The resurgence of
golf! John Collier Golf
Insight for the South African golf industry
S p e c i a l F e at u r e – T h e r e s u r g e n c e o f g o l f
The resurgence of
go lf! A
t the end of November 2020, Louis and I travelled again, for the first time since February 2020. Normally we traverse the country during the year highlighting the goings on at our many, many amazing golf courses. However, as was the case with everyone, COVID-19 brought all travel plans to a complete standstill.
It was lovely to be on the road again and we concentrated our efforts on the golf courses and equipment suppliers in the Gauteng region. There was no particular reason that we chose to pick up again in Gauteng other than the fact that we had not seen the courses and suppliers there for some time. It was with some trepidation that we began our journey, after all the golf industry had been through a torrid time during lockdown and golf courses were only opened up again after the diligent efforts of GolfRSA and some other wonderful people. It did not take us long to see that golf has rebounded in spectacular fashion, whilst adhering to all protocols, the amount of people playing golf was simply astounding. Every golf course that we spoke to, told of increased numbers in rounds and memberships. The suppliers that we saw waxed lyrical about increased sales and youngsters turning to golf, as they start to see the benefits of the game. All in all it was the most positive experience and whilst one feels sympathy for sporting codes that are faring less well, it paints a very good picture for the game of golf going forward.
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S p e c i a l F e at u r e – T h e r e s u r g e n c e o f g o l f
JOHN COLLIER 2021
THIRTEENTH ANNUAL
John Collier Survey BEING GRATEFUL THAT 2020 IS OVER
L
ooking back, I think we would all agree that we are grateful that 2020 has gone. We grieve with those who have experienced loss of a loved one and we acknowledge how 2020 brought loss of various kinds; health, economic, financial, hope, memories, experiences, jobs, travel, loss of the usual, loss of certainty and loss of the rhythm of life. Despite this, we should be eternally grateful that we have got to this point, and considering all the lows of 2020, we should be filled with immense gratitude. Notwithstanding the lows and the negative health impacts of Covid 19, many golfers have realised the positive health impacts of this great game. It gets you out into the fresh air, into the sunshine, it has a role in preventing chronic disease such as heart disease and diabetes, and has psychological benefits such as improving mood, reducing anxiety and increased confidence. In support of this, recent published evidence indicates that record number of rounds have been registered
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and the number of active golfers has increased. This surely must be good news for the golf industry. From a governance and regulatory perspective, notwithstanding the lock down regulations of the Covid 19 pandemic, it is interesting to observe how much subordinate legislation was promulgated during 2020 which will impact upon golf clubs in the years to come. This will be discussed in the forthcoming 14th edition of the John Collier Annual Survey to be published in March 2021. In conclusion, to the South African golfing family, the PGA of SA, GolfRSA, the Provincial Unions, Golf Clubs, their management, and staff and last but not least all golfers, stay safe, stay healthy and best wishes for a prosperous and productive 2021! If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact us via email on ajcollier@telkomsa. net or visit our web page at www.johncolliergolf. com. JOHN COLLIER Johannesburg.
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S p e c i a l F e at u r e – T h e r e s u r g e n c e o f g o l f
John Collier Golf Insight for the South African golf industry
The winner for 2019-2020 was St Francis Links in St Francis Bay in the Eastern Cape and a Special Mention Award went to Eagle Canyon in Gauteng. Jeff Clause, CEO at St Francis Links is seen above second from left with his dedicated team.
J
ohn Collier Golf is a boutique governance and environmental consultancy that provides audit, advisory and research services for the South African golf industry. John Collier Golf publishes the John Collier Survey on Governance and Environmental Compliance for South African Golf Course annually, providing the only governance and environmental compliance bench marking data for the South African Golf industry. Biodiversity and our planets well-being: How golf plays its part. Principle 13 in the KingIVTM Report on Corporate Governance for South Africa states that; “the governing body should govern compliance with applicable laws and
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adopted, non-binding rules, codes and standards in a way that supports the organisation, such as golf clubs, being ethical and a good corporate citizen”. In this regard the John Collier Annual Survey illustrates just how much legislation has been promulgated regarding biodiversity. The knowledge of applicable biodiversity laws and their implementation is central to the sustainability of a golf club. There are many clubs throughout South Africa which are doing amazing things regarding biodiversity, but biodiversity loss and the degradation of its contributions to our planet’s well-being continues. The COVID-19 pandemic has further highlighted the importance of the relationship between people and nature. We are reminded that when
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S p e c i a l F e at u r e – T h e r e s u r g e n c e o f g o l f
we destroy and degrade biodiversity, we undermine the web of life and increase the risk of disease spill-over from wildlife to people. Responses to the pandemic provide a unique opportunity for transformative change, as an investment in the health, at the local level of the golf club, and in our planet, while also being an investment in our own future. The United Nations recently reported global data showing that two in five of the world’s plant species are at risk of extinction because of the destruction of the natural world. Seventy five percent of the Earth’s land surface has been significantly altered by human actions, including for example the loss of eighty-five percent of wetlands’ areas. At the same time, sixty six percent of the ocean area is experiencing multiple impacts from human activity, including commercial fishing, pollution, and chemical changes from acidification. There is a view that we are losing a race against time as we are probably losing species faster than we can find and name them.
