you are ever in doubt regarding a product, note the details of the company (which should be on the box). All reputable pharmaceutical companies should have a pharmacist on site; hopefully he or she will be able to answer your queries, and encourage you to purchase the relevant products.

Remember to always enquire, explore and examine.

PROFILE: Anastasia Dobson-du Toit is the Responsible Pharmacist and Technical Director of Georen Pharmaceuticals (Pty) Ltd, a company that specialises in quality nutraceuticals for the past 15 years. Anastasia is a qualified pharmacist and holds a Bcom degree, as well having passed her MBA with distinction in 2012.

Anastasia leads the team that develops, manufactures, brands and markets the Happy to be Healthy brands under her care.

28

EQUIPMENT What’s hot on tour

DRIVE FOR DISTANCE The list below shows the drivers used by the longest hitters on the PGA Tour.

1. Luke List, United States. Average Drive Distance: 280,08m. Driver: Callaway Razr Fit Xtreme (8.5 degree) with a Fujikura RBX P95X shaft.

2. Nicolas Colsaerts, Belgium. Average Drive Distance: 279,5m. Driver: Callaway Razr Hawk (8.5 degree) with a Fujikura Motore SPD 8.1X shaft.

3. Gary Woodland, United States. Average Drive Distance: 278,3m.

Driver: Callaway Razr Hawk prototype (8.5 degree) with an Oban prototype shaft.

4. Bubba Watson, United States. Average Drive Distance: 278,1m. Driver: Ping G25 (8.5 degree) with a Grafalloy Bi-Matrix X shaft.

5. Dustin Johnson (above), United States. Average Drive Distance: 277,9m.

Driver: TaylorMade SLDR (10.5 degree) with a Fujikura Fuel 2.0 X shaft.

Interestingly none of the players have made the USA Presidents Cup squad. Maybe there is something to the saying, ‘You drive for show, but putt for dough’.

Then again, the list below highlights the top five players and the driver used to head the year’s single drive list.

1. Phil Mickelson / 411,4m (WGC-Cadillac Championship) / Callaway RAZR Fit Xtreme.

2. Kyle Stanley / 391,3m(Hyundai Tournament of Champions) / Nike VR_S Covert.

3. Ian Poulter / 389,5m (Hyundai Tournament of Champions) / Cobra ZL Encore.

4. Graham DeLaet / 384m (Shell Houston Open) / Titleist 913D3.

5. Charlie Beljan / 382,2m (Hyundai Tournament of Champions) / Cleveland Classic.

IN THE BAGS AT THE PRESIDENTS CUP With the teams now finalised we can look in the bags of the squads and break down which equipment companies will be represented at the Presidents Cup at Muirfield Village.

Titleist (10 players) Jason Dufner Steve Stricker Bill Haas

Zach Johnson Webb Simpson Jordan Spieth Adam Scott Graham DeLaet Marc Leishman Brendon de Jonge Callaway (3 players) Phil Mickelson

Ernie Els Branden Grace PING (3 players) Hunter Mahan Louis Oosthuizen Angel Cabrera Bridgestone (2 players) Brandt Snedeker Matt Kuchar

Cleveland/Srixon (2 players) Keegan Bradley Hideki Matsuyama Nike (2 players) Tiger Woods Charl Schwartzel TaylorMade (2 players) Jason Day Richard Sterne

TEE TO GREEN

STAND A CHANCE TO ‘PLAY IT LIKE THE PROS’ Tee to Green and Glendower Golf Club presents a unique opportunity to play the 2013 SA Open final day course set-up. Stand a chance to win a fourball valued at R10,000! Go to the T2-Green-Magazine Facebook page and click ‘Like’ to be eligible. Quote SA OPEN as reference.

25th November 2013 All inclusive: green fees, snack and drink at registration, golf shirt, golf cap, golf towel, gift bag, halfway house, dinner and entertainment at prize giving

30 EQUIPMENT

TAYLORMADE GOLF INTRODUCES SPEEDBLADE IRONS VISUALLY, the SpeedBlade iron is striking, combining a two-tone, satin nickel chrome plating with dark smoke satin ion plating (IP).

