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TEE SHEET how to play . what to play . where to play . NOVEMBER 2023
6 Editor’s Letter Golf Digest returns to South Africa. Mind 10 Journeys Garrick Higgo on his pathway from Plettenberg Bay to the PGA Tour. WITH GABRIELLE HERZIG 12 Undercover Caddie A drinking problem wrecked my player relationship and nearly ended my career. WITH JOEL BEALL 14 Course Census Census shows South Africa has 414 courses. 53 new ones opened since 2000, but 50 closed. 18 Best 50 Halfway Houses Blair Atholl is ranked No 1 ahead of Country Club Johannesburg
90 16 metres to better golf All you need do is get 16 metres better across driving, iron play, distance wedges and putting. WITH MARK BLACKBURN Features 34 Sun City’s greatest tournament The 1998 Nedbank Million Dollar Challenge attracted Tiger Woods and 7 of the world’s top 10. BY STUART MCLEAN 40 Homa and JT add power American stars have been missed at Sun City.
52 Indian Ocean Jewel La Réserve Golf Links is a
new irresistible reason to visit Mauritius for a golfing holiday. BY JU KUANG TAN 56 Thriston Lawrence A golfing prodigy as a teenager, SA’s top-ranked player is now living his dream. WITH STUART MCLEAN
and Leopard Creek. BY STUART MCLEAN
22 Secret of longevity and good golf Don’t run with chainsaws and other life-saving tips. BY JERRY TARDE Instruction 24 Play your best without your best stuff My tips to help you salvage your round. BY MAX HOMA 44 Fix it Fast, Fix it Forever How to survive 6 common faults on the course and eliminate them for good. WITH BUTCH HARMON 64 Secrets of the tour’s best putters Many of the game’s best on the greens hail from Australia WITH LUCAS HERBERT
72 All the rage What’s behind the glut of viral
golf-fight videos? BY ALEX MYERS
82 The Ryder Cup is broken, and there’s no easy fix The home team reign will continue forever without radical change. BY SHANE RYAN
88 SA Designer of Marco Simone Dave Sampson’s masterpiece
enhanced Ryder Cup. BY STUART MCLEAN
EDITOR’S LETTER E Return of an instructive media brand
W elcome to the return of Golf Digest. It has been five years since the global brand closed in South Africa. A monthly magazine had been printed from 1995 to 2018, and its loss was felt by many in the golfing community. Retiring then as editor with the final edition, it was hard to imagine Golf Digest ever returning to this country in the evolving media world of the time. I am glad to be proved wrong. Morecorp, owners of The Pro Shop franchise and World of Golf facility in Gauteng, have acquired the licensing rights and envisage taking it to new heights with their investment. Morecorp’s business has always had the interests of South African golfers at heart, whether it is through selling the latest equipment and apparel at their Pro Shop stores at the lowest possible prices, creating world-class practice facilities, and enabling opportunities for any person, of any skill level, to learn or improve their golfing skills through professional coaching. And their businesses are underpinned by a passion for technology. The World of Golf is soon to open its innovative GOLFTEC studios following the recent launch of the HotShots entertainment venue offering fun golfing games. The company’s acquisition of the Golf Digest brand was done primarily to build on that philosophy of improvement, to open a new avenue
industry with the development of the SA Top 100 Courses website, which launched in early 2020. It was created to keep alive the Top 100 course rankings which had been first published in Golf Digest in 1998 (initially the Top 50, it expanded to the Top 100 in 2002), and to include content about the golf clubs, courses, their staff and member achievements. It is there principally to preserve the history of the game in this country. A benefit of having the rankings on a website is that they can be accessed at any time and stay front of mind during the year. Each of the courses has its own page, complete with club history, course and statistical information. There is a dynamic rating of course conditioning and facilities under Top Courses by category. My work since 2020 has taken me around South Africa on numerous occasions. Every trip on the road in my own vehicle, visiting a wide variety of courses, both 18 and 9 holes, to keep myself updated on their progress and development. It has been an interesting journey and one that I will continue alongside Golf Digest. The annual rankings, posted on social media and the website at the end of January, will now find a home on the Golf Digest SA website. Stuart McLean stuart@morecorp.co.za
for golfers to play better. Golf Digest is famous worldwide for the quality of its instruction, employing a broad range of outstanding teaching professionals who provide remarkable insights into the golf swing. Through the magazine and a website platform we will be giving golfers an extensive variety of tips on every part of the game. This first digital issue includes four in-depth instruction articles: Top-10 performer Max Homa with tips on how to salvage a rocky round; legendary coach Butch Harmon with his swing fixes that are directed at the club golfer; PGA Tour pro Lucas Herbert reveals his putting secrets; while teaching pro Mark Blackburn shows how you can incrementally improve by focusing on measurable, manageable parts of your game. Previously a print magazine, Golf Digest SA will now sit on two digital platforms, firstly a magazine format, and secondly as a Golf Digest South Africa website. Golf Digest in the United States has also moved forward under new ownership by Warner Brothers Discovery, a global media and entertainment company. Warner Brothers merged with Discovery in 2022. Their business is real- life entertainment, serving a passionate audience of superfans around the world with content that inspires, informs and entertains. Following the closure of Golf Digest SA I remained active in the golfing
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GOLF DIGEST USA EDITOR-IN-CHIEF JERRY TARDE, EDITORIAL DIRECTOR MAX ADLER, EXECUTIVE EDITOR PETER MORRICE, INTERNATIONAL EDITOR JU KUANG TAN TEACHING PROFESSIONALS: TODD ANDERSON, MARK BLACKBURN, CHUCK COOK, HANK HANEY, BUTCH HARMON, ERIKA LARKIN, DAVID LEADBETTER, CAMERON MCCORMICK, JIM MCLEAN, RENEE POWELL, RANDY SMITH, RICK SMITH, DAVE STOCKTON, JOSH ZANDER PROFESSIONAL ADVISORS: AMY ALCOTT, RANDY MYERS, NICK PRICE, JUDY RANKIN, LUCIUS RICCIO, BOB ROTELLA, BEN SHEAR, RALPH SIMPSON, DR ARA SUPPIAH
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M
MIND / JOURNEYS
