There’s something truly special about this garden as it exists entirely through the care and dedication of residents. The Kromme Enviro Trust extends heartfelt thanks to Dr and Mrs Potts, Ed and Dusty Elton, and St Francis Links, who quietly and consistently keep the garden thriving. They cut, prune, weed, plant and clear away garden refuse, maintaining its balance between being beautifully natural and gently tamed.

Filled with indigenous coastal flora, the garden is a wonderful spot for dog walkers, ramblers or anyone enjoying the Two Harbours Trail. Whether you’re taking a gentle stroll, watching the birdlife, or letting children run and explore, it’s a reminder of how beautiful and resilient our natural spaces can be when cared for by the community.

Find out more on our website.

A few months ago, the Trust, together with concerned residents, opposed a sand mining application on a property forming part of the Sand River system. The Sand River dunes act as a vital natural corridor, moving sand along the coast to replenish beaches, stabilising the landscape, and providing habitat for indigenous plants and wildlife.

Thanks to the commitment of our community, with many people signing the petition and the Trust submitting a detailed formal objection, we are delighted to share that the Department of Mineral and Petroleum Resources has rejected the application. This is a significant victory for conservation and for everyone who values the fragile beauty of our coastal environment.

This achievement shows what can be done when our community works together, proving once again that a united voice can make a real difference.

Sadly, bee populations across the globe are under pressure from habitat loss, pesticides, climate change, and disease. Here in South Africa, the Cape honeybee (Apis mellifera capensis) and its cousin, the African honeybee (Apis mellifera scutellata), are critical to pollinating crops and wild flora alike, yet they face many of the same challenges.

Every garden, no matter how small, can help. Planting bee-friendly indigenous species, avoiding chemical sprays, and providing clean water sources are simple actions that support these tireless pollinators.

For more information about bees, check out the national bee keepers association, full of useful information.

Well I am about to, but first let us understand what happens when we hit a golf ball into a headwind.

When a golf ball is struck with a full shot that imparts quite a bit of spin on it. When a golf ball with a high spin rate is hit into the wind, it experiences increased lift and a more pronounced “ballooning” effect, leading to a significant reduction in carry distance and greater susceptibility to wind-induced deviation. This phenomenon occurs because the high backspin, which normally helps generate lift and keep the ball airborne in calm conditions, interacts with the opposing airflow of the headwind.

Here’s a step-by-step explanation of the effect:

1. Increased Lift and Trajectory
Due to fancy things such as maths and aerodynamics, smart people have come up with a way to measure these effects and explain it to us golfers. High backspin on a golf ball creates an area of lower pressure above the ball and higher pressure below it, generating lift. When a headwind is introduced, this opposing air current enhances the pressure differential, causing the ball to climb higher than it would in still air. This elevated trajectory is often described as the ball “ballooning.”

2. Reduced Carry Distance
The increased lift and higher trajectory caused by high spin in a headwind mean the ball spends more time fighting against gravity and the wind’s resistance. Instead of penetrating through the air, the ball is pushed upwards and then slowed down significantly, resulting in a substantial loss of forward momentum and, consequently, a shorter carry distance. This is the generally followed by a few remarks not fit for a newsletter.

3. Greater Susceptibility to Wind Deviation
While backspin primarily affects vertical lift, the overall interaction with the wind makes the ball more vulnerable to any lateral components of the wind. Even a slight crosswind, when combined with a high-spinning, high-flying shot, can cause the ball to drift significantly off target. Low-spin shots, in contrast, tend to “penetrate through the wind,” reducing deviation.

4. Impact on Spin Rate and Launch Angle
The combination of high backspin and a headwind can lead to a less efficient flight path. While high backspin with a steep launch angle typically creates maximum carry distance in calm conditions, in a headwind, this combination becomes detrimental.

5. The How-to Guide on what to do
It’s simple, hit the ball SOFTER! I know it sounds crazy but let me give you an example. If you have ever tried to chip your 6 iron from 50 metres it’s a super easy small swing with a low flight and nearly no backspin. Now if the wind was blowing 50 km/h into your face, do you think it would make a difference to that chip shot you just hit? The answer is no. Using this information, it is now time for us to learn the reason behind carrying 14 clubs in our bags. It is not to hit all of them as hard as possible but to rather hit the correct shot needed. So, put that ego aside and grab 2 or 3 more clubs and chip it stiff. I promise you will be the one laughing when you beat your friends even though they were hitting ‘less club’ on that one par 3.