Internally, the key performance feature that separates SpeedBlade from the pack is the Speed Pocket, a handle-bar shaped slot in the sole of the 3-7 irons. This has been widened and lengthened, giving golfers more face area toward the toe and heel that promotes a high launch angle, strong ball flight and a steep, quick stopping descent angle. The Speed Pocket also features a cut through slot internally, which allows for more flex and rebound on the bottom part of the face.

Critical to the overall performance of the SpeedBlade is progressive shaping throughout the set. The slender topline and sole in the short irons promote better workability, feel and control. The long irons feature a bigger topline to inspire confidence at address.

RRP: R8 999 (steel) and R9 999 (graphite)

APEX IRONS TO MAKE COMEBACK

WHAT’S IN HENDRIK STENSON’S BAG

THE VENERABLE APEX NAME, linked to the glory days of the Ben Hogan Company, apparently is about to resurface as a Callaway reincarnation.

Callaway has not released any information about a new iron called the Apex, but the club was first seen on the practice range at the PGA Tour’s Deutsche Bank Championship. The name was covered with tape as Callaway tour pros experimented with the iron. And on 4 September, the iron was shown to the Callaway sales staff at the company’s national sales meeting in San Diego. Inside info suggests that the name was Apex.

According to Golfweek the Apex is a forged multi-material iron that will fit into a category often called ‘forged distance irons.’ The most recent Callaway model in that category was the Diablo Forged iron. The Apex is expected to complement Callaway’s existing forged products such as the X Forged iron and the Razr X Muscleback forged iron.

Although Callaway sold the Ben Hogan brand to apparel giant Perry Ellis in 2012, it kept certain trademarks associated with the Ben Hogan Company. Among these trademarks were Apex and Edge.

Callaway is expected to unveil the iron this month.

DRIVER: TaylorMade R1 (9 degree) with a Grafalloy Blue X shaft.

FAIRWAY WOODS: Callaway Diablo Octane Tour (13 degree) and X Hot Pro (17 degree) with Grafalloy Blue X shafts.

IRONS: Callaway Legacy Black Irons (3-PW) with Nippon Pro Modus3 120X shafts.

WEDGES: Cleveland 588 RTX (52 and 58 degree) with Nippon Pro Modus3 120X shafts.

PUTTER: Piretti Cottonwood II Prototype.

BALL: Titleist Pro V1x.

SHOES: FootJoy FJ Icon.

GLOVE: FootJoy Pure Touch Limited.

PRO V1 TITLEIST’S NEWEST PRO V1 golf balls are ready to hit retailers’ shelves this month, promising more distance, softer feel and more durability in a tour-proven ball that already has won seven professional golf tournaments around the world in 2013.

Five players have won with the new Pro V1x: Luke Donald (Dunlop Phoenix), Angel Cabrera (Visa Open de Argentina), Louis Oosthuizen (Volvo Golf Champions), David McKenzie (Victorian PGA Championship) and Brian Gay (Humana Challenge).

Two have triumphed with the new Pro V1: Adam Scott (Australian Masters) and Hiroyuki Fujita (Nippon Series JT Cup).

Let’s look at the evolution of these balls. The first Pro V1 appeared at retail in early 2001. In every odd year since – 2003, ‘05, ‘07, ‘09, ‘11 and now ‘13 – new versions of the Pro V1 and Pro V1x have been unveiled.

The 2013 Pro V1 promises softer feel than previous versions.

According to Titleist, the new ball is the softest Pro V1 ever produced. If the Pro V1 is softer, the Pro V1x is longer. There are many more refinements to these balls, but golfers in general will be talking about the softness of the Pro V1 and the length of the Pro V1x. Titleist says each model goes farther than its predecessor. One reason is that both produce less spin and fly lower,

which enhances rollout and provides longer total distance.

And what else is new? The compression of the Pro V1 is down about six points, from the mid-90s to the high-80s. The Pro V1x remains close to 100. The aerodynamics and dimple patterns are the same as the 2011 versions.

The paint, however, has changed on both balls. Titleist says the new

paint is much more durable, noting that it is extremely difficult to chip, and the ball will not begin to turn yellow or brown after UV exposure. This increased durability is a noteworthy achievement, because many consumers play one ball for more than 18 holes.