“Don’t book a return flight home for me. I’m going to win,” and I did. The win got me straight onto the European Tour. All my plans changed after that day. The European Tour was a big level up. I missed eight cuts in six months. My driving accuracy and consistency needed a lot of work. When you win, your expectations go up, but you lose so much in golf that you have to realise you can still have a good week without winning. I’ve learned to manage my expectations with the reality of pro golf. ● ● ● Then suddenly I had two European Tour wins in three starts. Because of the pandemic, my family and my fiancee, Chandre, whom I’ve known since we were in primary school, didn’t see those wins. My world ranking shot up to 51, and I qualified for the 2021 PGA Championship at The Ocean Course (Kiawah Island). It was the most people I’ve ever played in front of. ● ● ● PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan gave me an exemption to the Palmetto Championship. During the front nine on Sunday, I was just trying to hang on because I didn’t have my A-game off the tee. I like scrambling, and I made some great saves. On the 13th hole, I snap-hooked a drive, and it ricocheted back to the forward tees, but I managed to save par. There weren’t many leader boards early in the round, so I didn’t know that things were crumbling for Chesson Hadley. The course looks simple, but if you hit the ball a little off-line, there’s a lot of trouble. I could have imploded just as easily as the other guys, but I parred everything coming in. ● ● ● I was warming up for a potential playoff when told I had won. It was an incredible moment to secure my PGA Tour card. My mom was there. It was the first time in two years she was able to watch me compete. During my press conference, Gary Player called me. He said, “I don’t think I’ve ever been more excited about anybody winning a golf tournament.” ● ● ● I’ve settled into a life in Sea Island, Georgia, with Chandre. She travels with me, and I’m friends with the South Africans and Aussies on tour. After two years of living on the road, I’d found where I’m supposed to be.
‘I Could Have Imploded Just as Easily’ You lose so much in golf that you have to realise you can still M y dad loved the game. He taught me how to play when I was growing up. When I was 9, my family made the 13-hour drive to Johannesburg from our holiday home in Plettenberg Bay to visit our newborn cousin. I can barely talk about what happened. My dad, Michael, my mom, Susan, my older brother, Michael, and my younger sister, Calista, and I were all in the car when another vehicle struck us. My father didn’t survive. have a good week without winning By Garrick Higgo with Gabrielle Herzig
the semifinals. I played in the inaugural Junior Presidents Cup against the US team under the captaincy of Trevor Immelman. The University of Nevada, Las Vegas offered me a full ride. ● ● ●
I got a letter from Gary Player, whom I’d met through my former swing coach and lifelong mentor, Cliff Barnard, club pro at Plettenberg Bay CC. Gary’s mother died when he was young, too. We developed a special bond. We call each other and talk about everything. Before the 2016 US Amateur at Oakland Hills, where Gary won the 1972 PGA Championship, he talked me through every hole. Gary tells it like it is. If he notices parts of my game that need improvement, he’ll let me know. ● ● ● After my dad died, we moved to Stellenbosch. My siblings didn’t play golf, but I became serious about it as a teenager. My dad was an excellent rugby and cricket player. He was 6-10. I’m only 6-foot, but I played rugby as a kid, too. I made up for my lack of size by being cheeky: I mixed creativity with a bit of trash talk. When I was 13, I went in for a tackle, and my elbow snapped outwards. My mom said: “That’s it. No more.” The recovery was so long, I couldn’t play golf for a year. ● ● ● When 17 I became the No 1 amateur in South Africa. In 2017, I played the US Junior and lost to Matthew Wolff in
I enjoyed college, but I was itching to get out on tour. After one year, I left UNLV to turn pro and moved back to South Africa in 2019 to play on the developmental Big Easy Tour. In my first
GARRICK HIGGO AGE: 24 FROM: STELLENBOSCH, SOUTH AFRICA WR: 163
event, I missed the cut, but I didn’t question myself or my decision. I wanted to be a pro no matter what. In my second event, I won. ● ● ● I won twice on the Sunshine Tour, including the 2020 Tour Championship at Serengeti. Then COVID hit a few weeks later. We didn’t play again until June. It was a hard time for so many, but I focused on the positives: I had a good practice setup hitting balls indoors with my TrackMan, and I got to spend time with my family who I’d missed while travelling. ● ● ● The tours started back up, and I played the 2020 Portugal Open, a co- sanctioned Challenge Tour event with the European Tour. I teased my agent,
PHOTOGRAPH BY JENSEN LARSON
10 GOLF DIGEST SOUTH AFRICA
GOLF DIGEST X
NOVEMBER 2023
ISSUE X 2022
M MIND / ON TOUR
Undercover Caddie A drinking problem wrecked my player relationship and nearly ended my career
D rinking cost me my job on the PGA Tour. How did it happen? It’s like that Hemingway line: “Gradually, then suddenly.” I always thought I had a safe relationship with alcohol. My first beer was in college, and it’s not like I was vertical on a keg every weekend. I might have a six-pack every Friday and Saturday night. I know that qualifies as binge drinking now, but back then, and compared to a lot of other college students, that was considered moderate. After graduation, one of my high school buddies tried to chase his dream on the mini-tours. I didn’t have a job yet, so I figured I’d caddie for him and delay adulting as long as I could. He didn’t last a year before quitting, realising his game was nowhere near what it needed to be. I wasn’t ready for an office job, so I found another bag, which led to another bag, and two years later I was on the PGA Tour. When I started, the leading money winner on tour made less than $2 million, and only 20 or so guys cracked $500 000. If you were a caddie and weren’t with a star, you were roughing it, and for the first five years, that was me. Still, I loved it. I was single and didn’t need much. As much fun as I was having, life on the road can be constricting when you’re on a budget. One of the cheaper things to do is, well, drink. Not helping matters was rooming with other caddies each week. Everyone else was drinking, too, almost on a daily basis. Again, I enjoyed myself, but it’s not like we were getting bombed all the time; on most nights I would have just two drinks to unwind. Still, there were other times when we drank a lot more. I don’t care how practised you are at putting ’em back, heavy drinking catches up to you the next day. That our jobs require being outside, often in the heat, didn’t make those days easy. Still, when you’re in your late 20s, even early 30s, you can handle those days – or at least hide them.
