KNOW YOUR PGA
PRO
1. When did you qualify as a PGA Professional? I studied Sport Management at Tshwane University of Technology in conjunction with the PGA. I very quickly realised that I love the game of golf more and qualified as a PGA professional in 2011. 2. What made you choose this career? I grew up with golf, so why not make your hobby your job? 3. Has it always been golf for you? Yes absolutely! 4. Did you ever play or did you ever want to play on tour? Yes, I think it’s any schoolboy’s dream. 5. You have been in the golf industry for a long time, who has been your biggest mentor? I qualified in 2011 so I am going on 11 years in the industry, I was fortunate to work at Sun City and my hospitality General Manager at the time, Raul De Lima was such an inspiration, managing 2000 plus staff and being able to make time for each and every person when needed! 6. You were at Sun City before moving down to the coast, what has been your biggest challenge at Pinnacle Point?
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The weather and moving from a corporate environment with all the power and say to a committee that guides and advises you.
7. Describe a typical workday for you at Pinnacle Point? I’m at the club at 7am and make sure all the golf carts are out. I do a meet-and-greet, make sure the pro shop is open, then check my emails. At around 11am I take a drive around the course with the greenkeeper, we normally plan things the day before. In the afternoons I make sure the members are all good; I spend time with them upstairs, listening to their comments and feedback. Around 4pm I take a last drive around the course, make sure the carts are clean, the GPS system is updating, and then I go through my emails again and say goodbye. There are a lot of unseen things, though, like budgeting, preparing the course, generally being on duty. On Wednesdays I play with members, which helps give me a feel of their expectations. There’s been mindshift for members. We’re now winning awards and the golf course experience is reaching a standard where we want it to be. 8. Has golf grown in your opinion over the last 2 years? Absolutely, golf has benefited from sport hungry people that came out of the covid-19 epidemic wanting to play a sport. Golf was the safest sport
www.sagolftrader.co.za
July | August 2022