The prospect of 36 or 54 holes with one ball is enticing.

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profile IKE: America’s first & most influential ‘golfing president’

instruction Find a swing trigger that works for you

AnAlysis Is golf a sport or a game?

We investigate

trAvel Spectacular & dramatic: South Africa’s Golf Coast

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INTRODUCING THE NEW CARDIFF SHOES BY ASHWORTH Ashworth have introduced their new line of shoes – the Cardiff. These full grain leather shoes are golf shoes that cross-over seamlessly to town shoes without losing functionality or style.

The Cardiff shoes offer playability, wearability and a sure-footed spikeless sole that unite with tumbled leather and rich suede accents to take the Cardiff from the course to the clubhouse and beyond!

ENTRIES NOW OPEN

Gooderson Drakensberg Gardens Golf & Spa Resort

2013 Charity Golf Tournament 13-16 December 2013

FORMAT Individual Stableford 36 Holes at Glengarry Country Club: Maximum Handicaps:

18 Holes on Saturday 14 December 2013 Men: 24

18 Holes on Sunday 15 December 2013 Ladies: 24

PROGRAMME Friday 13 December 2013 • Optional practice round at Glengarry Country Club - R100 • Please call Desiree to book your tee off time • Hotel check in from 14h00 • Golf Registration & pre-dinner drinks at Buck & Trout from 18h00 • Buffet dinner at Eagles Roost Saturday 14 December 2013 • Buffet breakfast • 1st round of Tournament • Braai dinner at Glengarry Country Club

Monday 16 December 2013 • Buffet breakfast • Checkout at 10h00 Kulugile is this year’s nominated beneficiary.

Visit http://kulungilekids.blogspot.co.uk for more information.

PACKAGES • • • • •

Sunday 15 December 2103 • Buffet breakfast • 2nd and final round of tournament • Theme evening and Prize-giving function

3 Nights (Friday 13 - Monday 16 December 2013) Golfer per person sharing R3 495 Golfer single R4 155 Non-golfer sharing with golfer R2 975 Kiddies Rates (U/12 per child) R 450

Package includes • 3 Nights accommodation at Gooderson Drakensberg Gardens Golf & Spa Resort • 3 Breakfasts and Dinners • 2 Rounds of golf at Glengarry Country Club • 2 Halfway House vouchers • Entertainment • Commemorative Gift

CLOSING DATE FOR ENTRIES 13 NOVEMBER 2013 To enter or for further information please contact Desiree Heine on 031 466 2444 or 083 642 5223 Email: desiree@sportsandpromotions.co.za

34 travel

South AfricAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S golf coASt

Spectacular and dramatic

35

IN THE EARLY DAYS of the game golf courses were built on ‘links land’, which was basically the marginal land between the beaches and the arable fields. At the time this land was only good for grazing of sheep and rabbits and the bleaching of cloth. Open to the elements, wind and rain, the game was played on the links grasses (fescues and bent) between the dunes and the bush.

We have come a long way since then and now golf courses are built wherever property developers find ground; new names have emerged to try and describe them. And so we have in addition to links courses, those described as anything from heathland, parkland, ocean, cliffside, mountainside, canyon, forest, seaside, inland links, desert and all sorts of combinations of the above.

Whatever the type, for a course to stand out and be memorable it needs to have drama and spectacle, be challenging yet playable, test every aspect of the game and most of all make the golfer want to come back for more.

In South Africa we have many, many courses that meet all these criteria, and none more so than along the Garden Route between Knysna and Mossel Bay. The golf along this strip of coastline is the equal of any in the world. And as is so often the case we become somewhat blasé about it and don’t take advantage of what is right on our doorstep.

So if you have never made trip to this part of South Africa with the specific intention of playing golf, it is about time you did. And if you have done it in the past, do it again.

MOSSEL BAY

PINNACLE POINT

The Pinnacle Point Golf Course is something truly unique for the discerning golfer. This 18-hole championship golf course was designed by well-known South African golf course architect Peter Matkovich, who opened the course together with top Irish Tour golf professional Darren Clarke in November 2006.