MIND / ON TOUR
another round, but given my track record, he probably thought I was in the bag on that day, too. Those were the last rounds we had together because after the season he fired me and told me if I wanted to stay on tour, I needed to get serious about my job. Those first months I waited by the phone. I had been on tour for more than a decade; someone would need me. As I waited, I drank, but the phone never rang. By the time the US Open came, I still didn’t have a job. At that point I knew word was out about why I got canned, and the phone wouldn’t be ringing anytime soon. I stopped binge drinking around then: no programmes, no divine intervention, didn’t go cold turkey. Instead, I weened myself off for a good two months, and that was weird – drinking not for fun but to get my body ready to be off it – but I needed to do it. I wanted to be back on tour, and the first step back would be putting the bottle down for good. I had to return to the then-Nationwide Tour to find a bag, and although I never stuck with anyone longer than a few tournaments, I found a semi-regular job back in the big leagues. My old player had given me a recommendation. We have never totally reconciled – player- caddie breakups tend to be that way – but I am forever grateful that he did me that favour. It has been 10 years since I’ve been back, and I’m actually winding down. It hasn’t been easy. The temptation is still there to drink. There’s still a lot of downtime, and though the money is so much better now than it was when I started, my budget is still tight. Drinking is a cheap, easy-to-get thrill, and when I hang out with other caddies, at least a few of them are enjoying their spirits. I am mostly stepping aside from a full-time bag because I’m newly married and want to be home more with my family. If I’m being completely honest, drinking played a big role in the decision, too, because quitting wasn’t easy, and this caddie life only makes it harder.
Then I got pretty bad at hiding them. I know because my player’s agent told me he was worried because I was constantly showing up to the course hungover. By that point I was near 40. Two of the guys I had routinely roomed with were no longer on tour, and two others had started shacking up with another group. I still couldn’t afford solo accommodations, but I never made an effort to get to know the new caddies I was with on a weekly basis. Often I would drink by myself, sometimes 10 beers a night, before falling asleep. The agent was right; I was a mess. I wish I could tell you I came to my senses, but I didn’t. Two weeks later I got wrecked before a Saturday round, and on the range my player gave me a What did you do last night stare. How was it messing with my work? I wasn’t giving my player bad reads or yardages. It’s not like I would pass out in a bunker or vomit on the course (although sometimes both seemed like good options). Frankly, my player didn’t need much from me. The biggest thing he wanted was a loose mood. Usually that meant talking baseball or making him laugh. I’m not going to lie, we had one of the best rapports on tour. But looking back, when I was hungover, I tended to be silent, or my energy level wasn’t where it needed to be. There weren’t any dramatic on-course incidents, but my drinking affected my player’s performance. There was a dispiriting off-the-course moment, however. Not very long after the agent’s warning I received a blow from my player. His parents were in town, and before a round his father told me afterwards to join the group for dinner. A few hours later, as we’re shutting it down for the day, my player tells me, “I don’t think you should come tonight because I need your best tomorrow.” He said it gently but sternly. The implication was clear: If I came out, I would drink, and I would drink to excess. Here’s the worst part: In two of the next 10 rounds we had, I showed up hungover. He knew it, too. I was sick
ILLUSTRATION BY MADISON KETCHAM
GOLF DIGEST SOUTH AFRICA 13
NOVEMBER 2023
Undercover Caddie
MIND / COURSES M
Beachwood was one of SA’s premier seaside courses. Now reduced to 10 holes as it awaits development.
