Indholdsfortegnelse for February 2023 i Compleat Golfer

BRANDON STONE Texas vs Oklahoma It’s no secret that college football is something to behold, often regarded as more popular than the NFL [its professional counterpart]. One of the biggest games in college football is the ‘Red River Rivalry’ between the University of Texas and Oklahoma University. The game is called the ‘Cotton Bowl’ and is played in Dallas, Texas. Before the game begins there’s the world-famous Texas State Fair. Frequented by many thousands, it’s one of the most festive environments I’ve seen. Being in Dallas, there are cowboys everywhere, dressed like they’re straight out of a Hollywood blockbuster. Somewhat overwhelming for a kid from Pretoria. There are braais everywhere too. And, for some reason, they find it fascinating to deep-fry the most peculiar things. Oreos and ice cream for…

TOM KIM Meet Joo-Hyung Kim. Or Tom Kim, as he is rapidly becoming known across the world of golf. Generation Z he might be, but perhaps more relevant, he’s got the X factor. Born and raised in Seoul, in the Republic of Korea, the 20-year-old now calls Dallas, Texas, his home as he goes about putting Asia on the global map. It’s long been predicted by followers of the game that the next big superstars will come out of Asia. The women’s game is already full of such talent - but it’s taken some time for the men to follow suit. Kim spent Christmas in his new home from home with one of the city’s most famous golfing exports. Major champion and former world No 1 Jordan Spieth. ‘My family wasn’t…

REINARD KILIAN RULES One of the things that make our game unique is that the playing field changes from week to week on Tour. While the Rules of Golf apply universally to all golf, each course will have some scenarios that apply only at that particular course. For this reason, the Rules of Golf allow committees to draw up local rules in addition to the standard rules. There are guidelines and model local rules that have been authorised by the R&A. It’s important to note that a local rule cannot overrule a rule of golf. It merely applies to that unique situation. On Tour, we play on many courses, but there are still certain aspects to weekly tournament golf that we want to keep consistent so players can apply the…

SIGNATURE HOLE 17th hole, 168m, par three The par-three 17th at West Bank Golf Club screams its signature status. At 168m off the tips, your average player will need a long-iron or hybrid. The tee is set back in the thick coastal shrub, protecting you from whatever wind may be around - and as a coastal course, particularly in the Eastern Cape, one can expect a strong breeze far the most part. One needs to clear a small water hazard before reaching the green, which rises from the ground like a pimple. Referring back to the original small, round greens, it seems this green has not been touched since 1930. Although the surface is relatively flat, finding it is not easy, especially with the steep drop-off around the back and…

Soft Feel What Srixon says: ‘These feature Srixon’s softest FastLayer Core to date. This FastLayer gradually transitions from a soft inner core to a firm outer edge, behaving like a core with thousands of layers, giving you distance and great feel without compromise. This ball features a more resilient core which snaps back into shape more quickly after impact. That added snap means more ball speed and more distance off the tee.’ Random review: ‘This is a really impressive model that combines good distance with a lovely feel on all types of shots. It perhaps lacks a little bite around the greens and it’s in the middle of the pack for durability but it’s a fantastic option at such an affordable price for golfers who enjoy a soft feel.’ -…

The younger reader might not be familiar with the term, ‘the cheque’s in the post’. There was a time when people used to access their mail by going to their letterbox - it was also called a post box - to see what the postman had delivered. These days a mailbox is more understood as the depository of emails. However, Ryan Fox might just, at the age of 35, remember the days when the post was delivered by hand to his home in Auckland And he got a welcome reminder of that era when he returned from a holiday in January to find an invitation to the 2023 Masters among his pile of mail. The New Zealander, who had played a full part in last year’s Nedbank Golf Challenge at…

RYAN CAIRNS COLUMN The year is two thousand and twentythree. The future is already here. Yet despite what we have gained by way of technological advancement, medical treatments and even discoveries beyond our universe - we, as a society, still seem lost. Cast your mind back to just one generation before us and it already feels like they had it all figured out. Golf membership numbers were way up - but more importantly than the numbers themselves, the members were engaged and involved at their home club. Nowadays, we throw the kitchen sink at marketing our club to new members, only to have them join with one foot out the door already, as they stand by for a better offer. Whether it be from another golf club, or another sport…

GARY LEMKE COLUMN This time last year Louis Oosthuizen was on the front cover of this magazine. He had signed off 2021 as the l0th-ranked goiter in the World Ranking and spoke of his ambitions for 2022. They included staying in the top 10 - ‘the ranking is important to me. as it is to all golfers’ - and breaking that string of runnerup finishes at the Majors and adding to his Open Championship title of 2010 By the end of the year. Oosthuizen had slipped to No 48 in the world, having had to rely on a top-10 finish at the Alfred Dunhill Championship at Leopard Creek to stay in the top 50. Ironically, the last time he was ranked as low was the week before he won The…

