Tee to Green August 2012

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Dennis Bruyns reflects on Ernie’s 30 year career after his magnificent Open victory p.10

Golfing on the Emerald Isle 121492 copy.pdf

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Healthy Golfing

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EDITORIAL

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The future of the game W

e have all heard over and over again the same rhetoric about junior sport. How the youth are the future of the game and the importance of having youth and junior programmes. And I am the first to agree!

The thrill of watching Ernie win the Open, the pride we feel when Louis or Charl do well are experiences we would not have had there not been excellent junior programmes for them to compete in.

Watching Ernie win took me back 30 years to a small clubhouse at a nine-hole course at Lonehill on the outskirts of Johannesburg. I was the Tour Director of the PGA at the time and had been invited to hand over the trophy and jacket to the winner of the Lonehill Mini Masters. Here was this lanky teenager already taller than me from Kempton Park who had just won the event. I gave him the trophy and put on the green jacket never for a moment thinking that he would one day thrill and amaze me with the way he played golf.

It makes me think even twenty years further back to my early days as a teenage golfer. I had been playing about six months and my parents, both keen golfers, entered me in the SA Boys championship. My brother three years my senior was already a low handicap player while I had still to get a formal handicap. The Golf Foundation said I must play off scratch until they had a few rounds from which to allocate me a handicap. The tournament was played at Royal Durban and I scored two rounds in the low hundreds - great if I was playing cricket, but as a golfer, good enough to be given a 30 handicap.

I remember standing at the scoreboard and hearing remarks from other parents saying how could a scratch player score so badly, and who was he kidding. Two days later I teed up in my second tournament and my improvement was such that I made an 89 gross less my 30 handicap giving me a net score of 59. I was immediately cut to an 18 handicap for the final afternoon round. So in the three rounds I went from a scratch to 30 and back to an 18.

What has all this got to do the game? Simply that these early experiences are still vivid in my memory almost 50 years later. I have never stopped playing the game and must have played many thousands of times. I would not

like to begin to estimate how much money I have spent on this pastime in terms of club subscriptions, green fees, travel, golf clubs, a home on a golf estate etc. And all this because I scored that 89 in just my third round of golf.

A few years back I attended a conference of PGA’s of the World at the Belfry in Birmingham. Represented at the conference were delegates from America, Canada, Australia, Great Britain, Germany, Japan and Sweden.

And much of what was discussed had to do with the growth of the game. The Swedes presented a paper on their junior development programme. This was at the time the most detailed and advanced in the golfing world. The Swedish Golf Federation has given every club in Sweden a target to have 25% of their membership young golfers under the age of 20. All these juniors are required (nor just encouraged) to go on a formal junior programme with a qualified PGA professional. In this way they ensure that these young golfers are given good basic training in the technique of the game and are also well versed in the etiquette and ethos of the game.

Statistics from the PGA of America show that 7 out of 10 golfers who were part of a formal golfing programme will remain playing the game for the rest of their lives. This is an amazing statistic and if applied to the juniors, where the retention rate is indeed just the same, illustrates the importance and value of this group to the health and long term growth of the game.

Remember, as much as one might develop elite or highly skilled players from these groups of juniors, who might go on to bring honour and glory to the game as their predecessors Bobby Locke, Gary Player, Ernie Els, Retief Goosen and others have done, what is as important is the building of a solid golf community that will play and support the game for a lifetime.

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Editorial Board Editor-in-Chief Dennis Bruyns bruyns@icon.co.za teetogreen@ballyhoomedia.co.za Publisher Eric Bornman eric@ballyhoomedia.co.za Art Director Tumi Sibambo Financial Manager Morgan Lufumpa Contributors Theo Bezuidenhout Dr Rowena Thomson-Selibowitz Ferdi Morris & Trevor Rebello Bairds Renaissance Published by 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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GOLF TALK

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News, Views and Reviews International and Local

Ernie’s Open

The record books will show that Ernie Els won the 141st Open Championship by one stroke from Australian Adam Scott. But this does not come close to telling the drama that unfolded late one Sunday evening at Royal Lytham and St Annes.

Scott started the final round four strokes clear of Graeme McDowell, five clear of Tiger Woods with Els a further stroke off the pace. The weather was playing its part as it was a sunny day, with a fresh breeze, that was strong enough to ensure that only faultless play would be rewarded.

The outward nine saw Els drop two shots to par, as did Scott, indeed all the leaders had faltered so Scott still led comfortably. Then in one of the greatest comebacks in the game Els made four birdies on Lytham’s tough back nine and posted a total of seven under par.

At that stage it did not look good enough as Scott held a three stroke lead with four holes to play. Three bogeys in a row and Scott needed to par the last hole to force a playoff. It was not to be and as his par putt edged past the hole, Scott dropped to his knees and must have wondered what had happened. In that moment Ernie Els became the “Champion Golfer” of 2012.

In the prize giving ceremony that followed Els was humble in victory with words of consolation and praise for his “good buddy” Scott.

Scott was clearly distraught at his late collapse but that did not stop him being both graceful and gallant in defeat.

“It was a very sloppy finish by me,” he said. “I played so well all week.

I wasn’t even really out of position but I managed to get myself in some trouble and couldn’t make the putts to get out of it the last four holes.”

On display were two fine ambassadors for the game and for sport, something we do not see enough of these days.

Scott’s late collapse saw him finish the tournament five shots back from where he had started the final round but his six under par total of 274 was still three shots better than Tiger Woods and Brandt Snedeker.

Northern Ireland’s Graham McDowell also went backwards with a 75 to finish tied 5th with the fast-finishing World No. 1 Luke Donald on 278, while big-hitting Belgian Nicolas Colsaerts closed with a best-of-theday 65 to share 7th place alongside South Africa’s Thomas Aitken on 279.

It was a result that meant Els joined Bobby Locke and Gary Player as the

third South African to win The Open title at Lytham. More importantly it also gave the new champion golfer a fourth Major title a full decade and more after he had won his two US Opens and one Open Championship between 1994 and 2002.

What now for Els? His game and his demeanour suggests that this is not all for the Big Easy and do not bet against him winning a couple more majors in the autumn of a great golfing career.

What the players had to say tom Watson: On the 30-foot birdie putt he sank at the 18th to finish on three over and

make the cut: “I misread it. I didn’t hit it where I was aiming. I didn’t see that much break at the end. Good thing I did misread it.”

On hearing the large field making the cut would mean an early start: “Doesn’t matter. I wake up early.”

On how things have changed over the years: “Well, the kids are all calling me Mr Watson now. That’s number one. And it’s Tom, please.”

Graeme Mcdowell “The golf course is on the edge of unplayable. Some of those bunkers need to be GUR’d. One in particular left of the 16th green, if you hit it in there, there’s nowhere to drop and

there’s a foot of water. That’s not golf. It’s not fair.” adam scott On the ovation he got coming up the 18th: “The best 18th in golf is always The Open Championship.”

Geoff ogilvy On Scott’s use of the long putter: “It makes his bad days better. I don’t think it makes his good days better still.”

Mark Calcavecchia On his pre-Championship expectations: “I figured if I didn’t lose my mind, I’d have a chance to make the cut.” He finished tied for ninth. thomas aiken: Possibly the quote of the Championship: “Ernie was talking to me at the end of last year when we were flying back from Dubai together. He told me one very good thing is forget about top 50 in the world, forget about No.1 in the world, because it doesn’t really mean anything. He said what means something is winning tournaments.

You’re remembered for winning golf tournaments, not for anything else.” ernie els “I’ve got no problem with the flag positioning. I don’t know if the guys are bitching or moaning. You need tough flags. What are you going to do? Put flags in the middle of the green in a Major?”

“Wow, what a week. I’m still a bit numb, but I think it’s slowly sinking in. It’s a crazy, crazy game. I can’t really believe I have won. This was one of the greatest days of my career. I said at the start of the tournament that I felt like something special might happen and it doesn’t get more special than this. I played well all week and saved my best till the end. Playing this tough, tough back nine in four-under par, given the circumstances, makes it one of the best rounds of my career. It’s an amazing feeling.”

Open Trivia

the man certain to get his hands on the Claret Jug If you want to know the name of the man guaranteed to get his hands on the Claret Jug when the winning putt is sunk… look no further. Millions of television viewers worldwide will see Garry Harvey engraving the 2012 champion’s moniker upon the trophy after the final putt has dropped. This will be the ninth time Harvey, 56, has

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performed the role since inheriting the job from his late father Alexander, who retired after engraving the words “Ben Curtis” in 2003.

“My father did it for 33 years and then I took over,” says Harvey, who competes as a professional on the senior circuits of Scotland and Europe. Apparently, although he is “a wee bit nervous” at his high-profile moment, he will only be seriously worried should there come a day when Miguel Angel Jiminez or even Gonzalo Fernandez-Costano lifts the Claret Jug. “The only thing that can trouble an

engraver is the length of the name,” says Harvey. “So ‘Padraig Harrington’ was a fair squeeze, but it was okay.

It’s all part of The Open routine to have the television camera filming right over my shoulder. The tension builds up a bit while I am waiting to find out which name to engrave, but once I get started there’s no pressure.

Engraving Ernie Els is a breeze” For those with More than a Bruised ego When 16-year-old Jason Blue was struck on the head by Rory McIlroy’s wayward tee shot off the 15th on

GOLF TALK Thursday, medical help reached him long before McIlroy did. Indeed, one of six on-course nurses at Royal Lytham had already bandaged the wound by the time McIlroy arrived at the scene. Such speed of response came as no surprise to Dr Steven Reid, member of the Royal and Ancient and Chief Medical Officer at The Open.

“Myself and two other R&A members are doctors on site here,” explained Dr Reid, sitting in his mobile office at the Medical Centre, at the furthest end of the practice ground by Beauclerk Road. “Seven

local doctors are also here. Out on the course we have three buggies each staffed with two paramedics, and we have another two paramedics on bikes – useful for getting through large crowds fast.

“You have to realise the number of people at The Open, including all staff, can be about 56,000,” explains Dr Reid. “That equals the population of Lytham itself. Our operation works so well that it has been copied by other venues around the world.”

Dr Reid loves the job. “It’s great,” he reports. “Really enjoyable.The only down side is that I see very little golf.”

Selected ScoreS

reSultS Pos

Player

Rd 1

Rd 2

Rd 3

Rd 4 Total Earnings

Pos

Player

Rd 1 Rd 2

Rd 3 Rd 4 Total Earnings

1

Ernie Els

67

70

68

68

273

$1,405,890

T19

Louis Oosthuizen

72

68

68

73

281

$79,277

2

Adam Scott

64

67

68

75

274

$812,202

T23

Bubba Watson

67

73

68

74

282

$60,044

3

Brand Snedeker

66

64

73

74

277

$464,725

T39

Richard Sterne

69

73

73

70

285

$32,023

T

Tiger Woods

67

67

70

73

277

$464,725

T45

Lee Westwood

73

70

71

73

287

$23,180

5

Graeme McDowell

67

69

67

75

278

$304,610

T60

Rory McIlroy

67

75

73

73

288

$19,292

T

Luke Donald

70

68

71

69

278

$304,610

T64

Garth Mulroy

71

69

72

77

289

$18,589

7

Nicolas Colsaerts

65

77

72

65

279

$222,599

T64

Retief Goosen

70

70

75

74

289

$18,589

T

Thomas Aiken

68

68

71

72

279

$222,599

T69

Adilson Da Silva

69

74

71

76

290

$17,964

9

Zach Johnson

65

74

66

75

280

$124,343

T77

Branden Grace

73

69

71

69

292

$16,636

T

Matt Kuchar

69

67

72

72

280

$124,343

T77

Tom Watson

71

72

76

73

292

$16,636

T

Thorbjorn Oleson

69

66

71

74

280

$124,343

MC

Jbe Kruger

68

76

144

T

Vijay Singh

70

72

68

70

280

$124,343

MC

George Coetzee

74

70

144

T

Mark Calcavecchia

71

68

69

72

280

$124,343

MC

Andrew Georgiou

74

74

148

T

Miguel Angel Jimenez

71

69

73

67

280

$124,343

MC

Trevor Immelman

74

75

149

T

Ian Poulter

71

69

73

67

280

$124,343

MC

Tim Clark

76

74

150

T

Alexander Noren

71

71

69

69

280

$124,343

MC

Phil Mickelson

73

78

151

T

Geoff Ogilvy

72

68

73

67

280

$124,343

MC

Grant Veenstra

77

79

156

T

Dustin Johnson

73

68

71

71

280

$124,343

Putter Debate

The lobby calling for a change in the Rules banning the long putter is growing and now there is even more evidence for them to refer to. Long putters were used by Els and Scott at Royal Lytham, Keegan Bradley used one to victory in last year’s PGA Championship and again in his stunning win over Jim Furyk in the World Championship event at Firestone. One must assume therefor that the USGA and the R&A are looking at this issue very, very seriously.

Initially, the long putter was a weapon for those who’d got the yips and lost their nerve. It provided a way for the likes of Sam Torrance, Peter Senior and Bernhard Langer and many others to extend their playing careers.

Traditionalists do not believe anything should be anchored and the control of the club should come entirely from the player’s hands. The purists believe having nerve is part of the game.

For instance, there’s nothing to help Sergio Garcia when he can’t get his hands on the club or to help Kevin Na when he can’t get the club away.

There’s no crutch for those guys, so there shouldn’t be one for those who’ve lost their nerve on the greens.

The new dimension is that there are kids coming out of college using these things because they think they can putt better with them. It’s legal, but in the spirit of the game is it right.

The next rule change is in 2016, will the powers that be make an announcement soon in preparation for that? We wait and see.

No Bunkers

By decree of the PGA of America, there are no bunkers defined as such at this year’s PGA Championship. Basically just play it as you find it.

Kiawah Island’s Ocean Course, the notorious Pete Dye-designed layout on a barrier island off the South Carolina shore south of Charleston, will be set up with sandy waste areas defined as “through the green” rather than as bunkers. This will pertain to all areas of sand that are not part of (red-staked) lateral water hazards or (yellow-staked) water hazards.

The 94th PGA Championship, to

be played Aug. 9-12, thus becomes the first of golf’s four professional majors to be conducted without bunkers. It’s not the first time a championship event has been held at Kiawah Island’s Ocean Course this way, however. The “no-bunker” ruling was in place during the course’s inaugural event, the 1991 Ryder Cup, and also was operative during the 2007 Senior PGA Championship held there. The

Ocean Course is a uniquely sandstrewn design, with patches of sand dotting every hole, some of them well-contained within turfed areas like traditional-looking bunkers, and others with raw, unkempt edges that transition naturally into dunes and native-grassed areas. Apparently, drawing a distinction between the two areas would have proved a nightmare for rules officials as well as for the maintenance staff.

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GOLF TALK For the PGA, all sandy areas within the gallery ropes will be raked each morning by the greenkeeping staff.

But players landing their golf balls here will be able to ground their club, remove loose impediments, take practice strokes and, if needed, remove sand covering the ball in order to identity it. Rakes also will be provided in more heavily played areas so that players can cover their tracks as a courtesy to other players. But competitors also should expect to see plenty of footprints – some of which might affect the lies they encounter.

Dramatic Finish at Firestone

par putt “I just knew I was going to make.” He did, and when Furyk badly pushed a five-footer for bogey and a playoff, Bradley covered his mouth in disbelief. Furyk seconded the emotion.

“I turned a 5 into a 6 and lost the golf tournament,” he said. “I’ve lost in some pretty poor fashions, but I don’t think I ever let one slip nearly as bad as this one. This was my worst effort to finish off an event.”

The winner’s purse was $1,400,000. That is approximately R10 million. One has to wonder at this prize money in professional golf and is it really sustainable?

South Africa’s Louis Oosthuizen had another good week. Playing in the last group Louis finished with a one under par 69, good enough for 4th place and $365,000 in the bank.

Still the ball of choice

The legendary Titleist Pro V1 and Pro V1x golf balls made history yet again due to being the overwhelming choice of the field at the Open Championship hosted at Royal Lytham & St Annes. For the 33rd consecutive year more players put their trust in the precision and control of the #1 ball in golf than any other ball.

In the third Major of 2012, the Titleist Pro V1 or Pro V1x was put into play by 86 players at Royal Lytham & St Annes, more than four times the nearest competitor with 19. The impressive count marks the 33rd consecutive year that Titleist golf balls have been the #1 golf ball at the Open Championship.

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Historic Oakhurst links sold at auction

Oakhurst Links, one of America’s oldest golf courses, was sold at auction for $410,000 on Saturday in White Sulphur Springs, W.Va. Owner Lewis Keller Sr., 89, sold the property, course and equipment after more than a half-century as owner. Virginia-based auctioneer Tommy Garten oversaw the 90-minute sale. An undisclosed Wheeling, W.Va., businessman won with a bid $110,000 higher than the opening bid.

“I felt like it was worth more to the world of golf than it is,” Keller said, according to The Associated Press.

“It showed this morning. That is disappointing. One thing is whether or not it is a financial success; apparently the world of golf does not feel that it is as important to them as I thought. That’s what exactly it amounts to.”

Established in 1884, the club was founded by Russell Montague. The club, however, was abandoned in 1910 as many of the original members moved away from the area.

Keller purchased the property in 1959, intending to use it as a horse farm. In 1991, a three-year restoration project to re-create the golf course began. The course re-opened in 1994, with a catch – players would be required to use hickory-shafted clubs and gutta percha balls and fashion tees from sand and water. Since 1998, Oakhurst has hosted the National Hickory Championship. According to Keller, the new owner has vowed to preserve the throwback aspects of the experience of playing the course.

Senior British Open Keegan Bradley never looked like a winner over four days and 71 holes at Firestone until he poured in a 15-foot par putt on the final hole at Firestone. At that stage it looked as if a playoff was still on the cards.

Then Jim Furyk a leader all week missed from five feet and given the way golf has gone this year, no one should have been surprised.

Bradley never did see the 17th fairway, but he still made four to stay a swing behind Furyk. At the 18th, Furyk launched a 7-iron from 177 yards that drifted in a left-toright wind and landed long, in high grass above a greenside bunker.

Trouble, but wait. From 165 yards, Bradley purely struck nine-iron also sailed wide of the back left pin and fell into the sand below Furyk’s ball.

And plugged.

Furyk’s third required a delicate touch, and it popped out meekly, settling in the fringe. He’d like a do-over. Anywhere on the dance floor, and he’s looking at no worse than bogey. Bradley blasted to 15 feet past the hole, leaving him a

Fred Couples won the Senior British Open by two strokes over Gary Hallberg at Turnberry, Scotland after holing a 25-foot putt to finish with consecutive birdies.

The 1992 Masters champion shot

a 3-under 67 in the final round to finish at 9-under 271 on the Ailsa course and win his first tournament in Britain. Hallberg shot a 66, equaling the best round of the day with American Mark Calcavecchia and Carl Mason. English pair Barry Lane (69) and Mason and American Dick Mast (67) had a share of third at 4 under. Overnight leader Bernhard Langer dropped five shots in five holes on the way home to shoot a 75 and slip into a tie for sixth. ‘’I’ve never won an Open Championship, so this is the next best thing. And I believe I now get into the (British) Open at Muirfield next year, which is great,’’ Couples said. ‘’It was a fun day out there. Bernhard and I were neck and neck for a long time.

Then I saw Gary had birdied the 17th to draw level, so I knew I needed to birdie 17. I hit a couple of great shots down 17 and two-putted for birdie, then the hole got in the way for my birdie putt at 18. ‘’It’s my biggest senior tour win by far on a truly great golf course.

I can now say I won the Senior British Open at Turnberry in really challenging weather.’’

Couples was locked in a struggle with Langer until the German double bogeyed No. 12 and the American birdied for a three-shot swing.

Langer then bogeyed three holes in a row from No. 14 to slip out of contention. Hallberg posted the best round of the tournament with a 63 on Friday before following that up with a 73 on Saturday. On Sunday, he made six birdies and didn’t drop a shot.

Calcavecchia had four birdies and no bogeys, while Mason had three birdies, an eagle and just one bogey.

Tom Watson closed with a 69, his third sub-par round of the tournament to share 10th place at 1-under 279. ‘’I played with Carl Mason and he played a wonderful round of golf. I played well and I love being back at Turnberry,’’ Watson said. ‘’It has had a lot of significance for me in my career.’’

Watson beat Jack Nicklaus in the

tee to Green 1977 British Open at Turnberry in what is known as the ‘’Duel in the Sun.’’ He also beat Mason in a 2010 playoff at Turnberry to win the first of his Senior Open titles.

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GOLF TALK Club representative was optimistic about the future and said: “I feel like all aspects of my game are working well. It’s nice to have that sort of confidence, and it just makes golf that much easier. It’s a tough game, and when you have that inner confidence it becomes enjoyable to play, and that’s where I am.

“Hopefully I’ll take some of this form on to the main tour. There’s not much to lose now, because I’ve pretty much sewed up my spot in the Tour Championship with these two wins. And that means in the last few events I can really just go for it.”

Versfeld claims maiden victory

What was in the bag

Winter Wonderland

Ernie Els at the Open Championship

Driver: Callaway RAZR Fit (8.5 degree; Fujikura Motore Speeder 7.2 shaft) Fairway Wood: Callaway X-TOUR 3-wood (15 degree; True Temper Project X shaft) Utility Irons: Callaway X Utility Prototype (18, 21 and 24 degree; KBS Tour X shafts) Irons (5-PW): Callaway RAZR X Muscleback (KBS Tour X shafts) Wedges: Callaway JAWS (52 and 60 degree; KBS Tour X shafts) Putter: Odyssey White Hot XG #1 Ball: Callaway Hex Black Tour

Keegan Bradley at Firestone

Driver: Cleveland Classic 290 (9.0°Miyazaki™ Kusala Indigo 61X), Fairway Wood: Cleveland Launcher Ultralite FL(14°- Miyazaki™ Kusala Black 83X) Hybrids: Cleveland Launcher DST™ hybrid (18°) And Cleveland Mashie Hybrid TM3 (20.5°- Miyazaki™ C. Kua Hybrid 83X) Irons: Cleveland CG7 Tour irons (4-PW) Wedges: Cleveland 588 Forged wedges (54°/ 58°) Ball: Srixon Z-STAR prototype ball

Sunshine Tour Update

Allan Versfeld went from a threeshot deficit to a three-shot victory as he romped to victory in the Vodacom Origins of Golf at De Zalze Golf Club. Versfeld closed with a 67 to win on 18-under-par 198 and claim his maiden title on the Sunshine Tour, denying Ockie Strydom a victory in this event.

Strydom led for the first two days with his rounds of 64, but faltered on the final day with a 73.

“It’s awesome. I’m so happy to get the first win out of the way,” said Versfeld, who put his experience of playing in Europe recently to good use on Friday.

Strydom was three clear of the field teeing off, and birdied the first. But Versfeld kept himself in contention with back-to-back birdies on holes four and five, while Strydom double-bogeyed the fifth to see them tied for the lead. His bogey on the sixth and Strydom’s birdie opened up a two-shot gap between the two. But Versfeld drew level again with his eagle on the eighth, and then birdied the ninth to take the lead as Strydom bogeyed the hole.