Census shows SA now has 414 courses 53 new courses opened since 2000, but 50 have closed. T he millennium has seen 53 new courses opened in South Africa, 43 with 18 holes, and ten 9-holers. Nearly all opened in the boom years between 2000 and 2010, and the golf course design and construction industry has been comparatively inactive since then. Yet there has been an equivalent loss of courses in the same period, more 9-holers than those with 18. Some belonged to the mining industry, while remote locations proved problematic for costly-to-maintain 18-holers. Several city courses shut, either bankrupt or selling their land for development reasons. Two of those 53 new courses, Legend (resort in Limpopo) and Bushman Sands (residential estate in Eastern
9-holers in Mpumalanga and Limpopo, an 18-hole Par 3 Course at Hazendal estate in the Western Cape, the 9-hole Sedge Links in the Garden Route, with a mix of par 3s and short par 4s, and 9-hole Penn Valley on the KZN South Coast. Affiliation figures We remain a small golfing nation in a big country, 129 118 affiliated men and women as at the end of 2022. The national 2023 figures have not yet been confirmed by GolfRSA. And that’s after the Covid boost to golf, which saw affiliation jump by 5 329 from the 2020 total of 123 789. Disappointing though remains the number of women golfers, just 14 228, which is 1 500 down from 2017. There has been a notable decline in numbers at the Central Gauteng, Gauteng North and Ekurhuleni golf unions, which make up the greater Gauteng region. From 46 704 golfers in 2017 to 40 756, a drop of nearly 13% over five years. And 8 000 of those members are at four clubs, CCJ, Bryanston, Randpark and Royal Johannesburg. Central, once having the biggest membership of the 14 provincial unions, has seen its latest 2023 affiliated numbers plummet to under 20 000, which puts it a distant No 2
Cape), were among the casualties. Their remote locality proved a liability, as it did for Fish River (Eastern Cape resort) and Leopard Park (residential estate in North West). Two other far-flung estate courses were built and never opened for play due to the downturn in the economy after 2008: Nondela in Northern KwaZulu-Natal (Ernie Els design) and Tsitsikamma at Storms River in the Garden Route (Golf Data). Nondela is being rehabilitated, and is expected to finally open in 2024 or 2025. Course closures have long been part of the golfing landscape, but the last 25 years has seen an average of one a year when it comes to 18-holers. Cherished layouts too, such as Kensington, King David, Fish River, Crown Mines and Hans Merensky. Fortunately the latter is likely to be revived under new ownership, which is welcome news. A census by the SA Top 100 courses website has revealed that 414 courses currently have affiliation to GolfRSA, a breakdown of 195 with 18 holes and 219 with 9 holes. That includes a unique 13-holer at Ladysmith in KZN. The 9-holers include extra nines at two 27- hole facilities, Hermanus and Paarl. There are additional courses which have no affiliation, among them two
The Legend resort course in Limpopo closed in 2019. It features the “Extreme 19th” from the top of Hanglip mountain. There are plans to revive it
GOLF DIGEST SOUTH AFRICA 15
NOVEMBER 2023
MIND / COURSES M
18-HOLE COURSES OPENED SINCE 2000 CENTRAL GAUTENG (6): Eagle Canyon, Eye of Africa, Houghton, Jackal Creek, Soweto, Steyn City. EASTERN CAPE (6): Bushman Sands, Katberg, Olivewood, St Francis Links, The Belmont, Wedgewood GARDEN ROUTE (6): Kingswood, Oubaai, Pezula, Pinnacle Point, Simola, The Links at Fancourt LIMPOPO (5): Elements, Euphoria, Koro Creek, Legend, Zebula FREE STATE (4): Clarens, Heron Banks, Parys, Vaal de Grace GAUTENG NORTH (4): Blair Atholl, Blue Valley, Els Club Copperleaf, Pebble Rock KZN (4): Cotswold Downs, Gowrie Farm*, Simbithi, Vulintaba* WESTERN CAPE (4): Atlantic Beach, Hermanus (27 holes), Pearl Valley, Robertson
18-HOLE COURSES CLOSED SINCE 2000 GAUTENG (7): Crown Mines, Houghton*, Huddle Park (2), Leeuwkop, Ohenimuri, Randfontein EASTERN CAPE (6): Alexander, Bushman Sands, Fish River, Grahamstown, King William’s Town, Wedgewood*
SA’s newest 18-holer, The Belmont, opened in 2015 near Grahamstown in the Eastern Cape, and unusually has no housing.
WESTERN CAPE (3): Bramble Hill, King David, Hermanus*
NORTH WEST (3): Blyvooruitzicht, Leopard Park, Stilfontein
LIMPOPO (2): Hans Merensky, Legend
MPUMALANGA (1): Tweefontein *New course built on old site
Northern Cape is more than twice the size of the Eastern Cape, and has 27 courses with 1 545 members. Ulco GC near Kimberley, with 10 members, might have the smallest membership of any club in SA with a course. By contrast, in the greater Gauteng region, golfers have a choice of 65 18- hole courses within a 100-kilometre radius of Observatory GC, the closest course to the Johannesburg CBD. That is one-third of the total number of 18-holers. Changing the landscape Those 53 new courses since 2000 substantially altered the landscape of the Golf Digest Top 100 rankings. Nine of the new 18-holers have never made the Top 100 – that list includes Millvale, an exclusive private club in the North West with no wish to be ranked – but the majority of the others have pushed
with sand and oil greens in the Northern Cape near Upington. There is a possibility Legend and Hans Merensky will re-open, as happened with Huddle Park in Johannesburg, where the Blue Course was restored on property which once boasted 54 holes, plus Vaal River courses Emfuleni and Vaal de Grace (shut during Covid). Three of those 50 courses lost have been rebuilt as entirely new designs – Hermanus, Houghton and Wedgewood. We are seeing a trend of 18-holers being reduced to 9 for financial reasons: Durban’s Beachwood (earmarked for development), Sakabula in the KZN Midlands (development on back nine), Sand River and Ladybrand (Free State), Walmer CC and Zwartkop. Walmer in Port Elizabeth did close, yet 14 holes remain open for play in poor condition, with a container as a clubhouse.
