Santa Says

Valentine's Greetings!

Tennis Courts all look alike! Most all of them…

Golf courses…on the other hand, are different the world over!

Royal County Down – Newcastle, Ireland – Ranked No. 1 in the world

Check out the bunkering

Exceptional links land

Number ??? in the world? Think about it…

In December, I had the absolute please in meeting and showing Arthur Porter and his wife, Jilly, around our fine little course in the dunes. I was exceptionally interested in his opinion of St Francis Links as he is a member of the world famous, Royal County Down in Northern Ireland (Norn Iron as the fire chief would say). We had a great talk as we drove around the course. He told me all about Royal County Down with its 200 members, some of the history and stories about the course. Then, a few days ago, this wonderful book arrives in the mail.

In the forward of the book, the former Captain of the R&A and Captain of the RCD Club, Harry McCaw states, “I confess to being a golf traditionalist. By that I mean golf played on the land he always felt was its natural home - windswept dunes, springy turf with sandy subsoil, ever changing and ever challenging sea breezes…”

Later in the same forward, he refers to those who assisted with “sporadic advice from the great men of the day……created one of the most beautiful and yet sternest examination the game has to offer”. He closes by saying that the course has evolved into one of the finest and most challenging links course in the world!

For those of you who were lucky enough to be here when Jack Nicklaus opened our ‘little beauty’ on 2006, you would recall his words reflecting on the great land his was given, the windswept dunes above St Francis Bay…he did a magnificent job with the land he was given. Yet, he referred to future of our course as being an evolution, as well. Royal County Down was first created in the late 1800’s and today, by many, is regarded as the best in the world! Well, look at how St Francis Links has evolved in just 5 years!

Mr. Porter showered us with a good bit of praise regarding the design variety, the natural balance and the overall look of the course. I will use the book he sent to remind me how a true links legend should look…we’ll keep it natural, the examination, stern and the walk or ride as memorable as possible!

I am glad I play GOLF and watch tennis (the Aussie final was pretty awesome).

Be My Valentine!

Join us at the Links for Golf with your special friends – Couples or Mixed. Click Here for details on this special day of golf.

Pssst…We are having a special evening with great food, romantic atmosphere and live entertainment for listening and dancing – Click Here for details about our special evening at the Links.

Hey, I have an even better idea – if you are travelling in for the day and night, why not stay in one of our member-owned properties on or off the estate – PERRRRRRFECT idea! Give us a call or click here.

Upcoming Events…

February 10 Practice round for the Golf Digest Subscriber’s Challenge – special rates for golf and accommodation
February 11 Golf Digest Subscriber’s Challenge (two tees from 8am - 108 players; times available from 13h20)
February 14 Valentine’s Day Golf and Dinner functions
February 17 Wings and Wishes Golf Day (Private Day – fully booked)
February 19 “Sunday School” – Couple’s Mixed – fun formats from 10h30! (Greensomes)
February 23 Southern and Eastern Cape Turfgrass Mtg and Golf (limited field)
February 27 “Resident’s Club” – 16h30 – Estate updates and interaction

"majors"

PGA
Apr 5-8 Masters Tournament, Augusta National GC, Augusta, Georgia (Charl Schwartzel)
Jun 14-17 US Open, Olympic Club, San Francisco, USA (Rory McIlroy)
Jul 19-22 Open Championship, Royal Lytham & St. Annes GC, Lancashire, U.K (Darren Clarke)
Aug9-12 US PGA Championship, Kiawah Island Resort, Kiawah Island, South Carolina (Keegan Bradley)

ST FRANCIS LINKS – “MAJORS AND MORE”

Apr 7 The ‘MAJORS’ – 1st Qualifier for the 2012 Nicklaus Champion of Champions (Pecanwood)
Apr 28-29 CLUB CHAMPIONSHIPS (New Dates – long weekend)
May 5 Ladies’ INVITATIONAL (Member Guest 2011-make-up date)
Jun 16 The ‘MAJORS’ – 2nd Qualifier for the 2012 Nicklaus Champion of Champions (Pecanwood)
Jul 21-22 Men’s INVITATIONAL (Member Guest)
Jul 22 The ‘MAJORS’ – 3rd Qualifier for the 2012 Nicklaus Champion of Champions (Pecanwood)
July 28 Ladies’ INVITATIONAL (Member Guest 2012)
Aug 11 The ‘MAJORS’ – 4th Qualifier for the 2012 Nicklaus Champion of Champions (Pecanwood)
Sep 15 Ladies “Open”
Sep 29-30 The LINKS CUP (in conjunction with the Ryder Cup – Medinah CC, Illinois)

EP CHAMPS – MATCHPLAY!

For these six finalists, 140+ holes of golf at St Francis Links probably made them all better players! The tournament consisted of 36 holes of medal play, won by Sieg Human (3rd from the left), and 5 matchplay challenges with a 36-hole final to determine the overall winner in each bracket. These guys proved they could find their way around this championship track. From the stories, most of the matchplay competition features a lot more birdies than the stroke play – taking driver at 8 in matchplay is much easier than staring into a little easterly when every stroke counts. Hat’s off to the guys who reached the Finals on Sunday – they all qualified for a Santa burger after the last match, as well! Maybe that was their incentive to keep winning!

Next year, Vlam…and…and…you guys must get out there and mix it up!

