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| The Ladies Dominating the League! Well done! |
| Well, hold onto your hats, folks, because the results are in for the 2025 Ladies League, and it was quite the show!
After a season of fierce competition, strategic shots, dedicated practise session (Well done Lynn on this great initiative) and undoubtedly a few laughs along the way, one team absolutely smashed it out of the park.
- St Francis Links: 54 points
- Humewood: 45 points
- PEGC: 37 points
- Walmer: 34 points
- St Francis Bay: 31 points
- Kou-Ha Kamma: 26 points
- The Hill: 25 points
The Ladies League team from St Francis Links has been crowned the 2025 Champions, winning by a commanding 9 points against their nearest competitors, Humewood.
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Left to Right:
Helen Bridges, Sally Nienaber, Lynn Slogrove (League Captains), Elmarie Maarschalk, Sue Cogswell (Ladies Club Captain) |
| From maintaining the estate roads, mowing the verges, alien eradication, maintenance on the security fence, maintaining the community garden and mowing the lawns at the police station, creating new landscapes, our estate team is worthy of great applause. The changes in the overall conditioning of the common grounds on the estate is the work of Chris Schoeman and his team of 9. |
| You will see contractors working on the roads, fixing areas where the paving has sunk in a bit. They are slowly moving through all the estate roads, and they are also repainting the white lines on the roads as they move on. Overall, I would say that our estate shines and we will not stand back for any estate in this country. |
| The latest addition when driving at night are the blue reflectors on the side of the roads, installed to reflect the fire hydrant positions. In the event of a fire at night, the water connection points can quickly and easily be identified, and the reaction time will be much faster. |
| On the wildlife side, things are going well. We have recently caught a caracal (rooikat) on our trail cams, feeding on its kill. TIAB (This is Africa baby)! This indicates that our wildlife is thriving and that the cycle of life continues under the cover of darkness while we are sleeping. |
| On our golf course, Walt and his team have started with a tee levelling project, and the smaller ladies’ tees are a priority. The process will be long, and we intend to get through all the problem tees in due course.
Danny has taken on a long overdue drainage project on the putting green and the workmanship is world-class. The low area on this green stays wet and we were starting to lose turf because the roots don’t get enough oxygen and the compaction in this area becomes problematic. This area will recover in no time after we get it to drain better. The left side of the 18th green will also be attended to soon. |
| Aren’t we just so fortunate to live where we do?! |
| April has certainly been an eventful month at St Francis Links, with a weather report that could rival any comedy show! The winds have been blowing in all sorts of directions, and if you thought you were just going to enjoy a peaceful round of golf, think again! |
| Wind Direction Shenanigans |
| Our prevailing wind is usually from the West South West, but this April decided to throw us a curveball with 13 days of East / East North East winds.
Now, for those not familiar with golf lingo, let’s just say that this isn’t exactly the ideal wind direction for golfers fearing the carry over water on the 7th hole or making easy work with the drive on the 8th hole, our narrowest fairway on the course!
Could be slightly compared to hit a moving target while blindfolded! |
| The highest wind speed recorded was a whopping 56 km/h. Yes! We know that sounds like a lot, but for around our parts – that could be considered as a slight puff at some stages!
We had an average wind speed of 10.6 km/h throughout the month. This gentler breeze was quite kind to our Club Champs participants, allowing for some impressive (and some not-so-impressive) scores. |
| And thank goodness for rain! We recorded a total of 91.6 mm throughout April. The greens were grateful, and so were we after all, who doesn’t love a lush course? |
| Temperature Rollercoaster |
| Now let’s talk temperatures – a true tale of two extremes!
On 27 April, we basked in a high of 34.23 degrees Celsius (the final day of Club Champs), which felt like playing golf on the surface of the sun.
Just one day earlier, on 26 April, we experienced a low of 12.30 degrees Celsius (the opening day of Club Champs).
Talk about four seasons in one day! It’s almost as if Mother Nature couldn’t decide whether she wanted us sweating or shivering. |
| World Golf Awards nomination! |
| We have been nominated in the 12th annual World Golf Awards for:
South Africa’s Best Golf Course 2025: St Francis Links
Voting is now open and members of the golf community – consumers and industry executives alike – can vote for the brands they consider the very best in golf tourism.
The full list of World Golf Awards 2025 nominees can be viewed on the website where votes can also be cast.
Voting runs until midnight 1 October 2025. The winners will then be notified and the 12th annual World Golf Awards will take place in beautiful Madeira, 12-13 November. |
| 2025 Majors at St Francis Links |
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| REFLECTION TIME |
| WAS THIS IMPORTANT? |
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As you reflect on your year so far, can we ask: ‘Did you place enough emphasis on your short game?’ From any position off the green, inside 50 metres, how many shots were you likely to take?
Did you put too much pressure on your short game? Let’s take the pressure off:
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1. Give yourself the best chance of making Par BEFORE you hunt a BIRDIE. Plan your approach shots so that you don’t miss on the short side. Try to ensure that if you miss, it’s an easier short-game save.
2. Know when it’s a GOOD BOGEY. When you’re faced with a difficult short shot for a save, do NOT take additional risk.
Having planned correctly (and improved your scorecard), then it’s all about technique and execution. |
| And now we have another question |
| We can make this as simple as a self-assessment placing yourself in one of 3 levels. |
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| ARE YOU LOOKING TO |
| FIND MORE FAIRWAYS? |
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The beauty of a golf ball that spins less off the driver face is that it not only travels further, it also travels straighter.
If your face angle-to-swing path relationship creates side spin (a slice or hook), then the Srixon Soft Feel will reduce the amount of spin and the amount of deviation. You’ll find more fairways.
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