behind KZN, which has 26 086. This figure is somewhat misleading though. The true number of golfers who reside in KZN is considerably fewer. Two remote KZN clubs, Port Shepstone (5560 members) and Cathedral Peak (4675), have cornered the “virtual membership” market by offering cheap deals snapped up by locals countrywide and foreigners. Between them they have 10 235 members, some 8% of the total SA affiliation numbers! In addition, two other minor KZN clubs, Drakensberg Gardens and Umfolozi, have 2 442 members. This is slightly less than the combined membership of Mount Edgecombe (948), Durban Country Club (660), Umhlali (560) and Simbithi (560). Outside the main metropolitan areas courses are few and far between. The Eastern Cape is more than twice the size of Scotland, yet has 46 courses compared to Scotland’s 550. The
out many older layouts. Several courses which began as 9-holers have graduated to 18, including this year Gowrie Farm in the KZN Midlands and Vulintaba in the Northern KZN Drakensberg. The new nines have yet to officially open. Others have been Goose Valley in the Garden Route, St Francis Bay in the Eastern Cape, Millvale and Seasons in North West Province. Three new 18-holers, Clarens, Parys and Robertson (all estates), were built on the sites of original 9-holers without using the old holes. The SA Top 100 Courses census indicates 50 courses no longer with us from those counted in 2000. The split is 23 of 18 holes, and 27 of 9 holes. We lost eight Bob Grimsdell designs, four by Gary Player, and one by Peter Matkovich. Few will have played the delightfully named Eureka, an abandoned 18-holer
EKURHULENI (2): Ebotse Links, Serengeti
NORTH WEST: Millvale*
MPUMALANGA: Highland Gate *Originally opened as a 9-holer
A full list of South Africa’s 414 courses is available on the SA Top 100 Courses website. CLICK HERE
16 GOLF DIGEST SOUTH AFRICA
NOVEMBER 2023
M MIND / RANKINGS
SA's Top 50 Halfway Houses Blair Atholl voted No 1 ahead of CCJ and Leopard Creek
By Stuart McLean
T he halfway house break is a traditional part of every round in South Africa. It’s fair to say that golf wouldn’t seem the same without this welcome respite for a refreshing drink and some form of sustenance. And the tastier the fare, the greater the anticipation beforehand. Most halfway houses follow an age- old formula in terms of their catering – pies, toasted sandwiches, bacon and eggs – yet some have become quite sophisticated, notably at exclusive high-end clubs, or residential estates, where members feel that superior dining is an essential part of the playing experience. The quality varies broadly from club to club, and the SA Top 100 Courses website has done the first ever ranking of the 50 Best Halfway Houses, based on ratings received from golfers on clubhouse facilities at courses they have played. The halfway house criteria is simple enough: How did you find the standard of catering and service? And is it an attractive and comfortable area in which to sit and relax? The halfway house is said to have evolved from a service provided in the 19th century on the Old Course at St Andrews. The par-4 fourth is known as the Ginger Beer Hole. The teeing ground was where David “Daw”
Blair Atholl’s halfway house has a unique river setting.
exclusiveness, are clubs such as Blair Atholl, Country Club Johannesburg, Leopard Creek, and The Links at Fancourt. Blair Atholl is No 1 and its halfway house offers a unique and stylish alfresco dining experience on the banks of the Crocodile River flowing through the Gauteng estate. A chef is on hand preparing hot food, and you can serve yourself whatever is available. The cost is part of the green fee. It’s a small structure, as being a one-tee course there is never more than two fourballs dining at any time. When the next group arrives it’s time to reluctantly leave. Country Club Johannesburg ranks No 2, and the quality and variety of the halfway offering confirms its lofty status. Catering for two courses and club members, it is essentially a buffet restaurant, serving a selection of
Anderson parked his basketwork cart and served home-made ginger beer and lemon juice. Golfers made use of it on their return journey to the clubhouse, at the adjoining 15th. “Daw” was at various times a greenskeeper, golf club maker, and caddie for Allan Robertson, one of the game’s first professionals. His son James Anderson won three consecutive Opens from 1877 to 1879. The Old Course today is one of the few links in Scotland with a halfway house facility, and a substantial building at that, behind the ninth green. It’s the only one at St Andrews. Golfers are not encouraged to linger though. Once served their cup of coffee and sandwich they hasten to the tenth tee, unless they want to relinquish their place in the field. Leading the way among the 50 Best Halfway Houses, perhaps not surprisingly considering their
GOLF DIGEST SOUTH AFRICA 19
NOVEMBER 2023
M
TOP 50 HALFWAY HOUSES
MIND / RANKINGS
Tommy Fleetwood
Africa’s Major
TOP 10 1 Blair Atholl 2 Country Club Johannesburg 3 Leopard Creek 4 The Links at Fancourt 5 Hermanus 6 Atlantic Beach 7 The Club at Steyn City 8 Bryanston 9 Knysna 10 Pretoria CC SECOND 10 11 Champagne Sports Resort 12 Paarl 13 Pearl Valley
14 De Zalze 15 Woodhill 16 Zimbali 17 Serengeti 18 Steenberg
5-star views: the halfway house at The Links at Fancourt.
"BLAIR ATHOLL, RANKED THE NO 1 HALFWAY HOUSE ON THE TOP 100 COURSES WEBSITE, OFFERS SOMETHING UNIQUE AND STYLISH, AN ALFRESCO DINING EXPERIENCE ON THE BANKS OF THE CROCODILE RIVER FLOWING THROUGH THE GAUTENG ESTATE."