Clarke, who was also involved with many aspects of the Pinnacle Point course design, has said that Pinnacle Point is “...the best golf course on the planet.” Pinnacle Point was selected as one of the Top-10 New Golf Courses of the World by the American publication Travel & Leisure in January 2007.

This clifftop fynbos golf course inspires the golfer to play the challenging layout with a level of respect due to its dramatic views and breathtaking terrain. The 72-par layout is characterised by seven majestic holes that line the Indian For drama and spectacle nothing can compare with Pinnacle Point, anywhere in the world.

The club house above and 6th hole below.

“Live the Lifestyle”

P

innacle Point offers the travel guru, investor and serious golfer the ideal break-away destination. Set on a cliffside overlooking the Indian Ocean, the spectacular golf course and Estate with its unsurpassed views and tranquillity helps you live the lifestyle for a day, a week or a lifetime.

Our competitive fees include the day’s golf with a golf cart - but bring your own camera (the breath-taking scenery is for free!). Special golf and accommodation packages are offered through our valued partner Leisure Rentals.

Pinnacle Point Golf Lodges and Villas epitomise luxury and comfort, boasting magnificent sea views and comprising 2, 3 and 4 bedrooms with en-suite bathroom/shower. The beautiful units nearly all have panoramic sea/golf course views which lends itself to an idyllic stay in these self catering units, whether for a family, couples, business partners or golfers.

Visit The Pinnacle Restaurant and treat yourself to delicious food whilst surrounded by beautiful greens and the vista and blue waters of the Indian Ocean. It is the perfect venue for those special events.

Stay & Play Play - 18 holes on one of the most spectacular courses in the world.

Drink - enjoy sundowners and breath-taking views from the clubhouse bar Sleep - 1 nights accommodation in our luxury selfcatering units with braai facilities Eat - full breakfast in the clubhouse restaurant

from

R895* pp. sharing

*Based 1 round of golf with shared cart, 1 nights accommodation (4 persons sharing 2-bedroom lodge) and breakfast. Prices valid until 14th December 2013 Subject to availability. Booking Essential

044 606 5320

www.pinnaclepointestate.co.za

044 693 3438

travel

37

Ocean rock cliffs, four of which are played over ocean and cliff. All 18 holes have been designed to fit the contours of the land.

The reintroduction of the endemic fauna and flora to the estate has been hailed as a remarkable achievement by local and international ecologists and the preservation of this pristine fynbos is an ongoing commitment by the Pinnacle Point Beach and Golf Resort.

More information: www.pinnaclepointestate.co.za Mossel Bay Golf CluB

Famous for having a view of the Indian Ocean from every tee, this 18-hole links-style course, with its large undulating greens, makes for an idyllic yet challenging round of golf. The golf club was founded in 1905 and the golf course relocated to its present position in 1924. A round of golf at Mossel Bay Golf Club is the perfect start to a golfing trip along the coastal areas of the Garden Route.

The course is an easy walk and very playable from tee to green for all golfers, even if you have just taken up the game. The beautiful views of the Indian Ocean or the springboks roaming the course might distract you, but they will most definitely leave you with lasting memories.

The Mossel Bay golf course signature hole is the 17th hole, which is a par-5. At 494m and stroke 2, this can be challenging, especially when playing into the sea breeze. The tee is situated high above the fairway with magnificent vistas over the estate, and the hole runs downhill towards the green with the Indian Ocean as your backdrop. Well-placed bunkers on the side of the fairway will catch any errand tee shots.

The green is a large, three-level, undulating surface, which makes a par-5 on the hole uncertain, should you not find it with your approach shot.

More information: www.mosselbaygolfclub.co.za GeorGe

KinGswood Golf estate

Kingswood golf course is a Sally Little signature course designed by Danie Obermeyer, situated on the outskirts of George.

Cape Town-born Little, international LPGA champion and South African legend for 35 years, signs off this golf course. Her collaboration with designer Obermeyer resulted in a golf course that is not only female and family friendly, but also a challenging golf experience. It is a course that caters for higher handicaps and competitive players alike through the use of varying tee boxes.

Little’s approach to the game and its development is representative of her social consciousness. She is a great supporter of women’s golf, especially young girls who aspire to being great golfers.

