| The Annual presented by Moore: St Francis Links vs The Bay |
| 31 January and 1 February, 2026 |
| Welcome to the Ultimate Showdown in the Bay!
The Annual presented by Moore! The (not so) friendly rivalry between two iconic courses: St Francis Links and St Francis Bay Golf Club.
A Battle for Bragging Rights
As any seasoned golfer knows, inter-club competitions are more than just games: this is about securing bragging rights! With St Francis Links the defending champions, all eyes are on whether we can retain our crown or if the final round at the Bay will turn the tide in their favour. |
| Format: Betterball Stableford A Test of Teamwork |
| The competition uses the popular Betterball Stableford format. Each team’s points average determines who claims ultimate glory.
• Day 1: 18 Holes at St Francis Links | Shotgun start at 8h30
• Day 2: 18 Holes at St Francis Bay | Shotgun Start at 8h30
Draw & Handicaps: Levelling the Playing Field
Keeping it competitive: teams will be matched based on similar handicaps, ensuring every pairing is competitive. The draw takes place 48 hours before tee-off, so keep your phones handy! |
| Prizes That Make You Swing Harder |
| This year, we welcome TITLEIST and FOOTJOY as prize sponsors. Expect epic rewards as we have prizes for the Betterball teams – overall and day prizes. So even if the first day does not go as planned, you can redeem yourself the next day.
New Sponsor Spotlight: Moore
Moore joins as our headline sponsor, bringing fresh energy to this storied event.
Socials and Prizegiving
After two days of fierce but friendly rivalry, unwind with a light meal at our prizegiving ceremony at St Francis Bay.
LET’S GET READY TO RUMBLE, LADIES AND GENTS! |
| 2025: Yan Coesens (Left) and Jo Viviers (Right) – overall best performers for the week. St Francis Links will be relying on them to put in a similar performance! |
| 2025 Team Picture of the champions! St Francis Links. |
| Battle of the Captains! Graham Botha (Left: St Francis Links) and Guy Pearson (Right: St Francis Bay). An epic picture taken in the temporary bar at St Francis Links! Graham Botha eventually winning that arm wrestle. |
| The Ladies’ & Gentlemen’s Guide to Driving Range Etiquette |
| Welcome to the practice tee, where the pursuit of the perfect swing is at hand and the silent curse under a golfer’s breath when they don’t understand the instructional videos they saw on YouTube last night.
Whether you are there to cure that pesky “early extension”, the straightening of the hips and spine during the downswing or simply to observe the majestic (and sometimes infuriatingly inconsistent) flight of your golf ball, the driving range is our shared sanctuary. To ensure everyone enjoys their time under the sun and at the facility, we have compiled a light-hearted guide to the “Dos and Don’ts” of range life. |
| The Art of the Divot: Don’t Be a “Range Rat” |
| One of the most important aspects of range etiquette involves how we treat the turf. To keep our grass lush and healthy, please avoid the “scattered” approach to divots. By placing your ball at the very back edge of your previous divot, you create a thin strip of removed turf rather than a massive, irregular patch. |
| Safety First: Our Hardworking Team |
| Our staff are here to ensure you have a steady supply of golf balls for your practice session. While they often use a mechanical ball picker, there are times when they must manually collect balls or service the machinery.
Please always be mindful of the staff’s location. If a picker or a staff member is within range, please pause your session or aim well away from their path. If a ball should happen to stray toward a person, a loud, clear shout of “FORE!” is mandatory. During peak times, demand for balls can be high; we appreciate your patience as the team works to keep the hoppers full. |
| The “East” Rule: Protecting our Neighbours |
| At St Francis Links, we are privileged to be surrounded by stunning architecture. To maintain harmony with our neighbours, we kindly ask that you do not hit your woods in that pesky East wind. High-velocity shots with drivers or fairway woods risk colliding with the houses on the left. Stick to your irons when facing the East to ensure the only thing breaking is your personal record for accuracy. |
| The Sound of Silence (and Pro Tips) |
| The driving range is a place of concentration. While we love a good catch-up, please keep chatter to a minimum and use your “inside voices”. Golf is a game of focus, and your neighbour might be grinding through a difficult swing change. A bonus of quiet observation? If you listen closely, you might just overhear a golden nugget of wisdom from one of our resident Pros during a lesson. |
| When you head out to retrieve that favourite lucky tee that went flying, please keep your head on a swivel! Stray balls are a reality of the range.
For those of you who are a little more statistically driven, St Francis Links Professionals have gone to great lengths to create an actual mathematical formula that can improve your golf game!
We all know the “Force = Mass × Acceleration” equation: but this one does not matter as much as you think! What really matters is the below formula.
The physics of improving!
Centredness of strike (consistency squared) = Good Etiquette + Structured Practice x (Swing improvement)
That’s should simplify everything!
See you on the grass! |
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| Playing better golf is a fun experience. But when all is said and done, a round of golf is almost always about fun with friends. |
| Yes, good shots matter. But just like your mobility and flexibility are critical to your golf AND your experience of life, so are connections important to both.
For most people there is a direct correlation between the number of connections they have and their sense of well-being. |
| And we care, because the more golf connections you have, the more golf you’ll play, and that will almost inevitably improve your relationship with the game, never mind your friends. |
| Part of our job is to create introductions. If you’d like to expand the number of potential golf partners you can play with, then just drop us an email or let us know in the shop. |
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