Strydom’s challenge ended when he double-bogeyed the 11th, and Versfeld arrived at the 18th with a four-shot cushion that allowed him the luxury of a bogey on the last.

Big Easy Tour.

“It’s a great feeling to have two wins under my belt. The rookies always struggle with their sense of belonging on the tour, and this has just shown me what I can achieve,” he said.

The champion was in a class of his own at Sun City, reaching six-under-par in 36 holes for a fivestroke victory over runner-up Attie Schwartzel, the only other player to finish below par. Harvey, who won at Royal Johannesburg and Kensington Golf Club two weeks earlier, continued to shine through the week.

An opening 67 meant that it was really his to lose on the final day, and that was something he didn’t do.

The Mount Edgecombe Country

The nationwide cold front that hit in early August brought a first for tournament golf. Snow fell all over the place and didn’t miss Maccauvlei Golf Club, where the Sunshine Big Easy Tour had to put its first round on hold.

While some players weathered it out in the halfway house, many took advantage of the rare weather conditions and made snow angels and had snowball fights. What started as a fresh morning on the banks of the Vaal River soon became an icy affair as snow built up around the course. Soon enough, a white blanket covered the course and Tour officials began discussing their options. It’s a first for the Tour, which takes its name from the year-round sunshine which helps produce so many world-class golfers.

Jared enjoys second win

Jared Harvey took top honours at Gary Player Country Club on Friday, claiming his second victory in as many tournaments on the Sunshine

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Blast FROM tHE Past

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America’s First Golf Hero

I

n the last issue of Tee to Green I wrote about Tiger’s quest to emulate and surpass the achievements of the great Jack Nicklaus. That Tiger Woods is and should be one of America’s golfing hero’s is without question.

In the past America has produced many of the finest golfers ever and true icons of the game – Walter Hagen, Bobby Jones and Gene Sarazen in the 20’s and 30’s, Sam Snead and Ben Hogan in the 50’s and more recently, Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, Johnny Miller, Tom Watson, Phil Mickelson and many others have all thrilled us with their class on and off the course. But where did it all begin and who was America’s first golf hero?

With his 1913 US Open Championship victory over Britons Harry Vardon and Ted Ray, Francis Ouimet, must be regarded as America’s first golf hero. This is generally viewed as the turning point in American Golf.

Ouimet was a relatively unknown 20 year-old amateur and former caddie when he tied Vardon and Ray after 72 holes at The Country Club in Brookline, Massachusetts.

Ouimet had grown up in a modest home across the street from the 17th hole at The Country Club, and was self-taught, learning to play in his backyard. Prior to his

victory, golf was dominated by the English and Scots. There were very few players in America, virtually no public courses, and the game was confined mostly to the wealthy.

Ouimet’s victory changed all of that.

His victory and unlikely background combined to create an inspirational moment. Within ten years the number of players tripled, many new courses were built, including public courses.

In his book “A Game of Golf” Ouimet reflects on his passion for the game; “I was so wrapped up in the game, however, I just couldn’t let it alone. One summer, tired of my own layout, I talked a companion, Frank Mahan, into going to Franklin Park with me. Franklin Park was a public course and we could go there and play unmolested. We set out one Saturday morning. To get to Franklin Park, we had to walk a mile and a half with our clubs to the tramline. Then we rode to Brookline Village, transferred there to a Roxbury Crossing tramcar, arrived at Roxbury Crossing, and changed again to a Franklin Park tram. After getting out of the last tramcar, we walked about three quarters of a mile to the club-house, left our coats – that is all we had to leave – and then six full rounds of the nine holes, a total of fifty-four holes.

Then we went home the way we had come, completely exhausted, all

this at the age of thirteen!”

And later on describes the final hole in the playoff with Ray and Vardon “The eighteenth hole was a hard two-shotter. The rains had turned the race-track in front of the green into a bog, and my one thought was to get over the mud. All hit fine tee shots. I placed my second on the green. It did not enter my head that I was about to become the Open champion until I stroked my first putt to within eight or nine inches of the hole. Then, as I stepped up to make that short putt, I became very nervous. A veil of something that seemed to have covered me dropped from round my head and shoulders. I was in full control of my faculties for the first time since the match started, but terribly excited. I dropped the putt. Nothing but the most intense concentration brought me victory.

I was fearful at the beginning that I should blow up, and I fought against this for all I was worth. The thought of winning never entered by head, and for that reason I was immune to emotions of any sort. My objective was to play eighteen holes as well as I could and let the score stand for good or bad. I accomplished a feat that seemed so far beyond anything I ever hoped to do that, while I got a real thrill out of it, I felt I had been mighty lucky. Had I harboured the

desire to win that Championship or an Open title of any kind, I might have been tickled beyond words. In sport one has to have the ambition to do things, and that ambition in my case was to win the National Amateur Championship. Therefore I honestly think I never got the “kick” out of winning the Open title that I might have done if I had thought I could win it.”

Another great moment in golf occurred just before the start of the playoff, when Ouimet turned down the offer of an experienced club member who wished to caddie for him, and Francis decided to stay with ten year-old Eddie Lowery.

Francis being an amateur was not eligible for any prize-money and had no money to pay the young Eddie for his services. Harry Vardon and Ted Ray passed the hat amongst those in the gallery to collect some tip money for Eddie Lowery. It is interesting to note that Arthur Ouimet, Francis’s dad, who did not approve of Francis playing golf, was the first to drop in a dollar. They ended up collecting more money than the entire winning purse of the US Open, giving Eddie a major financial jumpstart in his career.

Eddie’s life story turned out to be quite interesting as he not only became a top businessman but a Massachusetts Amateur Golfing Champion and highly ranked member of the USGA as well.

The photo of Ouimet and Lowery marching together down the fairway is one of the most famous in golf history, and symbolizes Ouimet’s great victory and kindness to a young person. As one of golf’s most enduring images, it was selected by the United States Golf Association as the logo for its Centennial celebration.

Ouimet went on to a distinguished amateur golf career.

He won the U.S. Amateur in 1914 and 1931 and played on the first eight Walker Cup Teams and was Captain of the next four, compiling an 11-1 team record. He was also revered as a golfing goodwill ambassador, and in 1951 became the first American elected Captain of the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews.

Ouimet is one of the most honoured players in history. He has been named to every Golf Hall of Fame, and has a room named after him in the USGA Museum. He is also one of only three golfers to have a U.S. Commemorative stamp issued in his name. The 1963 and 1988 US Opens at The Country Club in Brookline celebrated the 50th and 75th anniversaries of his dramatic 1913 win. The U.S. Senior Open Trophy is also named after him.

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10

MAIN FEATURE

tee to Green

Not Always Easy for the Big Easy Time is the one thing that golfers have in abundance – they say it’s a game of a lifetime – and Ernie Els has certainly made great use of his time

A

s he approaches 43, the reigning Open champion, it is probably worth looking back at a career that is far from over. Just ask the man himself who has rededicated himself to a career that has promised so much, has delivered so much, has sometimes faltered, but promises plenty more to come.

For the South African golfing cognoscente, they knew in the early 80s that the spindly, spikey haired blonde kid was something special. It was in 1984 that he won the World Junior Championship in the 13-14

age category (beating a certain Phil Mickelson) and announced to the world that they should take note of a young fellow who came from the same land as the great Gary Player.

It was in 1986, when he really made a major impact, winning both the SA Boys and SA Amateur in the same year. Big things were expected.

After school, Ernie went straight to the army where he spent more time playing golf than polishing either his rifle or his boots, but he also found a way to work hard on his wild ways, getting a reputation for spending

perhaps too much time at the 19th hole with his mates.

Turning professional in 1989, he did not exactly bring the professional world to its knees and, while he hardly faded into obscurity, he did not make the expected instant impact. A win in the 1991 Amatola Sun Classic eventually followed but it was in early 1992 that he finally showed the world what he could do. Together with a rumoured slowing down of his wild ways, he became just the third man after Bobby Locke and Gary Player to capture the fabled South

US Open Oakmont 1994

African Triple Crown, winning the SA Open, SA Masters and SA PGA Championship in the same season.

It was the first time that headline writers used that now clichéd Who Els but Ernie and it definitely would not be the last. He had tasted success and his career was at last back on the track that had been mapped out for him by so many. His first international victory came at the Dunlop Phoenix in Japan in 1993 – somewhere where few foreigners have had much success – and he followed soon after in January 1994 with his first

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11

MAIN FEATURE

In the locker room at Royal Lytham getting reacquainted with an “old friend”

Ernie’s Profile

Open Championship Muirfield 2002

US Open at Congressional 1997

Open Championship Royal Lytham2012

European Tour victory at the Dubai Desert Classic.

His classic, powerful golf swing is universally admired, and aspired to, from both sides of the ropes.

And while his easy-going nature masks a fierce competitive drive, it is all of these qualities, along with an engaging on-course persona, that have helped make Ernie one of the most popular golfers in the game.

His first win on the PGA Tour would also be his first Major victory, the US Open, which he won in a protracted playoff. With an 18-hole score of 74,

he ousted Colin Montgomerie from the three-ball that reconvened on the Monday and then, finally saw off Loren Roberts with a par on the second extra hole of sudden-death.

Between then and his next US Open triumph in 1997, he won twice in the US, twice in Europe and a couple of times in SA, including an individual triumph in the 1996 World Cup of Golf played in South Africa (partnering Wayne Westner).

His second Major came as no surprise in 1997 when he was very clearly the best player in the world.

Name

Theodore Ernest Els

Born

17th October 1969

Residence

West Palm Beach, US

Height

6ft 3in

Weight

220 lbs

Parents

Hettie & Neels

Wife

Liezl

Children

Samantha Leigh (26th May 1999), Ben Neels (6th October 2002)

First Golf Club

Kempton Park

Primary School

Delville Primary

High School

Jan De Klerk High School

Interests

Cars, all sports, movies, reading

But a young Tiger Woods had already stunned the world by winning the Masters by an unbelievable 12 shots and it was this young upstart who would cast a shadow over Ernie’s entire career. And most would agree, neither of these two greats are done with trading blows on the world’s fairways.

There is no doubt that in a Tigerless world, Ernie’s career stats would be infinitely better, with arguably three of four Major championships, including at least one Masters, to his name.

Just as Shane Warne was Daryl Cullinan’s cricketing nemesis, Tiger became Ernie’s, almost intimidating him out of victories at times.

Phil Mickelson, the youngster Ernie had beaten back in 1984, would strike a massive blow to Ernie’s career in 2004, when he made an impossible birdie putt on the 18th at Augusta while Ernie limbered up for a playoff.

That would halt Ernie’s serious attempt at the elusive Masters title, having not finished out of the top 6 in five straight years. It was in 2002, of course, that he won his first Open Championship, winning a four-man playoff at Muirfield that included the two Australians, Appleby and Elkington, as well as the Frenchman Thomas Levet.

Back at home, he had started to make the Nedbank Golf Challenge his own, winning in ’99 and 2000, losing out to Sergio Garcia in a playoff in 2001, before prevailing again in 2002.

There were gainsayers every time Ernie went a few months without a win, fuelling rumours of drinking and marital problems, but Ernie always let his clubs do the talking in

silencing the critics.

It was in 2005 that his career really hit its major stumbling blocks. A freak sailing accident in the Mediterranean led to a knee operation that kept him out of action for much of the latter half of 2005. Goaded into action by a demanding fanbase, he won in his second event back at the Alfred Dunhill Championship at Leopard Creek, but many believed he had returned to competitive golf too soon.

The wins dried up and it was clear that his focus was starting to shift, both to his young family and to his off-course businesses that include a successful design and wine business. He would only win the 2006 SA Open and the 2007 HSBC World Matchplay in this period before he eventually triumphed in the 2008 Honda Classic in the US. Ernie was inducted into the South African Golf Hall of Fame. It is also important to note that at this time there was a marked a change in Ernie’s philosophy with regards to his playing schedule, with the Els family setting up base in the US and Ernie dedicating himself more to the PGA Tour.

Meanwhile in the world of Ernie Els Design, the renovation of Wentworth’s iconic West Course continued, including a complete rebuilding of the greens and greens’ complexes and a totally redesigned par-5 18th hole.

This final phase of renovations would ultimately be completed in late 2010.

The 2009 Ernie Els Invitational at Fancourt in December coincided with the occasion of the 10-year anniversary of the Ernie Els & Fancourt Foundation, with European

12

MAIN FEATURE Tour winners teaming up with celebrities and stars from South African rugby and the sporting world to raise money for charity and celebrate the success of the Foundation, which has helped many young adults go on to lead fulfilling lives and also nurtured successful golfers, including 2010 Open Champion Louis Oosthuizen.

It was around this time that he admitted to the world that all was not as perfect as it seemed in the Els family when he revealed that their son Ben was autistic.

Since moving the family to a

permanent base in Florida to get Ben the best education assistance available, success on the course has been patchy, with moments of Els brilliance like the victory at the 2010 WGC-CA Championship.

Added to this, he has been plagued by putting woes – so much so that he changed to the dreaded long putter.

Ernie was inducted to the World Golf Hall of Fame’s ‘Class of 2011’, receiving an emphatic majority vote in his first ever time on the PGA Tour ballot. Ernie was also nominated for a Jefferson Award in the US, essentially a Nobel Prize for Public Service, in

Tournament Victories 2012 Open Championship 2011 South African Open (played in December 2010) 2010 WGC - CA Championship Arnold Palmer Invitational PGA Grand Slam of Golf 2008 Honda Classic King Hassan II Golf Trophy 2007 South African Airways Open (played in December 2006) HSBC World Matchplay Championship 2006 Dunhill Championship (played in December 2005) 2005 Dubai Desert Classic BMW Asian Open Qatar Masters 2004 Sony Open in Hawaii Memorial WGC - Amex Championship Heineken Classic 2003 Mercedes Championship Sony Open in Hawaii Heineken Classic Johnnie Walker Classic Barclays Scottish Open Omega European Masters HSBC World Match Play Championship 2002 Genuity Championship The Open Championship Heineken Classic Nedbank Golf Challenge Dubai Desert Classic Cisco World Match Play Championship 2001 Vodacom Players Championship World Golf Championships [Unofficial Event] 2000 Nedbank Golf Challenge Standard Life Loch Lomond The International

1999 Nissan Open Alfred Dunhill South African PGA Championship Nedbank Golf Challenge 1998 Bay Hill Invitational South African Open Dunhill Links Championship [Team] 1997 US Open Championship Buick Classic Johnnie Walker Classic PGA Grand Slam of Golf World Cup of Golf Dunhill Links Championship [Team] 1996 Buick Classic South African Open Toyota World Matchplay Championship Johnnie Walker Super Tour Event World Cup of Golf - team winner (with Wayne Westner) and individual winner 1995 GTE Byron Nelson Classic Toyota World Matchplay Championship Bells Cup Lexington South African PGA Championship 1994 Dubai Desert Classic Toyota World Matchplay Championship Johnnie Walker World Championship Sarazen World Open US Open Championship 1993 Dunlop Phoenix Tournament 1992 Protea Assurance South African Open South African Masters Hollard Royal Swazi Sun Classic Lexington South African PGA Championship First National Bank Players Championship Goodyear Classic 1991 Amatola Sun Classic

tee to Green the category of ‘Outstanding Athlete in Service’. Earlier in the year the Golf Writers Association of America (GWAA) announced that Ernie would be presented with the prestigious Charlie Bartlett Award, given to a professional golfer for unselfish contributions to the betterment of society. Ernie received the Award for setting up the Ernie Els & Fancourt Foundation in South Africa and, more recently, the Els for Autism Foundation in the US. But through all the hardships, he has continually dedicated himself, searching for the answers through

shear hard work. And boy, has it paid off. He is back where he belongs – among the very best in the world.

Time has been both cruel and kind to Ernie Els. Lesser men would have packed it in years ago and few would have blamed him, but he is one of the great champions of the game and he has proved it through determination.

Where to from here? He turns 43 in October, is now fit and well, with many competitive years ahead. More Majors? Why not.

And yes, he will be in the running for Gold in 2016 in Rio. You can bet on that for sure.

Els for Autism Foundation Off the golf course Ernie and his wife Liezl have set up the Els for Autism Foundation and launched a capital campaign to raise funds for a Centre of Excellence, the first of its kind in the world, dedicated to the treatment and research of Autism. When built the Centre will incorporate all the services a child with autism needs in order to become a productive member of society, including cutting-edge education, therapy and research.

Through its proposed digital learning program the Centre will also have a global reach, helping individuals and families all over the world.

The inaugural Els for Autism Pro Am, which took place at PGA National, looked almost like a who’s who of golf. Among those taking part were Jack Nicklaus, Greg Norman, Gary Player, Raymond Floyd, Justin Rose, Luke Donald, Tim Clark, Richard Sterne, Stuart Appleby, Robert Allenby, Jeev Milkha Singh and many more. The event was a great success and raised more than $700,000 for Autism.

His commitment and passion for this project are best described by the man himself “It is three years since our seven-year old son Ben was diagnosed with Autism. We’d suspected for a few years that something was wrong. I mean, there’s a process that every kid goes through. Crawl at nine months, walk at 12 months, and then start talking and so on. With Ben we started thinking: ‘Why is he not crawling? Why is he not walking? Why is he not looking me in the eye?’ Things like that.

We soon discovered he was quite severely touched by Autism.

One in 110 children is affected

by Autism and that was perhaps the most shocking thing about all of this; the number of people it affects. And you know, it hits the whole family hard. For a long time you are trying to figure out ‘What just happened to my life?’

You feel sorry for yourself and for your kid and for your family. And the tragedy is that even in this day and age, the kid who has Autism is often forgotten about. The feeling

is that he’s almost a waste of time, which says a lot more about society than it does the child. It’s heartbreaking.

Ben’s condition was the main driving force behind our decision to relocate our base from Wentworth to West Palm Beach in Florida. The move has benefits for my golf, but more importantly we have been able to secure a more intensive form of therapy for Ben. And he’s doing great. He might act and say things a little differently from other kids, and he obviously has some difficulties, but he understands everything we say and is particularly in tune with our emotions; it’s almost like a sixth sense. And thank God he’s got such a nice nature. He’s a very friendly, very happy, very shy kid and the more loving attention he gets and the smiles that he sees, the better. Samantha, his older sister, is great with him.

Liezl and I are private people, but we are also very much in the public eye and we recognise that this gives us a platform to help raise funds and awareness for the causes of Autism and its possible treatments. It is something that we both feel very passionate about.

We established our Els for Autism Foundation in the spring of 2009. My first goal was to help create a Center of Excellence, a model for the world of what should be available to children on the autism spectrum. The Center will launch a global digital learning platform that will make best practices in education and therapy available to thousands of children around the world on the autism spectrum. The Center will also have on site education for ages 3-21, professional and medical services, research and transition to adulthood. We’re working with some of the best experts in the world to make the Center a reality.

Years from now people may remember me as a golfer and a major champion. But I’d like also to be remembered as somebody who took the issue of Autism and did something with it. The rest of my life, I’ll be fighting this thing...I hope you’ll join with me.”

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tee to Green

15 we look at Ernie’s recent run in the US Open at Olympic as well as his win in The Open and what an important role a change in bodylanguage has played.

A man of stature

BY THEO BEZUIDENHOUT

Body Language T

he 21st of July, 2002 to the 22nd of July, 2012. In most instances a date such as this would indicate a passing. In the case of Ernie Els it probably signifies the longest rebirth in modern golf. Not that Ernie forgot how to win. In the ten years between the July’s that would mark a return to Major-winning form, Ernie Els won no less than 31 times. A heck of a decade for anyone who is not the Big Easy!

The problem was Ernie did not impose himself where it really mattered to all the great players: the Majors. His adoring public and the press did not forget either and the frustration that is often reserved for one’s most talented, but lazy, family-

member was heaped on Ernie in buckets. Finished, washed-up, drinks too much and has-been comments got more focus than his world-class career. An induction into the Golf Hall of Fame was, to most, just a sad reminder of how far Ernie had fallen.

An infamous clip on YouTube featured Ernie hitting a tee-shot at an event on live TV. Just after the shot he exclaimed “don’t pull it you….(insert Afrikaans expletive)”.

This probably summed up the frustration that Els was feeling for a decade between being a three-time Major Champion and wondering if he would rather be known by his losses in these events.

In this month’s Swing Thoughts

Meeting Ernie for the first time is a lesson in presence. He is by nature a very welcoming man, more big bear than angry bear. So too in his heydays from 1994-2002 when he could look very laid-back in tournaments to the untrained eye but maintain an immense presence. This period was marked by a mixture of calm, poise and intimidating unflappability. Coupled with his ability to maintain a positive body-language and it is clear exactly how he won his first two Majors. The US Opens at Oakmont in 1994 and Congressional in 1997.

Fast-forward to 2012 and suddenly it was clear that the relaxed body-language was back.

The smile came out, not just in practise rounds, but also in the cauldron of the two biggest Open’s in golf. Although he did not win at Olympic, his ability to maintain his positive presence in the last round signaled a return of a champion with poise. How could this help you?

You need not be six-foot-three to have a presence on the course. By setting out with your body-language in mind every time you play, you can be mindful of how you would like to portray yourself when you are under pressure.

Are you going to make sure you remain shoulders back, head-up even when the going gets tough?

Or are you going to let the pressure force your eyes down and affect your physiology poorly? As the saying goes:“change your view of the world, and the world’s view of you changes”. If you think that is just a cliché go ahead and ask the Champion Golfer of the Year.

Pro’s just wanna have fun

By the time that Ernie got to the 72nd hole at Royal Lytham he couldn’t have had high hopes of winning his first Major in ten years. As he alluded in his acceptance speech he couldn’t decide if the gallery thought he could win or were just being nice. Adam Scott had a seemingly insurmountable lead but regardless of this, another way in which Ernie had changed his demeanor came to

SWING THOUGHTS the fore.

Faced with a lengthy birdie putt Ernie and caddy Ricky Roberts studied it at length and as Ernie steadied himself over the line very few breaths were probably being held. It was a meaningless putt in another futile attempt by Ernie to break the jinx. This made his reaction to making the putt so much more remarkable. After draining the lengthy snake, Ernie whipped his hat off, laughed out loud and even semi-high-fived Roberts. Not the reaction you would expect from a guy who had probably lost, however that was exactly what made the reaction so telling.

This was Ernie thoroughly enjoying making a putt. Not enjoying what the putt may signify or enjoying it for the sake of winning but just a golfer having fun with doing something great. This is not foreign territory to us weekend warriors either. Are we not prone to chiding ourselves when things go wrong but not so prone to having a chuckle when we make a few long ones?

By enjoying that putt as much as he did Ernie not only showed how much he is enjoying his golf but also that he may be more content with being Ernie again than we think. Judged by his body language and his demeanor on the course the golfing world better take note, because Ernie is back in a larger than life way. Could we say the same of your body-language on the course? Remember change your view of the world……..