Sieg Human (A), Ralph Manuel (Plate) and Pieter Rademeyer (B) divisions beat Mzuyane Zingela, Fouché Swart and Alwyn Griebenow to take their respective titles in the EP Championship held at St Francis Links.

Regards,
Jeff

Like it? Click an Icon to Share it:

“Your new Gym has messed up my golf”

“Your new Gym has messed up my golf”, Eric Langlands to me (after his handicap was cut from 17 to 12!)

What you should have said was, “My gym training has improved my golf – but messed up my handicap!"

Hey, Eric, that’s what you deserve after shooting 79 at the Bay course on Saturday and as the handicap system tells us – 6 ‘exceptional’ rounds in the last month to include a nett 65, 66 and 68!

Eric (on the right) collecting one
of many prizes

The Gym before Eric’s
accomplishments became public!

EP Champs - challenged by the best – course!

70 amateur golfers with a handicap of 7 or less teed off Saturday Morning for 36 holes of medal play golf in the 2012 EP Championships. The best player in the medal, Sieg Human (75-72= 147), then advanced as the Number One seed the matchplay section that followed on Sunday. There were good scores in near-perfect conditions – the best in the morning coming from Naldo Claassens with 70 and C DeKock opened with 71. In the afternoon, Mzuyanda Zingela offset three bogeys on the front nine with back to back eagles on 5 and 6 to shoot the afternoon’s best, 71! But the course, as she can, took her toll in medal play – Naldo followed his 70 with 80 and Jaco Marais reversed his day by shooting 71 after his morning score of 81. 32 qualified for the matchplay by shooting 167 or better. The best nett in the medal play was shot by ML Olivier, who shot a nett, 71 and 72 off a 4 handicap. Sieg went on to beat our own qualifier, Vincent Walters, who looks after you on most days at the range. He has gone from a novice golfer to a solid 5-handicapper ‘tapping’ a few balls in between picking them up and maintaining the tee, bunker and green at the range. Ryan must have slipped in a few tips between his own lessons. However, Vincent did recover from that loss with a win in the first round of the Plate! Number One seed, Sieg, has advanced to the quarter-finals this weekend, along with 2, 3 and 4-seeds, Hando Brophy (73-75), Mzuyanda Zingela and Ryno Ferreira (73-76).

Come and watch some great golf on Saturday and Sunday at St Francis Links! Quarter-final matches begin at 7h15.

Speaking Of Great Golf…With A Twist!
Ryan Dodds, our head PGA Professional, certainly lived up to his billing today. When I came to selecting my team at the Links, I made a point of hiring my “GUNS” when it came to golf.

As my friend John Mitchell used to say, “I have a great future behind me” (referring to the fact that maybe his most amazing golf days were a thing of the past). Well, when I brought Ryan into the initial St Francis Links team, I knew he could play.

Now, with a good bit of his time spent helping members with their properties and their new home building... AND selling properties in addition to repairing golf swings, sometimes I think he would rather move a plot instead than show off that swing!

Today was different, my Head GUN came out firing! Ryan started – birdie, birdie, PAR (at 3, acceptable), birdie, birdie, eagle (holing from the front bunker at 6), par, par. Standing on the 9th tee, six under par (a place where no golfer has ever been), Ryan proceeded to turn a ‘cut’ drive into a ‘double-cross’ hook – not into the bush, not onto the road, not onto the bush on the other side of the entrance road, but onto the 18th fairway (I guess he was a little pumped up). He then launched a ball back over the road into some minor trouble, fluffed the next and settled for 6 –dbl bogey, darn, out in 32!

A three-putt par at 16th after reaching the green in two and a drop at 17 after missing the green left and Ryan had settle for 68 (with a dbl bogey) – I think he’s a pretty good GUN!

He can rip it…and still look after you and your needs!

Cheetahs spotted on the Links
Last week, there were a number of Cheetahs spotted on the Links – not just one – a number of them! The dominant male was surrounded by other predator male cubs – all seemed to be hunting, strangely, birds…or shall we say birdies! Os DuRandt, one of rugby’s best, along with coaches and players, took a break from training to take a few swings away from their normal game…welcome back, boys!

A Quick One
Branden Grace – Player Profile, European Tour
Click here and watch as the HomeBOY became a MAN!

SUPER BOWL

In America, this Sunday, the biggest event of the year takes place.

At 18h30 US and 01h30 SA-Mon, the SUPER BOWL kicks off with the singing of the National Anthem, this year by Kelly Clarkson followed by 30 minutes of football that will take about an hour and ½; then Madonna will star in a 15 minute halftime spectacular, followed by some more football. Oh, the Patriots will be playing the Giants, I’ll be backing the PATS !

Upcoming Events…

February 4/5 EP Championships (course open)
February 8 OPEN Wednesday – Special rates and prizes
February 10 Practice round for the Golf Digest Subscriber’s Challenge – special rates for golf and accommodation
February 11 Golf Digest Subscriber’s Challenge (two tees from 8am - 108 players; times available from 13h20)
February 14 Valentine’s Day Golf and Dinner functions
February 17 Wings and Wishes Golf Day (Private Day – fully booked)
February 19 “Sunday School” – Couple’s Mixed – fun formats from 10h30! (Greensomes)

Regards,
Jeff

Like it? Click an Icon to Share it: