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| Join us for our first ever Bull’s Eye Shootout! |
| We’re excited to host our inaugural Bull’s Eye Shootout, and we want YOU to be part of the fun on Saturday, 12 October at 15h00!
Event Details:
- Tee Off: From the top terrace at the clubhouse, aiming towards the putting green.
- How It Works: Targets will be set up on the green. Hit within the target to advance to the next round. Miss the target, and you’re out!
Enjoy complimentary snacks and a refreshing Gin Station (while stocks last). And remember, chirping and banter are highly encouraged – so bring your best A-game!
Cost: Free for all members!
We’d love to see all our members come out for an afternoon of fun and friendly competition.
Click the link below to enter and secure your spot! |
| SA PGA Championship to showcase young stars |
| South African golf will once again celebrate one of its most prestigious titles when the South African PGA Championship returns to St Francis Links this November, with a field showcasing some of the brightest young stars in the local game.
The R2-million championship has an illustrious history as the second oldest professional golf tournament in South Africa, and with a list of past champions including Gary Player, Ernie Els, Mark McNulty, David Frost, Nick Price, Louis Oosthuizen and Americans, Hale Irwin and Corey Pavin.
Since the championship found a new home at St Francis Links in 2021, it has produced three great Champions in Dean Burmester (2021), George Coetzee (2022) and Rupert Kaminski (2023). This year’s field is expected to showcase some of the brightest young talents on the Sunshine Tour, including talented Eastern Cape Professional Kyle de Beer, the current leader on the Fortress Rookie of the Year standings.
Jonathan Broomhead, who won in his rookie season on the Sunshine Tour last season, and 21-year-old Yurav Premlall, who broke through with his maiden victory on the Sunshine Tour this season, are also expected to contest this prestigious title.
Last year, Kaminski made the South African PGA Championship his breakthrough victory on the Sunshine Tour as he triumphed by one shot over Matthew Spacey.
“I’m extremely overwhelmed and I don’t think it’s ever going to really sink in. It’s such a privilege to lift this prestigious trophy,” Kaminski said after his win. “I love coming to the St Francis Links. There’s something about this place and I really enjoy the course and the people.” |
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| Our youngsters just keep performing! |
| Well done to Hannes Lourens! |
| The Knysna Junior Golf Open is a prestigious tournament that attracts young golfing talent from various regions. This event serves as a platform for junior golfers to showcase their skills, compete against peers, and gain valuable experience in a competitive environment. The tournament typically features multiple age categories, allowing players of different skill levels to participate.
We would like to highlight Hannes’s brilliant performance, winning the U13 Gross Division!
Hannes’s game is very well rounded for such a young age – with straight drives off the tee box, and a very good short game. We have seen his name high up on the leaderboard for our par 3 competitions on a regular basis, highlighting the fact that it is not how you drive, but how you arrive. |
| It’s important to keep things balanced |
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| Our course has a great balance of risk and reward, as well as the opportunity to offer a challenge for the better golfers, whilst maintaining playablility for your more novice and beginner golfers.
This balance is achieved through thoughtful design and strategic placement of tee boxes and hole locations on greens. Understanding the importance of these elements can enhance the overall playability, fairness, and enjoyment of the game.
With the high wind speeds around St Francis Bay, setup is especially important and if not taken into consideration, can have holes be too easy, or completley unplayable.
First things first – skill level consideration of the golfers visiting the course:
Tee boxes are typically set at varying distances from the greens to accommodate different skill levels. For example, championship tees are positioned further back to challenge advanced players, while forward tees (often referred to as “ladies’ tees” or “junior tees”) allow beginners or less experienced players to enjoy the game without being overwhelmed by distance.
Course strategy and what you want the golfers to take into consideration:
Have you ever wondered why we moved the tee box up on 8 with the wind, or put that tee box to the left hand side of a tee box with the pin on a certain area on the green? This is all to promote risk and reward, as well as ensuring the hole is playable.
The last thing you want is a right tee position, with a left to right wind, into a pin on the right hand side of the green… that ain’t right!