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 Volvo South Africa and Volvo in Golf as well as a Titleist ambassador. 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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16

HEALTHY GOLFING

tee to Green

Stress and Athletic Performance

BY DR ROWENA THOMSON- SELIBOWITZ

A

thletic performance relies on many factors- a positive frame of mind, correct nutrition, optimum health and an ability to cope under pressure.

Even if you only play golf for fun, the 19th hole and on Saturdays making sure your body is primed for a great day of golf involves a little bit of self-discipline and healthy lifestyle choices.

Alcohol consumption and in particular being hung over is detrimental to athletic performance.

A hang over may result in physical symptoms such as fatigue, lack of sleep, dizziness, headaches and muscle pain as well as irritability and decreased attention and concentration. So try to drink alcohol in moderation.

Having well-maintained blood sugar levels is also particularly valuable to improving concentration and maintaining energy levels. This means that starting the day by skipping breakfast is setting the scene for a bad golf game. Make sure to eat a healthy meal containing complex carbohydrates and protein (scrambled eggs and salmon on low GI toast with a handful of fresh berries, for example). Caffeine also tends to dehydrate your body and this may hinder your game, so try to keep tea and coffee consumption to a minimum and rather have a few more glasses of water.

Not only is skipping meals and too much alcohol generally bad for your health, it also puts undue stress on your body and results in a rise in

stress hormone levels.

So, how does stress affect athletic performance? Our adrenal glands are involved in how the body responds to stress and make several hormones including adrenalin and noradrenalin (involved in flight or fright response) and cortisol (involved in long-term stress response). Cortisol enters the brain where it may impair several aspects of cognition including attention, memory and decision making. This may affect athletic performance by causing a slow down in processing of information and ultimately affecting decision making. Physically stress may result in fatigue and muscle tension and in so doing affect your swing as well as endurance on the course.

As mentioned previously, stress hormone levels are increased by dietary intake of alcohol, tobacco, caffeine and sugar and so it is vital to minimize these stimulants in your healthy eating plan in order to help your body adequately adapt to stressful situations. Foods that are believed to help support the body during stressful situations include walnuts, oily fish (e.g., salmon, tuna and mackerel), broccoli and blueberries. So, be sure to add these to your shopping list.

If stress is not treated effectively, it may lead to high blood pressure, impaired blood sugar balance and lowered immunity. There are several natural supplements that may help to support your body during times of stress. These include:

L- Theanine:

L-Theanine, an amino acid found exclusively in green tea, easily crosses the blood-brain barrier and appears to increase levels of the neurotransmitter gamma amino butyric acid [GABA], as well as influencing serotonin and dopamine levels. L-Theanine appears to create a state of deep relaxation and mental alertness similar to that achieved through meditation, promoting a relaxed, yet alert state of mind, without sedation.

Magnesium:

Magnesium plays important roles in the structure and the function of the human body. The adult human body contains about 25 grams of magnesium. Magnesium is involved in more than 300 essential metabolic reactions, including energy production, protein synthesis and magnesium is necessary for proper nerve health and function and affects the conduction of nerve impulses, muscle contraction and normal heart rhythm. These functions are essential for optimal athletic performance.

Rhodiola:

Rhodiola is an adaptogenic herb which means that it may increase tolerance to various stressors and be beneficial at modifying the stress response. It is also believed to enhance seratonin activity and so may be of value in helping support the body with anxiety-related symptoms.

Acetyl-l- carnitine:

As being able to concentrate and think on your feet is essential to a good game of golf, keeping your mind sharp is important.

Acetyl-l- carnitine is a nutrient that helps the brain to manufacture a neurotransmitter called acetyl choline. Acetyl choline is essential for optimal mental functioning and also aids in transmission of nerve impulses from the brain to muscles.

Pantothenic Acid (Vitamin B5):

This B vitamin may support adrenal gland function. It may improve tolerance to various stressors (mental or physical) and is considered an “anti-stress’ vitamin.

Licorice Root:

Licorice has a cortisol-like effect on the body and is beneficial for people suffering from adrenal fatigue caused by long term stress.

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18

THE RULES

Ball Unplayable

tee to Green

By DEnniS BRUynS

A penalty drop for an unplayable lie is always a bitter pill to swallow.

T

here are a number of things to note about an unplayable lie.

Firstly the player is the sole judge of whether the ball is playable or not.

If you want to cost yourself a shot you can declare the ball unplayable in the middle of the fairway, it’s up to you. There’s only one exception - you cannot declare a ball unplayable in a water hazard.

If a player deems his ball unplayable he shall under penalty of one stroke: a.) Play a ball as nearly as possible at the spot from which the original ball was last played. b.) Drop a ball within two club lengths of where the ball lay not nearer the hole. c.) Drop a ball behind the point where the ball lay, keeping that point between the hole and the spot on which the ball is dropped, with no limit to how far behind that point the ball may be dropped.

However, if the ball is in a bunker and the player wishes to apply options (b) or (c) the ball must be dropped in the bunker. Remember a ball is in the bunker if any part of it touches the bunker. The grass verge or grass banks surrounding a bunker are not part of the bunker.

Another interesting situation arises if a player declares his ball unplayable when the ball is lodged in a tree. In this case the player must first positively identify it is his ball even if that requires him or his caddie climbing up the tree to identify the ball. Having done this the question is where is the

point that the two club lengths be measured from? Obviously it would be impractical to do this from the point where the ball is in the tree.

The reference point becomes that point on the ground vertically below where the ball lay in the tree. It is from here that the player invokes option (b). And if this spot is on the green (imagine the tree overhangs the green) the player may drop the ball on the green as long as it is not nearer the hole.

Does this mean that the player must always identify the ball before declaring the ball unplayable? Not at all as this only applies if he is invoking options (b) or (c). If a player is on the tee and hits his ball into a deep canyon, he is quite entitled to declare the ball unplayable and put another ball into play under the stroke and distance option (see decision 28/1).

Can a provisional ball be brought into play when you declare a ball unplayable? The argument is a simple one after all one of the options for an unplayable lie is stroke and distance.

And after all that is what a provisional ball is. Unfortunately a provisional ball can only be played for a ball thought to be out of bounds or lost. Once the ball has been found in bounds the provisional ball must be abandoned.

If a player wishes to invoke option (a), he must return to the spot he last played from and drop another ball incurring a penalty of one stroke.

This aspect of the rule was applied on a number of occasions at the Open Championship at Lytham.

During the final day’s play of the 141st

Open Championship, several players lost a ball. With a stiff breeze blowing, it was not surprising that a few tee shots found unwanted locations.

Snedeker, Daly, Grace and J M Singh all chose to play a provisional ball in the event the original was not found. In all cases, the players decided that it would be to their advantage not to find the original ball.

Accordingly, they did not search for the original ball and walked directly towards their provisional ball and played it. As per the Definition of Lost Ball, if a player plays a stroke with the provisional ball, that is nearer the hole than the place where the original ball is likely to be, this renders the original ball lost.

The player is entitled to play such a stroke. However if anyone – a spectator, a fellow-competitor or an opponent — finds the original ball before the player makes a stroke at the provisional ball and within five minutes, the player must inspect the ball that has been found. If it is the player’s original ball, he must continue play with it (or proceed under the unplayable ball Rule). The provisional ball must then be abandoned.

Therefore, as Snedeker, Daly, Grace and Singh had all played the provisional ball from a spot nearer to the hole than where the original was likely to be, the original ball was no longer the ball in play.

What happens if the player has decided to proceed under option (b), he drops the ball and it comes to rest back in the original position, still unplayable? The ball was in play when

it was dropped – Rule 20-4. It is now up to the player to decide whether he wishes to declare it unplayable and proceed once again under Rule 28.

If he decides to use option (b) and it takes several drops for him to find a suitable lie to play from he incurs a one stroke penalty each time he drops the ball. Interestingly as he has at no time played a stroke at the ball option (a) is still available to him.

At the beginning we stated that you cannot declare a ball unplayable in a water hazard but what happens if your ball is outside the hazard, you declare it unplayable and the point you wish to drop under penalty is inside a hazard. As long as the provisions of (a), (b) or (c) are met there is nothing restricting one from dropping inside a hazard.

And what happens if there is casual water in the bunker interfering with the player’s ball?

The 141st Open Championship saw several players have difficulties with casual water and in particular, casual water in bunkers.

A player is entitled to free relief from casual water in a bunker if his ball lies in the casual water, his intended stance is in the casual water or his intended swing is interfered with by the casual water.

During the second round on the Friday, both Keegan Bradley and Rory McIlroy had to consider their options for relief from casual water when they found the sand on the 15th and 17th holes respectively.

In taking free relief, the “nearest point of relief” must be in the bunker

tee to Green and the ball must be dropped in the bunker, within one club-length of this nearest point of relief. If complete relief is impossible, a player is entitled to take “maximum available relief” in the bunker and drop the ball as near as possible to that point. Alternatively, under penalty of one stroke, a player may drop out of the bunker keeping

uring the first round of the DMickelson 141st Open Championship, Phil had to employ one of the

most frequently used Rules in the game of golf. Playing the 8th hole, Mickelson found the deep bunker on the left of the fairway with his tee shot. His ball came to rest near the

19 the point where the ball lay directly in line with the hole.

McIlroy chose to take free relief within the fairway bunker at the 17th and dropped the ball within a clublength of the nearest point of relief before playing out and then onto the green. However, Bradley chose to play his ball as it lay in the greenside

edge of the bunker, leaving him with a difficult shot over the steep bunker face. Due to the angle of the shot, the ball failed to clear the long grass at the top of the bunker. After a short ball search to locate the ball, it was found buried deep in the rough.

Mickelson decided to proceed under

THE RULES bunker at the 15th hole, despite the interference from the casual water.

Although a ball may lie in casual water, a player does not have to take relief from casual water in a bunker and may instead elect to play the ball as it lies.

Bradley may have decided to do this for a number of reasons. As the

sand was damp, the ball may have plugged in the sand when dropped or the dropping area may have been close to the face or edge of the bunker leaving the player with a much more difficult stroke. Consequently, choosing not to take relief and play the ball from its original lie can be the best option in these circumstances.

the unplayable ball Rule – Rule 28.

Under this Rule, the player has three options for relief, each incurring a penalty of one stroke.

The player can choose to proceed under the stroke and distance option by playing a ball as nearly as possible at the spot from which the original was last played from (Rule 28a). In Mickelson’s case, this would have involved him dropping the ball back in the bunker and attempting the same shot again. Alternatively, Mickelson could have dropped a ball within two club-lengths of where the ball lay but no nearer the hole (Rule 28c). For Mickelson, this option would have involved dropping the ball into further long grass, potentially leaving him with a similar difficult lie in the rough.

Instead, Mickelson decided to proceed under Rule 28b. This option permits the player to drop a ball behind the point where it lay, keeping that point between the hole and the spot on which the ball is

dropped, with no limit to how far back the ball may be dropped. This decision afforded Mickelson the best outcome and allowed him to drop the ball behind the bunker and onto the fairway under penalty of one stroke.

What would have happened if the ball was moved during the search? It’s a one stroke penalty if Phil moved it and the ball must be replaced. If someone else moved it then Phil would replace it without penalty (Rule 18-2.).

When the ball was found, Phil could be heard asking for a free drop as he thought the ball was embedded but Paul Carrigill from the PGA European Tour, who was the referee with the group, knew that the Local Rule that Phil asked about – embedded ball through the green — was not in play this week. The embedded ball rule was only in play on closely mown areas, and by no stretch of the imagination could the area where his ball lay be regarded as closely mown.

