KNOW YOUR PGA PRO - John Woudberg, Golf Director at Ebotse Links

When did you qualify as a PGA Professional?

I qualified in July 2016.

What made you choose this career?

I have always enjoyed taking part in sport be it golf, cricket or tennis. I decided to choose this career as I have always enjoyed being outside (such as on the fairways) and amongst people who have a love and respect for the game.

Has it always been golf for you?

During my school career I played tennis,golf and cricket and was pretty good at all sports generally, but it just so happens that golf took preference later on.

Did you ever play or did you ever want to play on tour?

No, sadly I never had the opportunity to tour even though It’s always been a dream of mine.

Who has been you mentor in the golfing industry?

This is a difficult question as I have been mentored by many great PGA members over the years such as Brian Prytz who assisted with the start of my career, Kennith Dube,

Craig Stickling, Hardus Maritz and Grant Veenstra just to name a few.

You have been at Ebotse Links for a while now, what are your biggest challenges at a residential golf estate?

To ensure that the residents privacy is not compromised by our golfers and the rules of the estate are adhered to by all that frequent the golf club.

Describe a typical work day for a PGA Club Professional?

My day starts before sunrise and ends long after sunset. The golf course set up has to be in pristine condition to ensure our members and visitors enjoy a flawless game of golf without a hitch. From liaising with members to special requests and going the extra mile is just part of my typical day.

During the current lockdown we find ourselves in due to the Covid-19 virus, how did you keep yourself busy before the courses opened?

This was a once in a lifetime opportunity to fix all the things around the house that I said I would get to eventually, so I was a handyman for a while.

With the golf courses open now, what are your immediate challenges?

Club health and safety protocols set by Golf

RSA and PGA of South Africa were my first priority and ensuring staff were ready at such short notice definitely put a lot of pressure on everyone not to mention ensuring the course was kept in tip top shape for eager golfers who were chomping at the bit waiting for courses to be opened.

What I also have found challenging is ensuring that our golfers adhere to the new protocols, its difficult to monitor everyone at all times.

How is the golfing public, members and your staff responding to the new rules and regulations?

All is good at the moment but there are times that a little reminder is required.

With consumers already being careful on how they spend their money these days (pre Covid-19), what would your plan be to attract people to the club after lockdown?

With the hard lockdown that we have had, avid golfers (and there are many) could not wait to get back to the golf course and away from their four walls. So golf times are really filling up and due to the current restrictions of socializing numbers as set by government we have had to open our course on

Mondays which used to be maintenance day.

Slow play is one of the biggest problems in golf today, how do you manage slow play at Ebotse Links?

Ebotse Links is known to be a golf cart golf course and this has helped with slow play, but slow play will always be around. As a golfer we should adhere to the rules and always try keep up with the players infront.

A key part of reducing slow play is that there is open communication between marshalls and myself and the Pro Shop.

The members of a golf club always come first. Do you agree with the phrase “The member is always right”?

A members concern is always addressed to the best of our ability and in most cases yes the member is always right as is with most customer relation industries.

Does your position require you to be available on weekends, evenings, and holidays, and if so, does this place demands on your personal life?

Being golf director or in any managerial position in the sporting fraternity, your personal time is always halved.

What are your short & long term goals?

Short term is to see that Ebotse Links is running smoothly with all the protocols in place, long term is to ensure that the club grows from strength to strength.

Covid-19 aside, what is your opinion on the state of golf in South Africa?

Pre Covid-19 I found that the younger generation (young executive) was showing a definite interest in the sport as a business hub and we were lucky enough to be in a well-established area. The state of golf is definitely now on the increase and shall in time become more family-oriented.

What do you enjoy doing in your free time?

Spend time with friends and family and have a good braai, once permitted by the government.

Do you still get time to play?

Yes, I definitely do. A huge perk with my position is that I am able to play with my members and often encouraged to do so, it’s important to build relationships with all my members and what better way to do that than on the course.