The holiday started early with the celebration of 10 years Open for Business!
Oh, What a Night as St Francis Links’ members and friends celebrated 10 years operating – providing a secure environment with lifestyle choices, a top-rated Jack Nicklaus signature golf course and reserves in the bank!
105 homes are compete with more than 50 permanently occupied. The next ten years are all about growing the Community!
By the Numbers…
.18 of a point separated the Links from victory as SFBGC wins the Pam Golding Annual
1 point separated 1st and 2nd and 2nd and 3rd (tie) and 3rd and 5th in the Member-Member
2 Number of times Grant Andrews finished the 16th hole in the holiday.
2 Winners as Scott Keevy and Derek Ryan came from behind for the title!
3 Curry Nights that served more than 700 happy guests
4 parkruns that saw a record 710 runners on New Year’s Eve Saturday
5 hours were the worst times for a golf round with most days under 4hrs 50min
6 10th Anniversary pin flags were sold after the 10th Anniversary Golf Day
7 Our ranking in Golf Digest 2016
8 The number of tequila omelette penalties in the Vos family for blanking the 18th
9 The most rewarding birdie hole of the holiday (anyday)
10 Great years as St Francis Links
34 The number players allowed to run and get their bad drive on 10 and play again
49 Mulligans purchased by Greg Darke to assist in winning the Amazing Race!
67 Logo balls sold
85 Bottles of “bubbles”
90 Millers
110 Scrambled eggs on toast at 1/2way
112 Peroni’s
115 Foot longs at 1/2way
134 Homemade Chicken pot pies
178 Mince on Toast at 1/2way
180 Champions breakfasts
210 Flying Fish
215 Heinekens
225 Homemade Muffins
272 New Year’s Eve Welcome Drinks
290 Eggs Benedict and Eggs St Francis
297 Hansa pilsners
310 9-hole breakfasts
364 Glasses and mostly bottles of Red Wine
375 Junior and Student rounds played (Yay!)
398 Vodkas
446 Juices
524 Milkshakes (plus 382 Kiddies Milkshakes)
602 1/2way breakfasts
669 Referral and visitor rounds
718 Accompanied Member’s guests
730 Tequilas, Jaggies and other “jump starters”
750 Savannah’s (it’s dry but they drink it)
750 Coffees and teas sold at 1/2way
768 Curries
794 Glasses and bottle of White Wine
862 Whiskies
865 Windhoek Lagers, Lites and drafts
885 Toasties at 1/2way
916 Gins
924 Toasties served upstairs
932 Brandies
944 Burgers (+301 1/2way burgers-NEW)
947 Member Rounds
959 Cocktails (including 270 Steelworks)
1490 Castle LITE Draft
1630 Castle LITE bottles
2234 Cart rentals
2849 Waters
3060 Used balls found by Barry Phillips
3019 Rounds played in the holiday
3925 Cappuccinos, coffees and hot drinks served upstairs
4791 Cokes, Appletizers, Stoney’s etc
5062 Used Balls sold
6329 Balls lost – down more than 10% due to bush clearing!
44 531 Items sold in Food and Beverage
54 342 Holes played
150 000 plus raised in charity days for NSRI and Kromme Enviro Trust
322 000 Bounces on the Jumping Castle (up 9%)
1M Smiling faces who came here and other St Francis locations
And a Priceless STAFF who worked together every day in every way!
A year to remember!
This was our best year to date in almost every way:
- We finished our 100th home on the estate (17 more are under construction)
- We turned 10 with nearly R14M in the bank
- Our golf rounds were up by more than 3300 rounds – 17 550 in total
- We moved up in the nation ratings to No. 7 in Golf Digest
- The UK rates us No. 6
- The Swedish press rate us No.4
- With our members, No. 1
Amazing Race (Kromme Eviro Trust) Charity Day
Great new event utilized the Ultimate Par-3 course.