Surrounded by magnificent indigenous forests and ancient mountains, George is the gateway to one of country’s most beautiful regions, a true paradise setting for Kingswood Golf estate

toP: Kingswood: parkland splendour with the outeniqua Mountains as a backdrop. aBoVe: dramatic sea views are a feature of oubaai

Surrounded by magnificent indigenous forests and ancient mountains, George is the gateway to one of country’s most beautiful regions, a true paradise setting for Kingswood Golf Estate. It is nestled between the Outeniqua Mountains, the worldrenowned Fancourt Links, and George Golf Club. Once the property of Queen Victoria, Kingswood is a tranquil and imaginative golf estate in the heart of the Garden Route.

More information: www.kingswood.co.za ouBaai With the personal touch of Ernie Els

In designing the Oubaai Golf Club, an 18-hole championship golf course and driving range, Ernie Els and his team have taken full advantage of the spectacular landscape of the Western Cape. They had the support of Nicklaus Design as technical advisors.

The Clubhouse has a dramatic location that overlooks the 16th, 17th and 18th greens. Open-air terraces offer panoramic views of the Indian Ocean and the Gwaing River valley.

The Ernie Els golf design philosophy is based on flexibility. Concepts are moulded according to the landscape, not vice versa. The aim is to produce courses that are fun to play and that enhance the surrounding environment.

In addition, golf courses fairly display challenges and hazards while affording players the opportunity to use a full range of shots and plan strategically for individual holes.

The layout of the course is traditional, veld grasses lining the lush fairways. The course measures 6,516m from the pro tees, which is uniquely long for a coastal course. Oubaai offers a wonderfully stimulating and enjoyable golfing experience.

The 17th is the most photographed hole, where the green meets the ocean.

The green is guarded by four bunkers with ever changing winds making it one of the most challenging plays. The course is designed to be enjoyed by golfers of all abilities.

More information: www.oubaai.co.za fanCourt

Fancourt offers three originally designed Gary Player golf courses – including The Links, which Player has often referred to as his greatest design feat. The Links, Montagu & Outeniqua golf courses are all ranked in the Top-20 in South Africa. The Links is listed in 30th place by Golf Digest magazine in their Top-100 courses outside of the US. Since opening in the early 90s with just 27 Gary Player-designed holes, Fancourt’s Outeniqua and Montagu golf courses have matured and developed into two of the finest 18-hole parkland layouts in the country.

A round on either is a special experience, sculpted and finished as they are with rare attention to detail and designed with the coastal George winds in mind.

In addition, Fancourt has an exceptional golf academy backed up by the expertise of PGA professionals. To keep golfers looking the part, there are two well-stocked pro shops, offering a wide variety of clothing, accessories and hardware.

38 TRAVEL

Pezula is internationally acknowledged to be one of the most exciting, challenging and visually stunning golf courses in the world The spectacular course was designed

by Ronald Fream and David Dale of Golfplan, California. The inspiration for the design is James Braid, legendary designer of the King’s Course at Gleneagles, as the site is reminiscent of the Scottish Highlands, complete with heather-like fynbos.

Pezula is internationally acknowledged to be one of the most exciting, challenging and visually stunning golf courses in the world. It features 18 championship holes and five different tee placements to satisfy, challenge and reward all golfers.

More information: www.pezulagolf.com SIMOLA

ABOVE: Pezula is situated on a strip of land northeast of Knysna Heads, with views of the ocean on one side and the town and lagoon on the other.

LEFT: The challenging greens complexes at Simola are a feature of this Jack Nicklaus signature design. Built on the side of a mountain, it has breathtaking views down the valley.

GEORGE GOLF CLUB

The Links at Fancourt was added in 2000, an awe-inspiring example of magnificent design and golf-course construction, about which designer Player says: “I feel a genuine affinity for Fancourt. Having been involved from day one as a designer of the original golf courses, I experienced one of the greatest thrills of my golf career here when captaining the International Presidents Cup team against Jack Nicklaus’ American team, and it is the home of perhaps my greatest achievement as a golf course designer, The Links.”

