Whatever happened to?... Kevin Stone

In this edition of South African golfing greats from the past we chat with Kevin Stone. Kevin takes us back to where it all began, the highs and the lows and what he is up to today.

I was born in 1966 in a small mining town in the Free State called Harmony. My dad worked on the mines there so that’s where we were based at that time. Having my dad work on the mines, we used to move pretty often. That was until we eventually moved to Rustenburg where we stayed from 1974. My parents both still live in Rustenburg.

It was in Rustenburg that I met my love of my life and wife Desiree. We met in school in 1984 and eventually got married in 1990 on the 9th green at the Gary Player CC

It was there that I fell in love with the game of GOLF. My dad started playing a few years before we moved there and he joined the Rustenburg golf club. I used to caddy for him and that led me to start playing as well. I was pretty fortunate that I found golf a pretty easy game and was a scratch golfer by the age of 14. In those days there were pretty strict rules for juniors who wanted to play on the weekends. For example, you had to be a single handicap and had to play with two adult members as well.

It was in Rustenburg that I met my love of my life and wife Desiree. We met in school in 1984 and eventually got married in 1990 on the 9th green at the Gary Player CC. We have two boys as well. Brandon who is a professional golfer and Jarryd who is studying in the USA on a soccer scholarship. Jarryd is busy doing his masters and should be done next year.

Once I finished the compulsory military in 1988, I really didn’t know what I was going to do for a career. I had been offered a golf scholarship to the USA in 1986 but decided to first do my military training then go over. Unfortunately the offer was cancelled then. That is my only regret that I have so far in my life. Who knows how my life would be now????

It was working in the golf shop that I realised that hard work will not kill you

I then turned pro at the start of 1988 and at first really enjoyed my time on “tour”. Over the next 9 years I manged to win 10 events in SA. It was only when Brandon was born that I realised that being away from home for 38 weeks a year wasn’t what I wanted. In 1998 a job offer came up in Centurion CC with a Pete Matkovich company. I applied for the job and got the job as golf professional at Centurion CC. To this day both Desiree and I still regard CCC as home. In fact Brandon actually lives there with his wife Anette and his three dogs so we visit as often as we can.

From left Ernie Els, Kevin Stone, Jenny Germs and Mannie Zerman

It was working in the golf shop that I realised that hard work will not kill you. In fact I find it very rewarding still getting home knowing that the day was a good proactive, productive day. I actually remember working 103 days in a row without a day off…… We were there for 10 years before starting Gardener Ross golf estate. There we worked closely with Mark Wiltshire and Ernie Els. In fact the name changed to Copperleaf a few years later. Ernie designed the course, and it is now known as The Els Club at Copperleaf.

Not much beats living at the coast in the year round warm climate

From there Desiree went to Wingate CC in Pretoria and I went to work with the High-performance Centre at TUKS. I was also the manger/coach for GolfRSA. I really enjoyed that but once Covid came that all fell apart and all forms of travel were stopped. In the meantime Desiree started working as the CEO for Mount Edgecombe Country Club. It was 7 years later that I became the Golf Director there. I have now been here 3 years and have really enjoyed my time here. Not much beats living at the coast in the year round warm climate.

As far as my playing career goes, once I turned 50, I decided to try the Champions Tour in the US.I actually did pretty well until I contracted Lyme disease and TB. I was out of action for a very long time. Once I was healthy again I started playing the local Senior Tour. I managed to win a few events as well. It was only when I managed to score 61 in the final round and win by 10 shots at JCC (the week before lockdown) that I decided to quit on a record that no other golfer has……not even Tiger. My lowest recorded score and biggest winning margin of my career….. What a way to END my playing career.

To this day I have no regrets…….my only advice I can give ANY sportsman is YOU WILL ONLY GET BACK WHAT YOU PUT IN.