Know your Golf Club's GM - Hardus Maritz, Ebotse Links

Know your golf club's GM - Hardus Maritz, Ebotse Links

You have been in the golf industry for a long time now, what made you choose this career?

I started playing golf when I was 12 years old, and quickly excelled in golf. I won the Cape Province Championships in 1999 at PE Golf Club, where I was the assistant greenkeeper.

My goal was to become a professional golfer, but as we know it is not easy, and I decided to pursue a career in greenkeeping, and never looked back.

You were a golf course superintendent at various courses before taking up the managerial position at Ebotse Links, why the change?

I have worked at some of the best golf courses in the country, had my own turf maintenance business, there is only so much you can do, and when I got the opportunity of becoming the GM at Ebotse Links, I grabbed the opportunity with both hands.

Did you ever have a mentor or someone you looked up to?

In the turf industry I had 3 mentors, Jock Tame, Mike Wallington and Peter Matkovich.

Golf is on the rise, it is so great to see so many people taking up the game

From a General Manager point of view, I looked up to Peet De Wet and Paul Leishman.

Describe a typical workday for you at Ebotse Links?

I spent a lot of my time on the golf course with our greenkeeper, Bethuel Moyo. Our golf course is our biggest asset, and it is important to ensure the golf course is in good condition all the time.

I also spent a lot of time with our Golf Director, John Woudberg, to discuss the week ahead and ensure we fill the golf course.

When I took over as the GM in 2017, I realized very quickly you need to ensure you look after the financials daily, income and expense in this industry is vital, much of my time is spent on how to improve the business and ensuring we make profits.

What are your biggest challenges currently at Ebotse Links?

Ebotse Golf & Country Estate was built on an old mine quarry, unfortunately the soil is not brilliant, so we are constantly looking at ways to improve our growing medium.

And then finances, everything is getting more expensive these days, so we must look at ways to improve our bottom line.

Has the hospitality industry grown in your opinion over the last 3 years?

Yes, I do believe the hospitality industry has grown in the past years, we are fortunate to have Doppio Zero running our food and beverage at Ebotse, they have made a big difference to our service delivery.

Golf is on the rise, it is so great to see so many people taking up the game, which is important for the golf industry.

With consumers already being careful on how they spend their money these days, what is your plan to attract people to Ebotse Links?

Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays were always very quiet at Ebotse, when I took over my team and I looked at ways to attract more people on these days, and with the current Monday Special, Tuesday Open Day, and Senior Wednesdays we are attracting many players to Ebotse.

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In your opinion, what factors contribute to excellent customer service?

Communication, listen to your customers and ensuring your staff are well trained.

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

In the golf industry you work long hours, it is important that you have well trained staff to ensure they can do the job when you are not on duty. I always say you are only as good as the people working for you.

I love fly fishing, like golf you must have good tempo

I suppose you also get used to the job, and you learn how to deal with working long hours, golf is my passion, and to wake up every morning doing what I love, lets me live out my passion.

What are your short & long term goals?

I think I have achieved my short-term goal, when I was appointed as the GM of Ebotse Links, long term goal is to excel in my position and to keep on improving by studying further and learning from my peers.

What do you enjoy doing in your free time?

I love fly fishing, like golf you must have good tempo, and there is never a dull moment, you always busy.

Do you still get time to play some golf?

Yes, I do, I am playing off a 2 handicap currently, and still love to compete. I always encourage my staff to play golf, golf is our business, and you need to understand the challenges we face daily, and you only realize this when you play the game yourself.