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Golfing on the Emerald Isle

Royal Portrush

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t’s been said before but worth saying again; the Irish are genuinely friendly. They take an interest in visitors. This is why your first trip to Ireland will never be your last. For a small island on the edge of the Atlantic, it has the power to charm like nowhere else. For most golfers it’s a dream come true to play on its world most famous courses.

But how is it that a country this size can produce champion after champion? Is it a coincidence that Irish players have raised the Claret Jug, the Wanamaker Trophy and the US Open Trophy towards the skies to acclaim? Padraig, Graeme, Rory, Darren. Destiny called them all they answered with an array of shot-making, putting prowess and fortitude that made them a part of golfing folklore and enabled them to capture the greatest titles in golf.

Each of them learnt their craft on courses spread around Ireland – on some of the finest seaside links to be found anywhere on earth.

These courses where champions were made are to be found North, South, East and West. And the beauty of it all? They’re open to

everyone, with visiting green fees that won’t burn a hole in anyone’s pockets. It’s your chance to follow in the footsteps of Ireland’s major champions. So it is that there is an open door policy at Stacktown Golf Club in the foothills of the Dublin mountains where Padraig Harrington discovered how to scramble and putt and win; at Royal Portrush, where Graeme McDowell and Darren Clarke discovered the secret to punching an iron into the wind; and at Holywood Golf Club where a young Rory McIlroy’s effortless swing was manufactured. The secret to the success of Irish golfers is to be found in the sheer quality of the courses that they’ve played in their formative amateur careers.

From internationally renowned courses to welcoming local clubs in every corner of the country, Ireland is a golfer’s paradise, with well over 400 courses on the island and 30 per cent of the world’s links courses. From wide and extensive green parkland to rugged coastal dunes, mountainous and lakeland backdrops, clifftop courses overlooking the Atlantic – the choice,

quality and challenge on offer to golfers in Ireland is unrivalled.

Unquestionably it has golf courses to meet every skill level from beginner to pro and now more than ever before, every budget, with fantastic value available to all golfers to use these courses.

The Irish 19th

The Irish know how to enjoy themselves. Walk into any country pub and you won’t hear the sounds of slot machines or overbearing music – you’re more likely to be greeted with a busy hum of chat, the crackling of real fires and the clinking of pints.

Part of the pleasure of golfing in Ireland is being able to enjoy a warm welcome and the legendary ‘craic’ (good fun). From a traditional music session in a secluded rural pub to top gourmet grub in a stylish urban bar, you’ll find the atmosphere absolutely unbeatable. And if you don’t want to stray too far from the course, don’t worry – the clubhouse, otherwise known as the Irish 19th, is a great place to trade stories with other golfers and relax post-match with a couple of well-deserved pints!

GOLF IN THE REGIONS North West:

Tucked away in the North West of Ireland are a number of far-flung counties that offer tourists and golfers of all levels plenty to choose from. This part of the Island is out of the way, but this has its advantages.

Hidden Gems can be enjoyed at very reasonable prices.

West:

Mayo and Galway, the two giant counties in the far west of Ireland, both offer a great variety of courses to golfers touring the region. From the wilds of Connemara to the hinterland of Galway city, there is always a golf course to be found nearby with fantastic views and surroundings.

Lakeland:

Golfers of all levels can choose from a range of golf courses in the Lakeland region with views of the many beautiful lakes in the area.

Dublin:

Don’t forget that within close proximity of the city is more than 50 golf courses.

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East Coast:

Home to many of the big name golf courses.

South East:

The mix of fine weather, proximity to Dublin and home to some of the finest courses in the country, the South East boasts a selection of coastal links on the Irish Sea and Atlantic Ocean as well as worldclass parkland courses.

Cork & Kerry:

With plenty of choice for the discerning golfer, discover dramatic coastal links, parkland courses around these mountains, lakes and rugged coastal scenery.

CourSE ProfilES: royal County Down

County Down is a green and gold moonscape. It’s otherworldly.

With massive gorse covered hills, terrifying blind tee shots and gaping acreage of sand it is a bit like a primeval forest. Straying from the path, or in this case the fairway, will result in unpleasantness!

The course is some 30 miles south of Belfast and 90 miles north of Dublin. The remote quality of the grounds helps to explain why County Down is so special. It’s the feeling of splendid isolation and stirring vistas that renders it arguably the greatest of links courses. It is the polar opposite of a typical American golf experience.

Stackstown

old Head of Kinsale

The picturesque seaside town of Kinsale is home to the Old Head of Kinsale Golf course. The course is set atop a 220-acre rocky promontory that juts out from the Irish Atlantic coastline. The land is a registered national monument and an ancient royal site. Remnants of castles and stone circles as well as churches and dwellings built on this site by monks during medieval times are visible throughout the course. While many are comparing the spectacular terrain of Old Head to that of Cypress Point and Pebble Beach - the landscape and views are if anything even more impressive. While as many as nine holes bring the 300 feet cliff faces into play, the entire performance is played out to the backdrop of a 19th century lighthouse.

Ireland is a country well versed in the vagaries of weather patterns and no where is this better personified than on the links of Old Head.

Coarse Atlantic winds and rolling fog add to the challenge and suspense of the golfer. My personal choice for a signature hole would be the 17th, 628-yard par 5 beginning at lighthouse and ends with a black hole downhill approach. The town of Kinsale much like the golf course is a happy melody of old world charm and contemporary comforts.

Regarded as the gourmet capital of Ireland, Kinsale has many fine restaurants with fresh seafood a must for every visitor.

Portmarnock

Dooks

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Royal County Down

Doonbeg Nestled between Ballybunion and Lahinch the links of Doonbeg (South West coast) is being hailed as “the most original links course ever built.” Located in County Clare, Doonbeg Golf Club encircles 1 ½ miles of crescent-shaped beach along the Atlantic Ocean. (Designed

by Greg Norman) The landscape, which is defined by the ocean and given character by time features marram-grass dunes of some 100 feet in height. In keeping with Norman’s principals of ‘least disturbance’, twelve of Doonbegs fairways were simply mowed while the undulations of the greens follow the natural lie of the land. The result is a quite uncommon combination; five par-3s and five par 5s.

While the constant beating of the ocean and its winds have created a unique links venue it has also molded some other wonders of nature which are not to be missed on a visit to the

Holywood (Rory McIlroy’s home course)

If you enjoy golf in less than 4 hours then Holywood is an ideal course for you. Its length is not challenging and for the average golfer, you will find plenty of opportunity to score well. The front nine holes are ideal for a quick nine holes before or after work, it is a quick and easy walk and allows plenty of room for the golfer to spray it a bit off the tee. There are also three interesting par 3 holes which always help to tighten up your short game in a quick nine holes.

The back nine however is laid out on different terrain with elevation changes and will challenge you all the way. It will place emphasis on your adoptability to the terrain and course management decisions to create a good score, but if that fails to materialize you can enjoy the countryside walk and the magnificent views over Belfast Lough.

Travelling to Ireland from South Africa is pretty easy with flights via the Middle East and Europe. South African passport holders do not require a visa to enter. There are a number of tour operators who specialise in golfing holidays and can help tailor-make a vacation accordingly. Most golf clubs have special rates for visitors and groups.

Some clubs have banded together and offer a special pass. The currency in the Republic of Ireland is the Euro, in Northern Ireland it is Pounds Sterling. Ireland enjoys a mild temperate climate; however it is advisable for visitors to pack their waterproof clothing. Daylight hours in summer can last until 10:30pm where in winter the sun goes down around 4pm.

“The Irish are the custodians of the genuine spirit of golf. They like to sling a bag across the shoulders and have at it, with no fuss or formality. I have never felt embarrassed or uncomfortable in an Irish golf club or golf course, which is more than I can say for any other golfing nation.” Renowned English golf writer Peter Dobereiner.

Contacts www.discoverireland.com www.easygolf.co.za

Royal County Down in the early 1900s

Doonbeg

Fairmont Zimbali Lodge and Fairmont Zimbali Resort : Play golf in the warmest part of SA this winter and enjoy a luxurious break

Enjoy a luxurious break at either Fairmont Zimbali Lodge or Fairmont Zimbali Resort near Ballito on the KwaZulu Natal North Coast. Practise your swing and put your feet up, all in a nature lover’s paradise.

Price per Person from: • Double/Twin sharing from R 2 719,00 Fairmont Zimbali Lodge • Double/Twin sharing from R 3 135,00 Fairmont Zimbali Resort This package consists of: • 3 nights accommodation including breakfast daily • 2 rounds of golf on the 18 hole championship course at Zimbali Country Club (excluding cart hire) • When you book at least 2 weeks ahead of travel, a surprise special treat is also included in the rate • (please enquire at time of booking) Rates subject to change, terms & conditions apply, subject to availability Offer valid for booking in August 2012 ONLY for SA Residents only, special rates for additional nights available (enquire at booking) Contact easygolf Travel for further information and detailed itinerary on +27 11 486 3729 or monika@easygolf.co.za

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Bushwackers are us!

Tee to Green goes on golf safari in Limpopo

Waterberg

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his time of year most of us are trying to get out of the cold.

That‘s why we’ll get back to the Southern and Western Cape in a few months and leave it (for now) to those in training for next year’s Open, avid dreary weather golfers and other suckers for punishment.

There isn’t enough daylight or time for a round in the week especially for those of us who actually work for a living. Conclusion: golf this time of year requires premeditated effort and commitment to get away for a golfing weekend if you don’t have a regular weekend game. Enter the newly introduced Limpopo Golf & Safari Route. There are 6 world class courses in Limpopo that have been around for a while but it is only officially being promoted as an inclusive destination as of this month when their tourism authority unveils it as an official route. A comfortable driving distance from Joburg it is the closest station of relief from the winter chill and general hustle half way through the year.

Modimolle

The old Naboomspruit is pretty much the most centrally located town in the region and offers the bare essentials like biltong, booze and petrol. So if you’re after a “what happens on tour stays on tour” type of trip in the bush, abundant fresh air bringing out the animal in you, go for it. Careful of the locals though. Those farm boys are proud of their dorp and don’t take kindly to city slickers that take the peace for granted.

I am more inclined to the civilized family orientated holiday with some rest and relaxation thrown in between a game drive or two. Every one of the estates boast an impressive variety of accommodation including privately owned homes to rent, hotels, lodges and guesthouses. You can establish one resort as your home base and drive to the other courses when you are booked to play there or trek from one to the other and stay a couple of days at each one. There is plenty to do for the non-playing spouses and children while you’re on the course – spas, swimming pools, gyms, horse riding helicopters, decent restaurants and most importantly, the bush. There is some world class game viewing on offer. Quick round of golf it the morning, midday with the kids at the pool, rounded off watching all sorts of creatures coming down to the watering hole in the late afternoon (and that’s just staring down the 18th fairway from the clubhouse balcony). Another tough day in Africa.

Koro Creek

Koro Creek

Koro Creek

The 18-hole championship golf course is a 6825m Par 72. It poses various challenges as the fairways generally narrow towards the green and then thoroughly testing your putting skills. The course was designed by same group that was involved in the development of

Legends Extreme 19th

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Legends

Euphoria

Leopard Creek and The Links at Fancourt. Prices range from R230 to R320 + your cart hire. A driving range and putting green is available as well as a pro shop. It boasts a range of independently owned and operated guest houses.