EQUIPMENT There are three key elements when it comes to finding the right golf ball. Remember, the ball is the only piece of equipment that you will use on every shot of every round. So, if you’re investing time and money when it comes to getting the right clubs for your game, then the same should apply to your approach to the golf balls you use. 1. Start small: Tiger Woods always begins his ball-testing by hitting delicate chips to see how they react on the green. Distance is important but you should put a premium on touch shots. Does the ball elevate your short game? How much time you spend around the green? 2. Go long: Once you’ve found a few worthy options, get the balls on a launch…

GOLF RSA Ben Weber, a 13-year-old member of East London Golf Club, got his year off to the perfect start in the season-opening Nomads SA U15 Championship. Weber hung tough through some difficult weather at Robertson Golf Club to claim his third national title after winning last year’s Sun City U15 Challenge and Dimension Data U15 Junior Open. In addition to the two individual titles in 2022, Weber was part of the Selborne Primary team that won the Ernie Els Primary School Championship at Oubaai Golf Club in August. Weber led the Nomads event from start to finish, carding rounds of 69, 68 and 72 for a total of seven under par and a threestroke victory. Beginning the final day with a three-snot lead, the nerves came out early. ‘I…

REPLAY South Africa’s Anton Haig won a nail-biting three-way playoff against compatriot Richard Sterne and England’s Oliver Wilson to win his first European Tour title at the Johnnie Walker Classic at Blue Canyon Country Club in Phuket. The three all finished regular play with a total of 13-under 275. The 20-year-old from Johannesburg sent his three-foot putt home for a birdie in the shoot-out on the 18th hole to win for the first time in 17 appearances on the European Tour. The $2.45-million tournament was co-sanctioned by the European Tour, Asian Tour and Australasian Tour. The winner received prize money of $405 000 and a qualification exemption for the European Tour. Among the most favoured pre-tournament contenders, South African Retief Goosen turned in the most creditable performance, holding fourth place…

GOLF SURVEY Towards the end of last year, a survey was sent to professional golfers during the Alfred Dunhill Championship at Leopard Creek. In it, the golfers were asked to rank their five favourite courses in South Africa. A dozen courses were mentioned several times by the 99 players who responded to the survey, while two others featured in an ‘AN Other’ selection. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the magnificent Leopard Creek Country Club came out tops. That week Ockie Strydom shot rounds of 68, 70, 63 and 69 to finish on 18-under 270, two shots clear of Spain’s Adrian Otaegui, with England’s Laurie Canter third, a further stroke behind that. TOP GOLF COURSE 1 Leopard Creek CC 2 The Links, Fancourt 3 Gary Player CC 4 Pearl Valley Golf Estate & Spa…

Prizes Let’s stop putting up big prizes for amateur club competitions. All it does is bring out the prize hunters [those with the inflated handicaps who always seem to win the big competitions) and chase all the honest players away. I remember Compleat Golfer once ran a tournament where the grand prize was to represent South Africa abroad. One of the country’s known sandbaggers phoned me up to check on the date of the World Finals. He was genuinely concerned it might clash with another overseas trip he had won. This was before he had teed off! While we’re at it, please can we just stop all fourball alliance competitions? With nobody to watch or mark the scorecard, it leaves too much room for cheats. The Majors Not exactly a…

GRANT FLAUM FITNESS A competitive golfer may sometimes be tempted, without noticing it, to speed up play when in tournament mode. This is a natural response to the bio-chemistry associated with performing under pressure. Under these conditions, the body goes into ‘fight or flight’ mode to respond to the intense nerve stimuli being experienced. For example, golfers may start walking more quickly to their ball, take half as much time on their pre-shot routines, experience sweaty palms or rush through a calming breathing technique. Most competitors will notice how they tend to over-hit their first few approach shots in the tournament because of the adrenaline pumping through as the nerves switch to high-alert mode. The injection of extra adrenaline can give players an additional 10 to 15 yards or more…

The world over, the phrase the wrong side of the tracks’ is used to describe a location that is poorer, or less privileged, than the surrounding area: something very common to South Africa. West Bank Golf Club, aptly named as it is located on the western side of the Buffalo River, is an area where suburbia and industry merge. The area in which the golf course is located is very much an industrial zone. flanking West Bank and Brookville suburbs A large part of this area is home to the city’s correctional facilities. You can find some of South Africa’s largest companies here, including the Mercedes-Benz manufacturing plant that has more than 3300 employees. Engen. Freight Marine shipping and Foxtec-Ikhwezi, a supplier to Mercedes-Benz, are also based hare. East London…