needed by everyone. This includes golf clubs and in participating they will emphasise their status as being good corporate citizens. One action golf club management could take is to go back to basics and implement a biodiversity policy and procedure. In this regard recent research published in the John Collier Annual Survey indicates a twenty five percent compliance level by golf courses in respect of having a biodiversity policy and programs in place. Alistair John Collier is the CEO of the John Collier Survey, he holds a master of laws in environmental law from Wits University and practiced as an advocate specialising in the fields of social security and environmental law. Alistair worked as a certified environmental auditor with the Southern African Auditor and Training Certification Authority and is a golf course assessor for the international body Golf Environment Organisation. Areas of research include: Environmental Management Planning; Biodiversity; Landscape and Cultural Heritage; Water Resource Management; Turf-Grass Management; Waste Management; Energy Management; Education and Working Environment; Communication and Public Awareness. For further assistance and more information, contact ajcollier@telkomsa.net or visit www.johncolliergolf.com
The direct causes of biodiversity loss are many and have either grown steadily or accelerated in recent decades, however solutions to the loss of biodiversity can be found. It is in this regard that Golf Clubs can make their contribution. Sustainable use and conservation of biodiversity is key to ensure that no one is left behind, but urgent action on biodiversity for sustainable development is
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S p e c i a l F e at u r e – T h e r e s u r g e n c e o f g o l f
COVID-19 NEVER STOOD A CHANCE
Henk Buitendach GM Thatchfield GC, Chairperson TGMA
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he year 2020. What a perfectly rounded number. It had to be good right?
Because let us be honest, the last time we experienced such a profound milestone (the year 2000 ring any bells), we expected the Y2K, also known as the millennium bug, to wreak havoc on our computerized systems and networks around the world. Yet the year 2000 provided no disasters or surprises, except maybe for the fact that I met my wife and decided to sport poorly executed blonde highlights, life quite simply carried on. So, blissfully unaware, absolutely no-one expected that 2020 would throw us such a curveball? Yet this was the year that a bug decided to hop off a bat and go on an around-the-world-in-30-days’ vacation. For those without families, the idea of a 3-week lockdown was going to be great. A forced holiday so to say: binge watching Netflix, unlimited computer games, sleeping late and not feeling guilty about not swiping your gym card. For those of us with children, and with pregnant wives in their third trimester, well…. I am still traumatised about it all, so I would just rather not elaborate. Once the lockdown was extended by another two weeks, things got more serious. We started seeing job losses and salary cuts. For some arbitrary reason, the stress and
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anxiety levels forced some into buying toilet paper and baked beans in hospitality quantities. Others decided to pay 10 times the price for illegal liquor and cigarettes, all as an attempt to restore sanity! I will also mention that my wife is most certainly not the blonde I always thought she was. What happened to the world we used to know? Golf Lockdown has been exceptionally hard on our economy, and there is no need to devote much time to that topic. However, let`s talk about golf in specific? A chicken without its head, running mad, is exactly the way I felt when word first got out of a hard lockdown. The initial 3 weeks were tough, but the stress was compounded when 2 more weeks were added and we realised that no-one would be back at our facility- possibly until level 2, whenever that was supposed to be? How would I deal with it all? How was I going to ensure a healthy, sustainable business, that could still provide job security for my long-term staff, and still present a golf club in decent shape when golf was to return. The myriad of questions, attempting to interpret the ever-changing government gazette, and then figuring out how I would incorporate and implement changes to our operations, had me confounded to sleepless nights. More clarity and direction were needed, and I was desperately searching for answers. Its almost like the situation called for a superhero to step up and be the voice
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S p e c i a l F e at u r e – T h e r e s u r g e n c e o f g o l f of the industry. We needed answers and we needed them now. So, with that said, Associations’ right across the country came together. To name a few like The Club Managers Associations of South Africa (CMASA), Professional Golfer Association of SA (PGA SA) all the way through to associations’ like the Turf Grass Managers Association (TGMA) of Gauteng. These associations played a significant role in providing vital information to its members, they took charge, trying to make sense of all the chaos. This then propelled GolfRSA, PGA SA and CMASA into becoming the voice for golf across the country, an undoubtedly massive undertaking. With GolfRSA, CMASA and PGA SA at the helm, there was finally a very committed and hardworking engine that we were able to follow and take direction from. They spearheaded proposals to re-open, provided risk mitigation strategies that all golf clubs could make use of, and we could finally start planning for our rather uncertain futures. GolfRSA introduced and paid for the HealthDocs app, which allowed each club the position to track and trace golfers’ symptoms when golf eventually returned. There was also the introduction of a Help fund for caddies and casual workers, to help the most vulnerable golfing staff. At this point, all that mattered was that we now finally had a light at the end of the tunnel. And Like the famous Desmond Tutu once said, “Hope is being able to see that there is light despite all of the darkness”. As time went on, representatives established talks with government officials, and a glimmer of hope appeared. Financial Reserves to sustain businesses were drastically depleted and clubs simply had no choice but to reopen for any hope of survival.
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It was at this point that I started wondering that when we survived this pandemic, especially in conjunction with our economic crises, would anyone maintain their devotion to golf? Would golf be the first expense cut when finances were tight? Would there be at least enough golfers to keep the industry afloat? So, then June came and finally, we got the green light to re-open. Then something amazing happened which, quite miraculously, still cannot be explained? Golf was back baby, and BACK WITH A BANG!!!! Record weeks of rounds being played, turned into record months. The facility, despite strict protocols, was busier than ever. GOLF WAS BACK and back for good. The hunger for the game re-emerged and more so than ever. It seemed that during the pandemic crisis, people just wanted to play golf and if they were not playing themselves, they were either buying new clubs or sponsoring a round for a friend in need. Clichéd or not, the saying that you don’t know what you have until it’s gone, has never held more truth. If this enthusiasm for golf continues, most clubs will be well on their way to recovering losses incurred because of the COVID-19 lockdown. If there is one thing our South African community most certainly has, it is GRIT. Perseverance like few other nationalities. It has been shown on numerous occasions in our country, that when we come together, we can make anything possible. Thank you to the SA golfing community for your endless support, your dedicated love for the game, and your commitment to your club. It has been you that has made this all possible. From one golf lover to another. Thank you.
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