It plays host to the annual Kudu Tournament. 15 years down the line and counting, it increases in popularity every year with close to 500 players having participated in 2012 for among other some really wild prizes like a kudu bull for the winner, wildebeest and impala. It also hosted the Limpopo Open this year. www.korocreek.com, 014 717 1181

Legend Golf and Safari Resort Legends is a very unique championship golf course in that it was co-designed by eighteen of the world’s top golfers including the likes of Trevor Immelman, Bernard Langer, Vijay Singh, Sergio Garcia and Retief Goosen.

The Extreme 19TH hole features a tee box accessible only by helicopter on Hanglip Mountain. You play down to a green the shape of Africa 400m below.

There are 4 and 5 star options available at either the lodge or the suites. The suites are separate units in the bush and include all the creature comforts required to rough it up like aircon, TV and mini-bar.

www.legendlodges.co.za 0117296700

Euphoria Golf Estate & Hydro Euphoria has an Annika Sorenstamsignature 18-hole Championship Course set in the Waterberg. It’s as close to links golf as you’ll get this side of Ruimsig. The Clubhouse facilities are world-class. Their golf academy offers golf lessons and clinics. The estate features a cableway that connects the clubhouse with a restaurant on top of a mountain which is great for sundowners and views of the valley.

The bush villas offer luxury accommodation or you can rent a privately owned house. It’s got an

impressive hydro. www.euphoriaestate.co.za 0147435000 Other options in the area include: Zebula Golf Estate and Spa Bela Bela, www.zebula.co.za, 014 734 7700 Elements Private Golf Reserve Modimolle, www.elementspgr.co.za, 014 736 6910 Hans Merensky Hotel and Spa Phalaborwa, www.hansmerensky.com, 015 781 3931/7 Modimolle Tourism 014 7171818 info@modimolletourism.net

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2012/07/03 10:49 AM

Where Golf meets nature...

Where Golf meets nature...

S

Situated in the Limpopo Province, Koro Creek offers all the amenities of a golf resort, a lodge and a malaria-free nature reserve. Koro Creek is perfect for the family, from close encounters with wildlife on the golf course to our game reserve - there is something for everyone. Koro Creek Bushveld Golf Estate is situated close to the historic town of Modimolle (Nylstroom) in Limpopo Province, only an hour from Pretoria.

Golf isn't a game, it's a choice that one makes with one's life -

Charles Rosi

GOLFING: A portion of the golf course extends into the reserve, offering the golfers the relaxing experience of golf combined with nature. Koro Creek is rated among the top 100 golf courses in South Africa... This 18 hole championship golf course is a 6825m Par 72 and a true challenge with the fairways narrowing as you enter onto the green - make sure you bring along your putting game!

ACCOMMODATION: At Koro Creek it's not only the world class golf course or the ambiance of the bushveld that will make you feel at home - we also have a selection of accommodation that will make your stay with us unforgettable. On-site accommodation is available, please visit our website for additional information.

Activities: • Functions • Events • Weddings and corporate getaways.

Why not visit Koro Creek for that perfect destination.

On-site Day Spa, Equestrian Centre and much more is available to you right on our doorstep. The perfect home away from home.

Koro Creek Bushveld Golf Estate is a championship course, run by a professional outfit, where hospitality and the warm bushveld affability are custodians for good old golf etiquette.

Please contact the Pro Shop at Koro Creek Golf Estate to make your booking NOW: Tel: +27 (0) 14 717 1181

For more information and bookings please contact us on (014) 717 1181 or e-mail us at info@korocreek.com. Visit our website at www.korocreek.com

31 SEPTEMBER 2012

EQUIPMENT

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EQUIPMENT

Club selection In part two of our What’s in your Bag series we look at how can you improve your score without spending hours on the practice tee every week. The answer: by selecting the correct club for the shot at hand

I

n the July issue of Tee to Green we started a series on how to improve your game without really trying.

In the first of these articles we looked at what was in your bag and gave suggestions as to the right mix of 14 clubs that would suit the average golfer.

This month we suggest how these clubs should be used on the golf course in order to give you the desired result – a better score.

As promised, you will not need to go and spend hours and hours on the driving range or practice your chipping, bunker play or even putting. Just take note of the tips given you and put them into practice.

On the tee

Try and hit a driver as often as possible. It’s true to say that golf is an easier when played from the fairway but it’s also easier the nearer you get to the hole. In my view, this was a major mistake in Tiger Woods’s game-plan for the recent Open Championship. He led the statistics for fairways hit. Of course he did in that he hit an iron off nearly every tee. Why he even bothered to carry the driver in his bag is a mystery. This resulted in long second shots into tight greens, guarded by those treacherous Lytham bunkers.

There is another golfing adage that says “swing with the one you bring”. Quite simply this means if your swing on the day is resulting in a slice, don’t fight it, play with it.

Stand on the right hand side of the tee, as near as you can to the tee marker, aim down the left side and let the slice bring you back into the fairway. Obviously, if it’s a hook you brought, you stand on the left and aim down the right. And if I’m hitting them on the head, you might ask?

This is almost always caused by your angle of approach being too steep. Place the ball forward in your stance, getting it right off the left toe for right-handers, thereby allowing the loft of the club to naturally get the ball airborne.

And remember its “swing” with the one you bring. Find a driver that suits you and one that you feel confident in and put a rhythmic, easy swing on the shot and you will get good results. If you want to get more accuracy with the driver have a shorter shaft fitted to the club.

Unfortunately what you might gain in accuracy you will lose in distance.

It’s your call.

From the fairway

Wherever possible, choose the club with which you have the most confidence in. Look at the green and see where the best place to miss the green is. And then choose the appropriate club that if badly hit will result in your ball finishing there.

An illustration of the above is that if there is no trouble in front of the green and that the ball could bounce up onto the green with all the trouble left and right and back of the green, rather err by under-clubbing than by trying to fly the ball all the way to the pin. If all the trouble is at the front, take the extra club to ensure that you carry the trouble and rather finish at the back of the green should you make a mistake.

It is always best to be in the middle of the green. South African courses in general have fairly small greens and if you placed the ball right in the centre you will seldom be faced with a long and difficult putt. Think dartboard and aim for the bull in the centre and you will almost always be on the board.

Ignore the pin position and aim for the centre of the green. Do that with whatever club you have in your hand even with short approach shots.

times this might require a wedge or gap wedge but more often than not a 9- or 8-iron is the club you should be using. If the fringe and fairway around the green is very closely mown use the putter. A bad putt will usually still leave you in that 10-foot radius while a bad chip usually results in you having to chip again.

Putting

Statistics show that most people will hole out from 3-foot and less 100% of the time. 3 to 12-foot putts are the scoring putts of the game.

These are the ones that you can make and will make the difference between an average and good round of golf. Anything beyond that requires an element of luck to finish in the hole. Even the best players aren’t sure of holing 20-foot putts.

What you want to do is be sure that any long putts end up in the 3-foot and less distance, thus avoiding

dreaded three-putts.

If you have really been following me you will realise that I am suggesting that you make more use of the most important club you have – the 15th club. Yes, the one between your ears. One of the best exponents of this club was the great Bobby Locke. Asked once about how he played the dreaded “Road Hole” the 17th at St. Andrews, Locke replied, “If you ever see my ball on the green in two at the 17th you know I have made a mistake.”

Locke played his second to finish just short of the green on the right, leaving himself a fairly simple chip and putt for par. At worst he would make five, more often than not a four and never a six.

Follow these simple suggestions when you next play and do it often so it becomes habit and part of your game. You will soon see your scores getting lower and lower.

From the Rough

Take your punishment, aim for the fairway and get your ball back in play. Don’t ever attempt the Seve Ballesteros glory shots that go low under trees, high over trees or left or right around trees. Find the clear shot back to the fairway, preferably forward, and take your medicine like a man! You will be amazed at how many double bogeys will become single drop shots.

Duca del Cosma as worn by Richard Sterne.

After huge success in Western Cape, Duca Del Cosma will now be available nationwide!

Cape Golf is looking for upmarket retailers and golf shops in all regions (including Namibia & Zimbabwe) to stock Duca del Cosma.

The 2013 Collection will be available to order soon.

Please contact Frank Lichte under 021-4238184 or frank@ducadelcosma.co.za | www.ducadelcosma.co.za

Bunkers

The first task is to get the ball out of a bunker, be it fairway or greenside. So be aware of the height of the bunker face and choose the appropriate club and play the shot.

Don’t look for too much from fairway bunkers and, from the greenside, anywhere in a 10-foot radius of the pin is a good bunker shot.

Chipping

If you had taken my advice from last month you will not have a 60� lob wedge in your bag so there will be no temptation to use one. Follow the rule – minimum air time, maximum ground time. In most cases you want to chip the ball so that it clears the fringe of the green, lands just on the green, releases and rolls to the pin. At

SMS “teetogreen”, the word “shoes”, your name and surname to 45633. (SMS charged at R1.50 – enter as many times as you like to increase your chances of winning)

tee to Green

33

EQUIPMENT

Can you buy a better game? Part2: Putting Eric Bornman from Tee to Green and Ferdi Morris, master fitter from The Pro Shop go at it again to see whether you can.

W

e got this segment off to a flashy start last month when we increased my average driving distance significantly by custom fitting a driver. But as the old cliché goes, you drive for show and you putt for dough so we’re getting stuck into the intricacies of putting this month.

Putting is far harsher when it comes to what defines success and failure.

You can drive it down the middle on every hole but you can’t expect and definitely will not drill every put in the back of the cup. You can miss the fairway and the green with your drive and approach respectively but sink a good putt and still make par. You cant make par if you three put no matter how good your drive or approach were. It’s an art. It requires as with other shots consistency but you have line and pace to consider as well as a pressure factor you don’t necessarily have with other shots.

It takes you two decent shots to get on the green when playing a 400+ meter par 4. The trick to making par though is to safely negotiate the next 15 odd meters (that’s less than 5% of the total distance) in another two shots. That sounds easy in theory but

we all know it ain’t so Plucky.

So why the philosophical discussion on putting? Because it makes or breaks a good round which means one thing: your putter could well be the most important club in your bag.

Your hand me down set has a putter in it. Ping Zing copper head nogal. Reputable brand, feels good enough. Should do the trick shouldn’t it? Well that is exactly the point. Not necessarily. Yes you’ll get the ball in the hole eventually and you might even sink a few but can you reduce your putts per round without spending hours on the putting green? If the only consistency about your putting is that you never seem to make a long one and you miss more 3 footers than you make, it can’t be your caddy and no you don’t necessarily have the yips.

On the practice green at the Pro Shop Wooodmead Fitment Centre Ferdi pulls out some Apple device, clips it to my putter and launches an app that measures some stuff among other swing path. I roll a few toward the hole, sink a couple and drive a few past but he gets what he's looking for. We head off to the measuring

EQUIPMENT

34 implements and start recording some data. Length; your hands should ideally hang free to make a more consistent pendulum swing. Grip thickness. A thicker grip tends to help with breaking wrists. We hit the green again and pull out the options available on the market today: blade, anser, mallet, belly, almost belly, long putter, broom handle and a new adjustable option. Thank goodness the little gizmo confirmed that a standard length mallet was my best option as opposed to that beast of a putter that Adam Scott uses.

I have a standard Odyssey Two-ball putter that sometimes works well and other times not so well. It seems that when I bought it, (it was on special and ironically enough because my mate’s hand me down saw more three puts than the Adventure Putt in Fourways) I got lucky. With literally hundreds of options on shelf the chances are very slim that you will choose the putter meant for you by chance. My fitting produced only two but significant flaws in my current putter setup: it wasn’t the correct length and the angle was off. Having adjusted that, time will tell whether I will now sink more putts. The bottom line is that bad results on the green can demoralize you big time and three putting sucks. One thing is for sure in that I am certainly more confident on the greens and knowing that I have the right club in my hand, I have one thing less to worry about.

tee to Green in the correct direction toward your target. Misaligning by just 1˚ on a 12foot putt is the difference between a make and a miss.