What started as an idea of coffee months ago, turned into a real family day and crownd pleaser. The Amazing Race played over the 18-hole Par-3 layout included a great twist. Questions regarding the environment, plantlife and animals found on the course and in the area were both challenging and entertaining. Golf balls were hidden with porcupine quills attached which had the kids searching everywhere! The were prizes for golf, for golf and quiz and for quiz. Participants embraced the day with funny and colorful clothes and a great attitude. Are you ready for this – entry fees, mulligans, raffles, hole sponsorships and private donations helped to raise more than R100 000 on the day. Well, done Maggie Langlands and all of your voluteers!
6 – 7 January 2017
Men’s Member Member Partnership
When our 44 members arrived for the final round on Saturday morning, there were only 6 points separating the 2nd place team and the 21st place team; there was only one problem, 7 points separated 1st place from 2nd place. Fred V Eyssen and Greg Darke along with Yan Coesens and Mauro Nettl, found themsleves trailing the leaders, Sean Botha and Darren Hammond, who ran away from the field on day1 with 48 points. Day 2 is a different day altogether as the 1st-nine betterball is followed by nine holes where the individual points are combined. In other words, it can all happen on the last nine holes – and it did!
The leaders tumbled badly in the combined allowing the field to move up. Scott and Derek set a near-record total of 58 points with Scott scoring 21 on the last nine! I had a quiet 18 points on the last only to be outdone by may partner who shot 40 (20 points) from his 12 handicap.
Results
1st – Scott Keevy + Derek Ryan 95 Pts (37+23+35)
2nd – Jeff Clause + Grant Andrews 94 Pts (39+17+38)
3rd – Fred Van Eyssen + Greg Darke 94 Pts (41+22+31)
4th – Charl Blaauw + Hein Spangenberg 93 Pts (40
5th – Ernest Bendeman + Bob Carmichael 92 Pts
Longest Walk – Danie Cronje + Mark Thompson
(welcome back Dr Cronje after a two-year break)
Will be our sponsors for OPEN Wednesday (2nd Wednesday) with meat and added prizes. Invite your friends to enjoy SA’s best with special rates for golf, snacks after the game and great prizes – Hey, Curry Night follows – stay or take away!
Monday Roll-up! Pitch up and play (9 holes from 3pm) let’s add you to the What’s app group
All day Saturdays-Morning and afternoon fields – the afternoon field will be booked from 12 noon backwards with emphasis on “readt golf” – Prizegiving and Happy Hour at 17h00
Jan 28-29 EP Champs (36 holes medal followed by matchplay) – course closed
Feb 4-5 EP Champs (quarter, semi and finals) – course open
ST FRANCIS LINKS “MAJORS” AND “SPECIAL EVENTS” FOR 2017
Jan 2-3 Men’s Member-Member, St Francis Bay wins by .18 of a point! Well done!
Jan 7-8 The Pam Golding Annual, Derek Ryan and Scott Keevy, Champions
Mar 11 Greensomes over 18 holes (NEW)
Apr 28-30 Club Championships
May 20 Foursomes over 18 holes (NEW)
Jun 3 Ladies’ Invitational
Jun 10 Sanlam – Links Qualifier
Jul 2-3 National Junior Order of Merit
Jul 20-23 Men’s Invitational
Jul 23-25 The Annual “Road Trip”
Aug 6 Sanlam Cancer FINALS at St Francis Links
Aug 8-23 Spring Programme – Course and Clubhouse Closed
Sep 30, Oct 1 Links Cup
Nov 11-12 Pam Golding Ladies OPEN Weekend
Dec 2 Ladies’ Member-Member
Dates for Mixed Events, as well as the Knock-outs to follow.
Faces in the Crowd – Meet our Team!
Brenden Pieters joined the St Francis Links team at the begining of October 2016. Working as a golf cart attendant where he learned the value of golf carts to a golfing operation and the importance of the maintenance thereof. He has now recently moved into the Pro Shop and loving every moment of it. Brenden enjoys playing golf with the members and played some good golf in his time here at the Links, he’s mostly known as the long hitter from Cape Town and a true ladies man. In his short time here he’s already learned so much and shows a passion to learn more every day. He is truly grateful for the opportunity he’s been given to work at the Links, and consider himself lucky to be working for a man as accomplished as Mr. Jeff Clause.
Every Great shot starts with a SMILE 