Random review ‘Though the Tour B lineup is very strong, I have a hard time saying the Tour B XS doesn’t stand out from the rest. The Reactiv iQ cover is soft and extremely responsive into greens, but just as long and stable as the ‘distance’ Tour B X ball. This ball really does do it all. Of course, golf balls are generally quite a bit subjective and will fit into a player’s preferences differently, so it’s always important to test them for yourself. But if you’re looking for a strong all-round performer with great feel, the Bridgestone Tour B XS is tough to beat.’ - drivingrangeheroes.com Tour B X What Bridgestone says: ‘Reactiv iQ is a smart-cover technology that reacts to the force of impact. Reactiv iQ rebounds quickly…

Chrome Soft What Callaway says: ‘Chrome Soft is better for everyone, from amateurs to Major winners. Now with our proprietary new Precision Technology, the Chrome Soft golf ball is longer through the bag while providing the signature soft feel that golfers love.’ Random review; ‘This is a good golf ball for high-handicappers who are looking for a higher ball flight, distance from the tee, and a decent amount of spin around the greens. High-handicappers who have a hard time keeping the ball straight may want to look for a more budget-friendly golf ball.’ - golfinsideruk.com Chrome Soft X What Callaway says: ‘The Chrome Soft X ball is faster off the driver with a spin profile that’s optimised for Tour pros and better players.’ Random review: ‘There was no mistaking how…

MEN OPEN 1 (1) Yurav Fremlall (Glendower GC) 2 [2) Kyle de Beer (Port Elizabeth GC) 3 (3) Jonathan Broomhead (Durban CC) 4 (4) Aldrich Potgieter (Pinnacle Point GC) 5 (5) Christiaan Maas (Pretoria CC) 6 (B) Daniel Bennett (Royal Durban GC) 7 (7) Simon du Plooy (Krugersdorp GC) 8 (8) Ivan Verster (Pinnacle Point GC) 9 (9) Behn Heyns (Silver Lakes CC) 10 (10) Jordan Wessels (Mooinooi GC) 11 (11) Jean Pierre van der Watt (Humewood GC) 12 (12) Altin van der Merwe (Humewood GC) 13 (13) Fabrizio de Abreu (Woodhill CC) 14 (14) Reece McKain (Benoni CC) 15 (15) Handre Truter (Waterkloof GC) 16 (16) Joshua Koekemoer (Silver Lakes CC) 17 (17) Jordan Burnand (Ebotse GC) 18 (18) Johan Christian Kriek (Pretoria CC) 19 (19) Werner Deyzel (Woodhill…

ASHLEIGH BUHAI COLUMN This off-season certainly was busy, but one I will cherish forever! It all started by ending the season on a high winning the Women’s Australian Open in Melbourne. Friends and family flew in from different parts of Australia that week to come and support me. It was amazing to see them all for the first time in three years, and then to get the win, with my husband Dave on my bag again, made a great year that little extra special! After Australia, we flew back to South Africa. I was so excited to take the AIG Women’s Open Trophy to show it off to all my family and friends but the cherry on the top was now we got to celebrate two wins! Chris Bentley and…

PIETER MOOLMAN You don’t know what you’ve got until it’s gone: Pieter Moolman was involved in a head-on collision when leaving the Sun Wild Coast Sun Challenge in October 2020. Two years later, he pulled off an emotional maiden Sunshine Tour victory. ‘I missed all the co-sanctioned tournaments that year,’ Moolman recalls, ‘and when I came back it was a struggle with my body and my swing. That accident made me realise how fortunate I was to still be here and be able to play golf. So I decided to make the best of my second chance in life.’ Like so many young South African players who step into the paid ranks, Moolman started his professional career with high hopes based on nothing more than the belief that talent at…

GOLF IN MAURITIUS he paralysing grip Covid-19 had on the planet seems to be a thing of the past but will surely live on in our memories and those of future generations. Family members, friends, colleagues and strangers perished, economies and countries were brought to their knees and governments bobbed and weaved with the information passed on to them from the medical fraternity. Countries like Mauritius, whose economy and industry are heavily reliant on tourism, were at the forefront of the uncertainty and hurt. Being locked out of the world for close to 18 months, the industry was brought to its knees. Upon reopening, the uncertainty of travel continued for months with concerns about further lockdowns and the requirements for vaccinations. It took time for the industry to once again…

ANDY CAPOSTA GNO COLUMN A CORNER DEDICATED TO GOLF’S TRIERS A few months ago, the handicap police paid a visit to the humble golf course I call home. It was the culmination of some chuntering in the bar from members unhappy with having to give shots away when visiting other clubs. Inevitably, however, bringing in a stranger to re-rate the course caused more harm than good. The findings were that the fairways were too wide, the rough was too short and there weren’t enough hazards. Paradoxically, of course, those are the main three reasons that most of us like it just the way it is. There is a bunker that guards the left edge of the 18th green and a great view of it from the balcony of the clubhouse.…