In the true spirit of giving back, defending champion Richard Sterne and four Sunshine Tour professionals hosted a golf development clinic today ahead of this week's South African Open Championship at Pearl Valley Golf Estates.
Setting the tone for an event that nurtures champions and grassroots players, the rising stars shared their knowledge, skills and love of the game with the next generation of young golfers who aspire to be champions themselves.
Approximately 80 aspiring golfers from the South African Golf Development Board, Bredasdorp Development Board and South African Disabled Golfers Association were entertained and received one-one-one instruction from multiple European Tour champion Sterne, seven-time Sunshine Tour winner Thomas Aiken, Asian Tour and Sunshine Tour winner James Kamte, and rising Sunshine Tour stars Prinavin Nelson and Branden Grace.
The children, who ranged in ages from six to 16, were treated to instruction on bunker shots, chipping and driving and had a chance to question their heroes on how to excel at the game of golf.
"We feel very privileged to have shared our time with these children," said Sterne. "We all remember where we started; we were all this young at one stage and someone spent time with us and inspired us to become the champions we are today.
"Every professional golfer is duty-bound to give back to this game we love so much and help shape our future champions.""
The 99th South African Open Championships tees off on Thursday 17 December at Pearl Valley Golf Estates. Entry is free and there is ample parking available.
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Serengeti Golf and Wildlife Estate will host the South African Open Championship in 2011 and 2012. The Jack Nicklaus Signature Golf Course at Serengeti is the first 27-hole golf course in Gauteng and was recently named “Best New Golf Course” by Golf Digest.
The 18-hole course called Masai Mara, which means “wide open plains” in the language of the Masai, has a rugged grassland and dune-scape look. One of the unique features on the course is the par-five eighth hole with its island green. The nine-hole course called Whistling Thorn has a more classic feel.
The courses were constructed in accordance with USGA specifications, with cool season grass that provides green vistas all year round. Designed as a strategic and technical masterpiece that will test today’s best players, the sunken design of the course with its wide corridors is ideal for tournament purposes and provides optimal spectator value on almost every hole.