19 San Lameer 20 Gowrie Farm THIRD 10 21 Houghton 22 The Belmont 23 Eagle Canyon 24 Lost City
tempting meals, healthy and otherwise, throughout the day. I usually plump for pan-fried fish and chips, which is hard to resist. Leopard Creek’s halfway house (No 3) is situated on a sunny upstairs deck at the rear of the clubhouse, overlooking another far larger Crocodile River. It’s a favourite spot and busy area, attracting not just golfers but anyone seeking a cup of tea and a quick snack with friends. A quality presentation of food and drink is refreshing on a warm Lowveld day. The Links at Fancourt, No 4, has one of the most attractive stand-alone halfway houses, built on a rise overlooking the green of the par-5 ninth, some distance from the clubhouse. The views of the Garden Route mountain range are sublime. Again, relatively compact, with an outside area of tables. Choice of food is limited, but can be exceptional. I once memorably sat down to a seared tuna steak and salad, followed by a Magnum. There’s an hourglass which measures the recommended length of time a fourball should stay. Hermanus at No 5 has the best halfway house – an attractive room at the far end of the clubhouse, catering for meals throughout the day – of any public access course in the Western Cape, edging out Atlantic Beach, where the clubhouse has been converted into a lifestyle centre for residents and members.
25 St Francis Links 26 Cotswold Downs 27 Kambaku 28 Erinvale 29 Durbanville 30 Arabella FOURTH 10 31 Bosch Hoek 32 Gary Player CC 33 Goose Valley 34 Glendower 35 Royal Johannesburg 36 Simola 37 Kingswood 38 Killarney 39 Stellenbosch 40 Olivewood FIFTH 10
9 - 12 November Sun City
41 Fancourt 42 Dainfern 43 Ebotse Links 44 Westlake 45 Prince’s Grant 46 Pinnacle Point 47 Randpark 48 Centurion 49 Royal Cape 50 Goldfields West
Nedbank Golf Challenge App
Stylish rattan chairs in the Leopard Creek clubhouse.
nedbankgolfchallenge.com
20 GOLF DIGEST SOUTH AFRICA
NOVEMBER 2023
MIND / THE NEXT ONE'S GOOD M
What's the Secret of Longevity and Good Golf? Don't run with chainsaws and other life-saving tips What’s the Secret of Longevity and Good Golf? Don’t run with chainsaws and other life-saving tips By Jerry Tarde Longevity and Good Golf? Don’t run with chainsaws and other life-saving tips By Jerry Tarde By Jerry Tarde I ONCE WROTE A BOOK WITH SAM Snead, and the most remarkable thing about it was the title: Pigeons, Marks, Hustlers and Other Golf Bettors You Can Beat. The cover showed Sam holding two pigeons. He had an instinctive way with all critters and was a natural wonder himself. Nothing could be more indelible than watching Sam kick the top of a door jamb from a standing start to win a bet, which he could do well into his 80s. He had good genes – his great grandmother lived till 106. Fred Couples may be breaking his age and Bernhard Langer may be the oldest winner on the Champions Tour, but Sam grew old the most gracefully. When I asked him the secret to longevity and good golf, Snead gave me his stock answer: “If you swing it back short when you’re young, you’ll never get it back when you’re old.” And he talked about tempo: “The harder you hit the nail, the slower you take the hammer back.” Sam was also known as a teetotaler, but I personally observed him stop at the clubhouse bar during tournament play and order a “daiquiri – extra sweet.” Could that have been his secret? The first celebrity I ever played golf with was Joan Fontaine, the glamorous movie star of the 1940s whose chauffeur drove her to meet me at Winged Foot in a Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow. She said her secret was to always walk the course: “It’s good for your health and your swing.” Just last year, Clint Eastwood told me his secret to aging was simply: “I wake up every morning and don’t let the old man in. If you think you’re old, if you talk about it enough, you will be.” I’ve been searching ever since the sports psychologist Bob Rotella quoted Satchel Snead, and the most remark- able thing about it was the title: Pigeons, Marks, Hustlers and Oth- er Golf Bettors You Can Beat . The cover showed Sam holding two pigeons. He had an instinctive way with all critters and was a natural wonder himself. Noth- ing could be more indelible than watch- ing Sam kick the top of a door jamb from a standing start to win a bet, which he could do well into his 80s. He had good genes—his great grandmother lived till 106. Fred Couples may be breaking his age and Bernhard Langer may be the oldest winner on the Champions Tour, but Sam grew old the most gracefully. When I asked him the secret to lon- gevity and good golf, Snead gave me his stock answer: “If you swing it back short when you’re young, you’ll never get it back when you’re old.” And he talked about tempo: “The harder you hit the nail, the slower you take the hammer back.” Sam was also known as a teeto- taler, but I personally observed him stop at the clubhouse bar during tourna- ment play and order a “daiquiri—extra sweet.” Could that have been his secret? The first celebrity I ever played golf with was Joan Fontaine, the glamorous movie star of the 1940s whose chauf- feur drove her to meet me at Winged Foot in a Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow. She said her secret was to always walk the course: “It’s good for your health and your swing.” Just last year, Clint Eastwood told me his secret to aging was simply: “I wake up every morn- ing and don’t let the old man in. If you think you’re old, if you talk about it enough, you will be.” I er Golf Bettors You Can Beat . The cover showed Sam holding two pigeons. He had an instinctive way with all critters and was a natural wonder himself. Noth- ing could be more indelible than watch- ing Sam kick the top of a door jamb from a standing start to win a bet, which he could do well into his 80s. He had good genes—his great grandmother lived till 106. Fred Couples may be breaking his age and Bernhard Langer may be the oldest winner on the Champions Tour, but Sam grew old the most gracefully. When I asked him the secret to lon- gevity and good golf, Snead gave me his stock answer: “If you swing it back short when you’re young, you’ll never get it back when you’re old.” And he talked about tempo: “The harder you hit the nail, the slower you take the hammer back.” Sam was also known as a teeto- taler, but I personally observed him stop at the clubhouse bar during tourna- ment play and order a “daiquiri—extra sweet.” Could that have been his secret? The first celebrity I ever played golf with was Joan Fontaine, the glamorous movie star of the 1940s whose chauf- feur drove her to meet me at Winged Foot in a Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow. She said her secret was to always walk the course: “It’s good for your health and your swing.” Just last year, Clint Eastwood told me his secret to aging was simply: “I wake up every morn- ing and don’t let the old man in. If you think you’re old, if you talk about it enough, you will be.” I Snead, and the most remark- able thing about it was the title: Pigeons, Marks, Hustlers and Oth- M 22 GOLF DIGEST FEBRUARY X 2023 22 GOLF DIGEST FEBRUARY X 2023 What’s the Secret of
MIND / THE NEXT ONE’S GOOD MIND / THE NEXT ONE’S GOOD
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HIGH-KICKIN’ AT AGE 67. Sam Snead with Seve Ballesteros
HIGH-KICKIN’ AT AGE 67. Sam Snead with Seve Ballesteros
at the 1979 Ryder Cup.