The Links at Fancourt is without doubt the most impressive piece of golf design and construction ever in South Africa. Fancourt owner Dr Hasso Plattner, who took a very hands-on approach in the creation thereof, commissioned a golf course, which would not only be a thorough test for every golfer, but would also rank among the top courses in the world.

Player’s design team spent months studying the classic links courses of Scotland and Ireland and then, armed with inspiration from the best that those countries had to offer, embarked on the ambitious task of recreating some of their finest holes to make a genuine links test on what was once an airfield.

Fancourt has played host to an array of prestigous golfing events in South Africa including: • The Presidents Cup 2003 • The Women’s World Cup 2005 • The South African Open 2005 • The Berenberg Bank Masters 2010 • The Dimension Data Pro-Am 2010,11,12 • Volvo Golf Champions 2012 More information: www.fancourt.co.za

The scenic and popular Garden Route town of George plays host to the well-respected par-72, 18-hole George Golf Course. Set at the foot of the Outeniqua Mountains, the club offers breathtaking landscapes of the mountain and surrounding plateau.

A regular feature in any list of South Africa’s top golf courses, George Golf Club is by all means a South African must-play and every golfer is encouraged to experience some of the magnificence on display here.

George is one of the oldest clubs in the country, designed by Dr Charles Molteno Murray, and absolutely swims in history. Keeping the fairways and greens in top notch has been one of the main priorities, and visitors can see for themselves just how much passion goes into keeping the grounds pristine. But be warned – this is one of the most popular courses in South Africa and booking is essential.

More information: www.georgegolfclub.co.za KNYSNA PEZULA

Golf is an important aspect of the lifestyle at Pezula Golf Estate. The estate is built around the world-class 18-hole Pezula Championship Golf Course and its superb clubhouse, which boasts a golf shop and an excellent restaurant and bar with a wide terrace overlooking the course for dining al fresco.

Jack Nicklaus on golf course design: “When I start to design a golf course, I don’t intentionally try to make it as tough as I can. I simply aim to create a golf course that will be a demanding test of skill for the accomplished golfer playing from the back tees. But, at the same time, I want to offer a challenging, yet enjoyable experience for the average or beginner player who lays from the appropriate tees and thinks his or her way around the golf course...”

“As I walk the site, my top priority is finding features such as native trees, grade variations or natural wetlands that can enhance shot values or scenically frame holes. I let the environmental surroundings shape the holes, so they fit the terrain. I never try to force an idea onto a piece of land.”

Keeping your head down at Simola can be a challenge; simply because the views around the course are aweinspiring, and with this, it is clear to see why Simola takes its place as one of South Africa’s premier golfing destinations. It’s also the first Jack Nicklaus signature course on the Garden Route, reflecting the maestro’s philosophy of attuning the layout and design to the natural lie of the land.

The course offers challenging and rewarding golf amid spectacular scenery. Set below the high ridges, it’s free from the wind that so often plagues coastal courses. Fairways flow with the natural undulating contours of the terrain and the unusual configuration of five par-5s and five par-3s adds a new dimension to the game. It’s par for the course that every hole boasts exceptional views; either out across the Knysna Lagoon all the way to the Heads or over the picturesque Knysna River as it twists and turns through the valley below.

More information: www.simola.com

The Kings Breakaway weekend at Kingswood Golf Estate

Discounted Spring Stay and Play Package R1499 per person includes 2 nights stay @ Kingsgate Houses (on golf course – commute to and from club with carts) 2 Dinners and 2 Breakfasts @ Gatehouse Restaurant 2 Rounds of Golf (Including Cart) 2 Complimentary Beers TERMS AND CONDITIONS: Minimum 8 Player Maximum 22 Players AIRPORT TRANSFERS AVAILABLE CONTACT: Walda Fife 0861 72 71 70 waldaf@kingswood.co.za For more information about Kingswood Golf Estate visit www.kingswood.co.za

40

humour Illustration Dave Edwards

MuRPHY’S LAWS OF gOLF Golf Jokes Golfers who claiM they never cheat also lie. a two-foot putt counts the saMe as a two-foot drive. there is no such thinG as a friendly waGer. the staGes of Golf are sudden collapse, radical chanGe, coMplete frustration, slow iMproveMent, Brief Mastery, and sudden collapse. it’s as easy to lower your handicap as it is to reduce your hat size. if you really want to Be Better at Golf, Go Back and take it up at a Much earlier aGe.

