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| Transforming Hazards into Friendly Challenges at St Francis Links |
| Jack Nicklaus always said that our course would evolve, but we did not think anyone could expect the role our wind could have on the topography of our course. It has changed rolling mounds into mountains, as well as playable bunkers into a ball eating sandpit in a matter of a few years.
Below, you can see the change of the 1st fairway bunker from an aerial view. What you cannot see here is the extreme bunker face that evolved from 2010 to 2024. We took on the project to make this opening hole more playable and enjoyable to everyone that plays our great course. In time, wind and rain has changed the 2 smaller bunkers into 1 big, almost unplayable bunker. |
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| Our project started by filling in both bunkers with the existing sand mound that formed in front and at the back of these bunkers. The grass kept growing over the sand as the wind blew it out until it created a huge mound around the bunkers. The shaping was done under supervision of the very capable local businessman, John Hanley. His operator “Tau” is an absolute master with the TLB and he made this project a pleasure to take on.
The pictures below show some before and after photos of the first bunker project, and we will also include pictures of the 11th bunker project that started this week. |
| The first before the project started |
| Doing the final shaping by hand |
| Starting with the sodding |
| The final product on the 1st |
| Construction on the course is always fun because there is a creative element to it. We hope you enjoy the playability of these areas and look forward to hearing your thoughts on these projects. Below you will see the 11th project (before and after). |
| Happy golfing from the Estate Team! |
| Away Games For Our Members! |
This past weekend, Andrew had the opportunity to play some of our region’s premier courses with some of our members. Murray Southwood, Justin Rosewarne, Nick Geerts, Emile Nel, Mike Usendorff, Hennie Blaauw and Stirling Olivier went on a fabulous little tour where they played some top-class golf courses. The tour consisted of:
- Wedgewood Golf Club
- East London Golf Club
- Royal Port Alfred Golf Club.
- They kicked off at Wedgewood Golf Club.
This was Andrew’s first time playing Wedgewood and he was not disappointed. The greens were in immaculate condition, rolling fast and true.
A special thank you to Sean Gray at Wedgewood for hosting us at your fantastic course, we will definitely be planning another trip that way! |
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| After an enjoyable round at Wedgewood, they made their way to Kenton on Sea, where they were treated to some incredible views and even better food courtesy of Nick Geerts. For those who don’t know Nick, he is the man responsible for the delicious meals served at the 22 Eatery restaurant in the village. Nick whipped up some real treats for the group, which were very well received after a long day of golf and travel. |
| It was an early start for the group on Saturday (after a rather festive Friday evening), as the group made its way to the famed East London Golf Course. East London lived up to all our members’ expectations, the course was in fantastic condition. They were blessed with exceptional weather for most of the round. |
| After a lovely day at East London, Nick once again treated everyone to some delicious food, an evening full of stories, and one too many drinks.
The final stop was the Royal Port Alfred, which has a very special place in Andrew’s heart as he has spent a large portion of his golfing career playing there. It’s a course with so much character and charm. If you have not had the chance to play there, we would highly recommend making the trip out to play.
On Sunday, the weather took a turn for the worse as they battled through 80kph winds. |
| We would like to thank all the members who joined the tour. It was an amazing time with great memories that will last a lifetime! |
| Golf Course Closure and Club Hours |
| It’s that time of year when our team carry out annual maintenance on the golf course. As such, the course (including the driving range) will be closed from 12 to 26 August. It’s also a good time for annual leave and some of our team will be away. |
| The clubhouse will be open daily from 07h30 to 16h00 for the duration of hollowtining. Once we open, the golf course will remain closed on Mondays.
In the meantime: |
| Away Golf During Hollowtining |
We are pleased to inform all of our members that we have secured reciprocity with the following clubs during our hollowtining closure:
- St Francis Bay – Humewood
- Goose Valley – Wedgewood
- Knysna – Simola, Pezula
Please reach out to the Golf Shop, and we will coordinate these bookings for you. You can email proshop@stfrancislinks.com. Our two Golf Professionals, Nazeem Goeda and Andrew Schlebusch will be coordinating some of the away games to Hankey and Zwartenbosch. |
| A big welcome to Charles Kok, who joins Kevern’s team as Water Manager. |
| See The Latest Golf Results |
1st Place:
Norman Pretorius and Percy Owen – 44 points c.i
2nd Place:
Ashley Parker and Russell Norman – 44 points c.o
3rd Place:
Mauro Nettl and Barry Buchman – 43 points |
| An Evening With Guest Speakers, Dawie Roodt and Willem Basson From The Efficient Group |
| Theme: “Where Do I Position my Business in Our Economy With the Changing Political Environment” |
- Date: 19 August
- Time: 18h00 for 18h30
- Venue: St Francis Links
- Ticket Price: R300 per person, or R2300 per table
- Tables: 8 people per table
- Food: There will be platters on the table.
- Bar: Cash bar
To make a reservation for your tickets, please reach out to Leilani at 084 681 3702. |
| Concept of Time Food & Wine Pairing |
| St Francis Animal Rescue Golf Day and Show |
| A Tribute to Fleetwood Mac |
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| Shooting at the green 125 metres away is easier than shooting from 145 metres. It’s not just easier to hit the target. The width of any miss with a shorter club will be less. Have you heard of the “cone of misses?” |
| With each club, there’s a dispersion. The longer the club, the wider and deeper that dispersion is. Hence the “cone of misses.” Playing a club 2 lengths shorter reduces the width by which you might miss.
The logic of this cone gives those who hit it further off the tee a great advantage. |
| Working out the quickest and most effective way to add metres to your tee shots is our job. We need to start with a “swing check” and a look at your key numbers (club head speed, ball speed, launch angle, spin rate). |
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| No-one expects golf ball evolution to slow down. Srixon hasn’t disappointed us with the new AD333 Golf Ball. A softer cover. Powerful greenside spin. A speed dimple pattern that promotes lift and stability whatever the conditions. And a core that does both: improves feel while adding distance. |
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| One of the reasons that many golfers give for not getting custom fitted for golf equipment is: “I’m not good enough yet”. |
| An independent study of different golfers being fitted found that the biggest improvements in performance (consistency, accuracy, ball speed and distance) were achieved by golfers struggling to break 100.
The second biggest improved cohort were regular weekend golfers not breaking 90 regularly.
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| “But I only play the game to get outside with friends and have fun. Why bother?” |
| Almost every golfer playing at our golf club is really only recreational.
Fitted equipment that gives you more confidence in your golf game, helps you experience the thrill of more good shots, and adds a little more pride in what you’ve accomplished on any day, adds to the fun in that precious time out on the course.
And it certainly means less frustrations and disappointments.
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| Who wouldn’t want to have more fun and enjoyment? |
| Take 45 – 60 minutes with us, and we’ll show you how we can make your golf experience better every time you play. |
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