at the 1979 Ryder Cup.
Paige to me: “How old would you be if you didn’t know how old you was?” This question about aging I’ve come to ask all my golf buddies, especially doctor friends. What’s your secret? Bill Perocchi has no medical training, but the co-chairman of Pebble Beach Company gave me the best advice that I have the hardest time following: Drink 3 litres of water, and walk 10 000 steps every day. A new study published by the Journal of the American Medical Association shows that vigorous walking not only extends life but significantly reduces the risk of dementia. (Actually 6 000 to 8 000 steps might be optimal, the equivalent of about 12 holes.) When I asked Dr Neal ElAttrache, the lead physician for the Los Angeles Dodgers and Rams, he said: “Avoid carbs and foods that cause inflammation.” That’s all the stuff we like – sugars, processed snacks, red meat, bread, fried food, soda. I think it When I asked Dr. Neal ElAttrache, the lead physician for the Los Angeles Dodg- ers and Rams, he said: “Avoid carbs and foods that cause inflammation.” That’s all the stuff we like—sugars, processed When I asked Dr. Neal ElAttrache, the lead physician for the Los Angeles Dodg- ers and Rams, he said: “Avoid carbs and foods that cause inflammation.” That’s all the stuff we like—sugars, processed I’ve been searching ever since the sport psychologist Bob Rotella quoted Satchel Paige to me: “How old would you be if you didn’t know how old you was?” This question about aging I’ve come to ask all my golf buddies, especially doc- tor friends. What’s your secret? Bill Perocchi has no medical train- ing, but the co-chairman of Pebble Beach Company gave me the best ad- vice that I have the hardest time fol- lowing: Drink 100 ounces of water, and walk 10,000 steps every day. A new study published by the Journal of the American Medical Association shows that vigorous walking not only extends life but significantly reduces the risk of dementia. (Actually 6,000 to 8,000 steps might be optimal, the equivalent of about 12 holes.) Bill Perocchi has no medical train- ing, but the co-chairman of Pebble Beach Company gave me the best ad- vice that I have the hardest time fol- lowing: Drink 100 ounces of water, and walk 10,000 steps every day. A new study published by the Journal of the American Medical Association shows that vigorous walking not only extends life but significantly reduces the risk of dementia. (Actually 6,000 to 8,000 steps might be optimal, the equivalent of about 12 holes.) I’ve been searching ever since the sport psychologist Bob Rotella quoted Satchel Paige to me: “How old would you be if you didn’t know how old you was?” This question about aging I’ve come to ask all my golf buddies, especially doc- tor friends. What’s your secret?
snacks, red meat, bread, fried food, soda. I think it was Bette Davis who said, “Old age ain’t no place for sissies.” “A happy life is a longer life,” says Dr. Phil Ozuah, CEO of Montefiore Med- ical Center. “The happiest people are grateful. The unhappiest are entitled. Be grateful.” “A happy life is a longer life,” says Dr. Phil Ozuah, CEO of Montefiore Med- ical Center. “The happiest people are grateful. The unhappiest are entitled. Be grateful.” “Approach every day as another opportunity to excel,” says Dr. Frank Camissa of the Hospital for Special Surgery. His colleague Dr. David Altchek says, “Always focus on pos- ture” to escape the back pain that shortens a golfer’s life. “Eat and drink in moderation and don’t ever have smoked,” says Dr. Jeff Small, a urolo- gist at Bridgeport Hospital. I like the two things Dr. Steve Packer, who runs Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula, told me. “In the world’s Blue Zones, where the larg- est percentage of people over 100 live, there’s a tremendous sense of com- munity and being engaged,” he says. I like the two things Dr. Steve Packer, who runs Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula, told me. “In the world’s Blue Zones, where the larg- est percentage of people over 100 live, there’s a tremendous sense of com- munity and being engaged,” he says. snacks, red meat, bread, fried food, soda. I think it was Bette Davis who said, “Old age ain’t no place for sissies.” “Approach every day as another opportunity to excel,” says Dr. Frank Camissa of the Hospital for Special Surgery. His colleague Dr. David Altchek says, “Always focus on pos- ture” to escape the back pain that shortens a golfer’s life. “Eat and drink in moderation and don’t ever have smoked,” says Dr. Jeff Small, a urolo- gist at Bridgeport Hospital.
was Bette Davis who said, “Old age ain’t no place for sissies.” “A happy life is a longer life,” says Dr Phil Ozuah, CEO of Montefiore Medical Centre. “The happiest people are grateful. The unhappiest are entitled. Be grateful.” “Approach every day as another opportunity to excel,” says Dr Frank Camissa of the Hospital for Special Surgery. His colleague Dr David Altchek says, “Always focus on posture” to escape the back pain that shortens a golfer’s life. “Eat and drink in moderation and don’t ever have smoked,” says Dr Jeff Small, a urologist at Bridgeport Hospital. I like the two things Dr Steve Packer, who runs Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula, told me. “In the world’s Blue Zones, where the largest percentage of people over 100 live, there’s a tremendous sense of community and being engaged,” he says.
