Distance is the hot topic at the moment, with Jack Nicklaus, Ernie Els and Gary Player all weighing in on the subject last week. I’m personally in favour of a special ball for tour players, which will reduce their distance and bring back shot-shaping as an art form. The top players are so skillful, they would be able to adapt quickly. Back in the day, they used to change between different sized golf balls from one side of the Atlantic to the other. In the meantime, we continue to train our players with power, speed and skill in mind.
Who conquered the course?
Congratulations to the following winners;
In our Premier section, PGA Diploma student, Daniel Nduva, won both of our medals last week. The 3rd year student from Kenya had scores of three under par 69 on 15th July and level par 72 on 17th July, both on Royal Johannesburg & Kensington East Course.
In our Junior Academy section, Bernard Meyer also did a clean sweep, winning on the 17th July with a score of level par 72 on the West Course at Royal Johannesburg & Kensington GC, and on the 21st July at Huddle Park with 74.
A big shout out to Srixon Golf SA for their continued sponsorship of our medal prizes. The next time you’re buying golf balls, gloves or clubs, please have a look at the Srixon range. They have models to suit all types of player.
Order of Merit
Here’s the latest Order of Merit standings, with Daniel Nduva and
Regan Gay out in front at just over halfway through the year.
In addition to the Order of Merit, we keep all of the players’ vital statistics from our tournaments. We use these to identify the strengths and weaknesses of each player, which helps to guide the coaching team in their development plans. See the top five in each stat from our Premier section below.
A message to all aspiring young golfers
Arno van Heerden graduated from our PGA Diploma class of 2017. After graduation, he worked for a year under Greg Smith at Cool Clubs Performance Lab at the World of Golf as a Club Builder.
In 2019, he started Eagle-it Golf, a repair and club fitting shop based at Emfuleni Golf Estate in Vanderbijlpark, where he was also the PGA Professional giving golf instruction. Due to lockdown, he moved to Durban and will be restarting the business down there.
Here’s what Arno had to say about his experience at BSI:
“At BSI they gave me the basis I needed to open my own shop and also introduced me to the people I needed to get started in my field. I have really enjoyed the whole experience. I made friends for life.
I did not know what I wanted to do in the golf industry until I joined the academy. I started to have an interest in club building and fitments during the Golf Technology lectures given by Greg Smith, who also started Cool Clubs where I ended up working right after I got my diploma.
If you are thinking of doing the PGA Diploma you must be prepared to work hard and commit to the classes. The fitness programme they have really showed me how important golf fitness is and what exercises I had to do to improve my physical fitness and golf physique.
The environment at BSI is very motivational and the PGA Professional coaches are very well educated and helpful. I would definitely recommend BSI to a young aspiring golfer that wants to make golf his profession.”
| |  | | Arno van Heerden | | | | If you dream of pursuing a career in golf with international opportunities, then the PGA Diploma or Greenkeeping programmes at BSI are the perfect college options for you. Spaces are limited. Contact us to start your journey. | | | | Your journey starts here > | | | Play with a Pro Experience | | | An opportunity to learn from the best
Through the Play with a Pro Experience, you can play a round of golf with a Sunshine Tour player. Golfers can choose from our growing portfolio of Sunshine Tour and Ladies Sunshine Tour players and book a social 18 holes with them. We now have 20 Pros available across Gauteng, Western Cape, Southern Cape and Eswatini. A portion of the fees goes to the Golf RSA COVID-19 Caddie Relief Fund.
It’s a great experience for you and your buddies, or ideal for a small and intimate corporate event with key clients or staff. You’ll also be helping our players during this enforced break from tournaments. It’s a fantastic time to catch them without having to wait for a break in their schedule.
Click here to choose and book your first Pro.
Faster play for better scores
I’m a big believer that players perform at their best when they play at a reasonably swift pace. It’s also far more enjoyable and less impactful on the rest of your day if you play fast.
Here are some tips on how you can improve your pace of play and your scores;
1. Play ‘ready golf’. It’s been put in the latest rules of golf to speed up play.
2. Be ready. Don’t wait until it’s your turn before deciding your club or reading your putt. You can be preparing whilst others are busy with their own shots.
3. Play off the correct tees for your ability. This is further forward than you think. Let go of your ego, you’ll enjoy it more.
4. If you hit the ball into trouble, take a provisional. It may save you the dreaded walk back, and worst-case scenario you get a free practice shot.
5. When approaching a green, place your bag to the side closest to the next tee for the swiftest exit after holing out.
6. Walk briskly between your shots. This allows you plenty of time to prepare properly for each shot.
7. Develop a simple pre-shot routine that flows and helps you to focus on what you want to happen. Once over the ball, pull the trigger. The longer you stay over the ball the more negative thoughts can enter your head and the tighter you’ll become.
Give these a try next time you play and hopefully your golf and enjoyment both improve. Let me know how it goes.
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