LOFT This refers to the putterface angle and is typically 3˚ on putters. This loft angle helps lift the golf ball out of the small depression it sits in on the green, imparting topspin more quickly for truer roll.

LIE ANGLE This measurement determines how the putterhead sits at address. A correct lie angle helps get the golf ball started on the intended target line. Most putters can have the lie angle bent either 3˚ upright or 3˚ flat, depending on the needs of each individual golfer.

The Jargon

LENGTH The proper length of a putter is largely determined by how a golfer addresses the ball with their normal putting posture. Standard lengths are 33, 34 and 35 inches. Standard womenís length putters are 32, 33 and 34 inches. Custom lengths are also available, as are belly and long designs. The 2011 season ushered in the era of the belly putter, with a number of tour professionals turning to models of that length to improve their stroke. Whether one prefers a traditional length putter, a belly putter or a long putter, the most important fitting factor is how the putter length feels in the golferís hand during the stroke.

ALIGNMENT One of the single-most important factors in making a good stroke and sinking more putts. Proper alignment gets the golf ball rolling

DID YOU KNOW? • The rules of golf allow putters to have up to 10˚ of loft before they are considered to be a wedge.

Most putters have lofts in the range of 2˚ to 6˚.

• Teachers across the world debate proper hand position all the time.

In the end, it comes down to comfort. Check out the strokes of all the great golfers, and you wonít see very many similarities.

• There is actually no ideal stroke path. The most important factor in making putts is having a square face at impact.

• The maximum lie angle on a putter allowed under the rules of golf is 80˚.

SWING PATH AND ROTATION There are two styles of swing paths that encompass nearly all golfers: straight-back/straight-through and arced. Golfers with a straight-back/ straight-through stroke generally keep their putter on a straight line from backswing through follow-through.

Golfers with an arced swing path generally take the putter to the inside on the backswing, square up at impact, and come back to the inside on the follow-through.

tee to Green

35

EQUIPMENT

And now for something completely different Goods, where he invented the graphite shaft for golf clubs.

During his years with the USGA, he developed the extensive testing procedures that measure and govern equipment today. He also introduced the Stimpmeter to quantify the speed of the greens.

Frank’s straightforward, honest opinions have been his trademark throughout his career, whether battling with Jack Nicklaus over distance, researching grooves and spin with Greg Norman or sparring with Tiger Woods and the PGA Tour over on-site testing, Frank is always “frank”.

P

utting is around half of your golfing score and the putter is used 2 to 3 times more often than a driver or a wedge. So I ask the question, how often do you practise your stroke? And I don’t mean rushing out onto the practice green for 5 minutes before you start your round of golf. At best this is going to slow down your heart rate after the rush to get to the course on time. Or give you the chance to say hello to your playing partners.

Maybe if you have a bit of time it will give you a feel for the speed of the greens on the day, assuming that they have been cut and prepared the same as those on the course.

Oh! it’s to build up some confidence by holing a few? Well we can all do that - simply restrict yourself to one and two foot putts.

Seriously if you want to improve your putting you need to take a page out of the Tour Pro’s manual. Spend a day at a Tour event and observe the time and effort that professional golfers put into this aspect of the game. Then find a putter that fits you, that you like the look of, that feels comfortable and then go to the club pro and take a lesson. In fact take more than one lesson. And then put in some serious time on the practice green. I firmly believe that an average golfer can shave off two or three strokes a round by taking this advice.

Unfortunately it is on-going. When it comes to putting practice does not make perfect but it certainly does make it better.

And now for something completely different

The Frog A word from Frank Thomas about the Frog….

During my 26 years of looking at and ruling on thousands of putters I decided after I left the USGA that there was some room for improvement in putter design.

It happened at 2:00am that I awoke

and thought about the most efficient design for a putter. I got up, and on an envelope I drew my ideal design for a putter and went back to bed.

In the morning, on scaled graph paper, I drew my detailed design with dimensions and in doing so, I recognized that it looked somewhat like a frog but hoped that nobody would see it the same way.

Within fifteen minutes of giving the design to my CAD people, they called and told me that it looked like a Frog and its name should be the Frog. I accepted the inevitable and resigned myself to naming it the “Frankly Frog” for which I am now very proud.

And who is Frank Thomas Frank Thomas has spent much of his life as one of the guardians of the game of golf, and today he is making it his mission to help golfers around the world. In his 26 years as Technical Director of the United States Golf Association, he was responsible for testing and ruling on the acceptability of every new club and ball.

Since leaving the USGA in 2000, he has devoted his efforts and passion to educating consumers about golf technology and empowering them to make better decisions about equipment.

His honest and straightforward evaluations of today’s technology reach millions of consumers through The Golf Channel and his own website www.franklygolf.com.

In 1963 in his 25foot sailboat “Banshee”, seeking to explore the world, Frank set sail for the USA from his native South Africa. His harrowing trip across the Atlantic, in which he faced several life and death situations, helped shape Frank’s character and philosophy, teaching him lessons about self-reliance, adaptability, and the relative value of technology and ingenuity in the face of awesome nature.

After arriving in the USA, Frank worked for Shakespeare Sporting

Putting Courses Frankly Frog offers a number of putting course both for qualified PGA Professionals and golfers in general. What should you expect from completing one of their online courses? Here are a few of the benefits reported by those who have taken the course: • Build confidence on the green • Improved focus • More consistent • Minimized 3-putts • Understanding of what is important to build a reliable putting stroke • Developed a pre-shot routine that can be counted on • Practice drills to make the most of your practice time • See improvement quickly in your putting The Fundamentals of Putting (FOP) Online Course is an easy way to improve your putting.

Over 300 PGA professionals from all over the world now teach putting having done the online Certified Putting Instructor Course. Aside from improving their ability to teach, these PGA professionals reported that their own putting improved as a result of completing the online course!

The course has been modified slightly so the average golfer can take advantage of these lessons to improve their own putting. It covers the following modules: The Twelve Fundamentals of Putting 1. Diagnostics 2. Putter Fitting 3. Grip 4. Ball Position 5. Set-up and Alignment 6. Lock and Rock 7. Swing Plane 8. Rhythm 9. Eye Movement 10. Pre-Shot Routine 11. Green Reading 12. Practice Drills Putter Technology 1. Putter Design 2. Putter Styles

3. Putter Rules 4. Impact For more information on Frog putters and where your nearest Certified Putting Instructor is based contact the Frankly Frog agent in South Africa - Janyne Marais at Sports Guru on 084 317 9544 or email janyne@sportsguru.co.za

The Anatomy of a Putt

1. Contact between putter and ball

For a 10 foot putt the clubhead approaches the ball at a speed of approximately 3-4 mph (depending on the green speed).

Impact will last for a little more than 1/2 of 1 millisecond (0.0005 seconds). The energy transfer from the clubhead to the ball is more efficient with a putter than any other club in the bag and approaches (or exceeds) a COR of 0.9 2. Ball leaves green surface with backspin

Because the putter has a loft of approx. 3-4 degrees this will "lift" the ball off the surface of the green. The ball is in flight and leaves the putter face with a small amount of backspin.

3. Ball lands, slides and starts forward spin

The ball will remain in flight for approximately 4 inches before making contact with the green.

Because the ball has backspin it will slide and tend to start rolling for approximately 10-12 inches.

Thereafter it will take on a pure rolling motion....and if aimed correctly with the right speed.... should fall in the hole!

36

HUMOUR

tee to Green

Balls 'n All A humorous look at golf - the game we can't live with and we can't live with...

10 BEST GOLF CADDY REPLIES GOLFER: "Think I'm going to drown myself in the lake."

CADDY: "Think you can keep your head down that long?"

GOLFER: "I'd move heaven and earth to break 100 on this course."

CADDY: "Try heaven, you've already moved the earth."

GOLFER: "Do you think my game is improving?"

CADDY: "Yes sir, you miss the ball much closer now."

GOLFER: "Do you think I can get there with a 5 iron?"

CADDY: "Eventually."

GOLFER: "You've got to be the worst caddy in the world."

CADDY: "I don't think so sir.

That would be too much of a coincidence."

GOLFER: "Please stop checking your watch all the time. It's too much of a distraction."

CADDY: "It's not a watch sir, it's a compass."

GOLFER: "How do you like my game?"

CADDY: "Very good sir, but personally, I prefer golf."

GOLFER: "Do you think it's a sin to play on Sunday?"

CADDY: "The way you play, sir, it's a sin on any day."

GOLFER: "This is the worst course I've ever played on."

CADDY: "This isn't the golf course. We left that an hour ago."

GOLFER: "That can't be my ball, it's too old."

CADDY: "It's been a long time since we teed off, sir."

NOTICE Any persons (except players) caught collecting golf balls on the course will be prosecuted and have their balls removed

Confession Out on the golf course with his wife, The husband says, “Twenty years ago I had a brief affair. It meant nothing. I hope you can forgive me.” His wife was hurt but said, “Dearest, those days are long gone. What we have now is far more valuable. I forgive you.” They embraced and kissed.

On the seventeenth tee, the husband was starting his back swing when the wife blurted out, “I’m sorry darling, I’ve been so conscience stricken told me, but since we’re being honest with each other, I have something to tell you also.

Fifty-two years ago I had a sex change operation, I was a man before I met you. I hope you can forgive me.”

The husband, froze at the top of his back swing, then threw a fit! He slammed the driver into the ground, kicked the ball into the woods, stormed off the tee, pushed the golf cart over on its side, broke the rest of his clubs one by one, then started on her clubs.

He screamed and ranted, “You liar! You cheat! You despicable deceiver!

How could you? I trusted you with all my heart and soul - and all these years you’ve been playing off the LADIES TEES?!?!”

Some things are sacred.

A Good Golf Story Shortly after the Pope had apologized to the Jewish people for the treatment of Jews by the Catholic Church over the years, Ariel Sharon, the Prime Minister of Israel sent a proposal to the College of Cardinals for a friendly game of golf to be played between the two leaders, or their representatives, to demonstrate the friendship and ecumenical spirit shared by the Catholics and the Jews.

The Pope then met with his College of Cardinals to discuss the proposal.

“Your Holiness,” said one of the Cardinals, “Mr. Sharon wants to challenge you to a game of golf to show that you are old and unable to compete. I am afraid that this would tarnish our image in the world.”

The Pope thought about this and since he had never held a golf club in his life asked, “Don’t we have a Cardinal to represent me?”

“None who plays golf very well,” a Cardinal replied. “But,” he added, “there is a man named Jack Nicklaus, an American golfer who is a devout Catholic.

We can offer to make him a Cardinal, and then ask him to play Mr. Sharon as your personal representative. In addition to showing our spirit of cooperation, we will also win the match.”

Everyone agreed that this was a great idea. The call was made. Of course, Nicklaus was honored and he agreed to play as a representative of the Pope.

The day after the match, Nicklaus reported to the Vatican to inform the Pope of the result. “This is Cardinal Nicklaus. I have some good news and some bad news, Holiness,” said the golfer.

“Tell me the good news Cardinal Nicklaus,” said the Pope.

“Well, Your Holiness, I don’t like to brag, but even though I have played some pretty terrific rounds of golf in my life, this was the best I have ever played, by far. I must have been inspired from above. My drives were long and true, my irons were accurate and purposeful, and my putting was perfect. With all due respect, my play was truly miraculous.”

“How can there be bad news?” the Pope asked.

Nicklaus sighed, “I lost by three strokes to Rabbi Ernie Els.”

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