Other factors:
The location of tee boxes should also take into account environmental factors such as elevation changes and natural hazards. By positioning tee boxes in relation to these factors, we can create a more dynamic playing experience that challenges golfers to adapt their strategies.
Variety is important:
Changing hole placements regularly keeps the course fresh and engaging for returning players. This variety encourages golfers to develop different skills and strategies over time, enhancing their overall experience.
We also look to split the holes into categories of 6 easy, 6 intermediate and 6 difficult.
Safety First:
Safety is another critical aspect of hole and tee box placement on greens. We need to ensure that holes are located in areas where errant shots from other holes do not pose a risk to players putting out or approaching the green.
With all things taken into account – the forecast saying it should be a light easterly wind – and it ends up being a strong south-westerly – we need to jump in and make adjustments on the fly as quickly and efficiently as possible.
So next time you walk into the bar and you want to shout at Norman or Nazeem for our dodgy course setup – rest assured that these are all things we are taking into account and we are trying to keep things as balanced and fair as possible. |
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| Can you believe that Christmas and the Festive Season is upon us? For some it might still feel like it is far away; however, for others it feels like they will have to start planning the table, designing a menu for the day or even diarise a date to start putting up the Christmas tree.
The daunting task is first of all to determine what feel or ambience you would like to create… whether it is Sustainable Elegance (using natural materials such as wood and dried oranges to create a warm and inviting atmosphere) or Minimalistic Chic (as the saying goes, less is more) – do not be afraid to experiment.
Create a mood board and start planning around it… stick to the no. 1 rule: That there is NO rule!!
The next question is then… CATERING… Gone are the days when one started with the preparation 4 days prior to Christmas day… on the day you are so tired that you do not enjoy the day with loved ones, family and those individuals that matter… and also thinking about the amount of dishes waiting for you in the afternoon… Nowadays people opt for something more simple and fresh… or they decide to go out to an establishment!
In the next month, I will start sharing some recipes with you, including edible gift ideas that you can prepare and make for Christmas Gifts, whether it is a home-made Peppadew & Chilli Pesto, Citrus Rub for Lamb or even Vinaigrette.
Do drop me an e-mail to hospitality@stfrancislinks.com and share your CHRISTMAS ideas with us… in the end it is about capturing moments and memories to cherish forever. |
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| An exciting month of events ahead! |
| Our hospitality and golf team are proud to continue to bring exciting happenings… don’t miss out!
Chef’s Pieter’s Club Night Socials have received great reviews! Come and support and enjoy for yourself! |
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| When we talk to many of you who might not get out as often as you like, we usually hear ‘time’ as a constraint. Time’s a precious commodity, isn’t it?
There’s a reason that those of you who work with lots of commitments should find time each week at the end of one working day to get down and play 9 holes. |
| What’s better for you than 9 holes of golf after work?
It’s not just the golf. It’s the connections. It’s the socialisation without pressure. It’s the feeling of a good golf shot (even an occasional great golf shot). It’s being outside in the fresh air. It’s the exercise. It’s the separation from work. Better even than meditation! (Not that we’re knocking meditation). |
| Whatever the reason you play golf, it will be for a reason that’s important to you. You don’t need more reasons. Consider how you can play more golf. |
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| What makes the Cleveland Frontline Putters so innovative and exciting is that the ‘face is a weight’. That results in the CoG of this putter being pulled well forward and much closer to the face than other putters. The result is that an off-centre strike causes much less rotation of the head, so your putt has a better chance of staying on the target line. Now, all you need to stay on-line is a putter that matches your putting stroke. |
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| Unlock Lower Scores |
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Are you setting the
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| Walking along the fairway to your second with a clear sight of your ball is an extremely satisfying experience.
Do you often have to search for your golf ball in the thick stuff during a round? Let’s change that. |
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| Put yourself in the fairway, even if it means a longer second. |
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| Hit the fairway with every metre of distance you’re capable of. |
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| “Whether you’re playing from spot 1 or 2, the game is a lot more enjoyable from there.” |
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| If you’re struggling with a regular miss, the rest of the hole becomes a struggle. The good news is, we can help you fix this. |
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If you haven’t
broken 85 by now |
| Getting further down more fairways could be your breakthrough. |
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