What’s Your Handicap?

A businessmAn was attending a conference in Africa. He had a free day and wanted to play a round of golf and was directed to a golf course in the nearby jungle. After a short journey, he arrived at the course and asked the pro if he could get on.

“Sure,” said the pro, “What’s your handicap” Not wanting to admit that he had an 18 handicap, he decided to cut it a bit. “Well, its 16,” said the businessman. “But what’s the relevance since I’ll be playing alone?”

“It’s very important for us to know,” said the pro, who then called a caddy.

“Go out with this gentleman,” said the pro, “his handicap is 16.”

The businessman was very surprised at this constant reference to his handicap. The caddy picked up the businessman’s bag and a large rifle.

Again, the businessman was surprised, but decided to ask no questions.

They arrived on the first hole, a par-4.

“It’s wise to avoid those trees on the left,” said the caddy.

Needless to say, the businessman duck-hooked his ball into the trees.

He found his ball and was about to punch it out when he heard the loud crack of the rifle and a large snake fell dead from a tree above his head.

The caddy stood next to him with the rifle smoking in his hand.

“That’s the black mamba, the most poisonous snake in all Africa. You’re lucky I was here with you.”

After taking a bogey, they moved to the second hole, a par-5.

“Good to avoid those bushes on the right,” says the caddy.

Of course, the businessman’s ball went straight into the bushes. As he

went to pick up his ball, he heard the loud crack of the caddy’s rifle once again, and a huge lion fell dead at his feet.

“I’ve saved your life again,” said the caddy.

The third hole was a par-3 with a lake in front of the green. The businessman’s ball came up just short of the green and rolled back to the edge of the water. To take a shot, he had to stand with one foot in the lake.

As he was about to swing, a large crocodile emerged from the water and bit off much of his right leg.

As he fell to the ground bleeding and in great pain, he saw the caddy with the rifle propped at his side, looking on unperturbed.

“Why didn’t you kill it?” asked the man incredulously. “I’m sorry, sir,” said the caddy. “This is the 17th stroke hole. You don’t get a shot here.”

Just think...

Negotiations between union members and their employer were at an impasse. The union denied that their workers were flagrantly abusing their contract’s sick-leave provisions.

One morning at the bargaining table, the company’s chief negotiator held aloft the morning edition of the newspaper, “This man,” he announced, “called in sick yesterday!”

There on the sports page was a photo of the supposedly ill employee, who had just won a local golf tournament with an excellent score.

The silence in the room was broken by a union negotiator. “Wow,” he said. “Just think of what kind of score he could have had if he hadn’t been sick!”

and find a man standing, holding a 5-iron in his hands, looking at the lifeless body of a woman on the ground.

The detective asks, “Sir, is that your wife?”

“Yes”.

“Did you hit her with that golf club?”

“Yes. Yes, I did,” the man answers.

He stifles a sob, drops the club and puts his hands on his head.

“How many times did you hit her?”

Murder scene A murder has been committed.

Police are called to an apartment

if your driver is hot, your putter will Be ice cold; if you can hit your irons, you will top your woods; if you are keepinG your riGht elBow tucked in, your head will coMe up. one Good shank deserves another. it takes 17 holes to really Get warMed up. one Birdie is a hot streak. no Matter how Badly you are playinG, it’s always possiBle to play worse. the odds of hittinG a duffed shot increase By the square of the nuMBer of people watchinG. never teach Golf to your wife. the More your opponent quotes the rules, the Greater the certainty that he cheats. the Ball always lands where the pin was yesterday. the practice Green is either half as fast or twice as fast as all the other Greens.

“I don’t know. Five, six… but you can put me down for a four.”

GolfinG lawyer A chap was teeing off and hit a lousy ball onto the next fairway and en route struck another golfer on the head.

He shouted at the lousy hitter, “I’m a lawyer and this will cost you, maybe R5,000!”

The golfer yelled back, “I’m sorry but I did shout FORE!” The lawyer replied, “OK, I’ll take it!”

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