We'd love the opportunity to discuss your specific business banking needs and how we can help you. Stephen Swart | New Business and Sales Head stephen.swart@fnb.co.za | 079 504 4125
22 GOLF DIGEST SOUTH AFRICA
NOVEMBER 2023
PLAY YOUR BEST
MY TIPS TO HELP YOU SALVAGE YOUR ROUND
WITHOUT
YOUR BEST STUFF
BY MAX HOMA PHOTOGRAPHS BY JENSEN LARSON
I I confess to being something of a swing nerd. When I work on my game with my main coach, Mark Blackburn, I want to see all the data behind what I’m doing and understand what’s happening. However, the conversations we have on Wednesday of a tournament week are very different than those in a practice session. When it’s time to play, you need to think about position, not perfection. How do you leave this shot in a spot where you can hit the next one? If you do make a bad swing, how do you absorb that and move on without throwing your round away? That’s much more about mind-set, decision-making and discipline than it is about technique. I’ve learned to be tough on myself for making reckless decisions and letting negativity from a bad shot bleed over – not for failing to execute a swing the way I wanted. That’s what I’m after in this story – to help you get some of that attitude. I’ll help you play your best when you don’t have your best by taking you through my game from tee to green and showing you how I make decisions and pick shots that reduce risk and release pressure. I want you to have a similar process, so you don’t get trapped in a negative, defensive cycle. Then again, if negative, defensive cycles are your thing, that’s cool, too. You do you. We’ll be over here making good pars. – with Matthew Rudy
DRIVING DOWNSHIFT TO GET IT IN PLAY
SETUP DRAW 3-WOOD
is a must, I’ll go with two other options. When I need to hit a draw, I’ll use my 3-wood. I move the ball position from in line with my lead shoulder – like I would for a driver – to the right side of the logo on my shirt. I also set up closer to the ball. You can see my arms hanging closer to my body ( opposite page, top left) . Finally, I close my stance, so my toe line is a little right of my target. All of this helps me draw it. When I can still play a cut driver but have to find the fairway, I tee the ball down. You can’t even see it in this picture ( opposite page, bottom left ). I then aim at the left edge of the fairway, swing slightly out to in, and embrace the left-to- right curve, finishing with this “held off” look ( left ). The ball doesn’t fly as far, but I also don’t have to send out a search party to find it.
If you’re on a bad run of holes,
it’s tempting to try something different off the tee or swing at 140 percent – because, hey, what you’re doing isn’t working. Instead, you should be tightening your choices under stress, not multiplying them. In those times, I get the physics of the clubs to work for me instead of trying to fight them. My advice is, return to your most reliable option off the tee, even if it’s not the best shot for the hole or you’re giving up distance. Just get it in play. Normally with my driver, I try to air it out with a cut. But when I’m not hitting it great or accuracy
SETUP LOW-CUT DRIVER
26 GOLF DIGEST SOUTH AFRICA
NOVEMBER 2023
WEDGES QUIET YOUR WRIST ACTION
CLUBFACE PARALLEL TO SPINE
CLOSED CLUBFACE
Try a shallower,
Keeping with the spirit of limiting
Steve Stricker method instead. Stay stable and make a backswing with very little wrist set ( left ). With less set and a wider arc, the attack angle will be much shallower and the ball comes out lower. You don’t need it to drop from the heavens to stop it, because your stability through the shot is going to produce cleaner contact and a lot of spin. Even if you don’t catch it just right, the shallower attack angle gets the bounce of the club, its backside, sliding on top of the turf, so you still produce a decent shot. Remember, if you’re taking big pelts of sod when you hit these shots, you’re doing it wrong.
choices when your game goes crooked, distance wedges are easier to hit under quieter hand-action conditions. The most forgiving wedge shot comes from a swing with a wider arc and minimal hinging and unhinging of the wrists. When you’re
struggling with these shots, it’s usually because you’re making a steep swing and
hitting the ground in inconsistent places. One shot is heavy and 20 metres short, and the next one is clean and 10 metres over the green.
ball comes off the club. You’ll compress it instead of wiping across it. Then it’s a matter of swinging more from inside the target line to straighten out shots
in a strong or “closed” position. Then as my arms drop in the downswing, I get the clubface parallel to my spine ( above, right ). Now it’s way more closed, I bet, than you have it at this point – and the sweet spot on the face stays behind me instead of lurching out towards the target line as I rotate my chest through. When you get the clubface in this position halfway down, you’ll notice a big difference in how the
IRON PLAY SET THE FACE, THEN SIMPLY PIVOT
It’s natural to feel desperate when you can’t
the ball curve or adding speed with extra hand action through impact. Instead, start hitting good shots again by getting the clubface in a stronger position and letting your body’s pivot do the work. Let me explain. If my clubface is skyward at the top of the swing ( above, left ), it’s
if you’re hitting pulls. Once you’re striping it and want to start changing trajectory
find the centre of the face with your irons, or you’re spraying the ball all over the place. I’ve been there, and the way out is to pare down as many things from your swing as you can. That means resisting the temptation to try to make
and curve, adjust only one thing: Move the ball slightly forward to hit it higher and fade it, or move it back to hit it lower with more draw. That formula is key to consistency.
28 GOLF DIGEST SOUTH AFRICA
GOLF DIGEST SOUTH AFRICA 29
NOVEMBER 2023
NOVEMBER 2023
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