GOLFDEVELOPMENT

that leads to their popularity. In our experience at the SAGDB, when we introduce golf to the less privileged and make it possible to play, the response is very positive. These youngsters love golf. Once they start, it soon becomes a huge part of their lives, and they practise for hours on end. The best thing is that they can play the game on their own or with friends. They also get to mix with people they would never normally get to meet. We recently sent two of our youngsters to Scotland at the invitation of the Scottish Golf Union. Half of their community arrived at the airport to see them off. They got to meet Ernie Els and Johann Rupert; they played in some tournaments, visited the R&A, visited museums and learnt a huge amount. Suddenly they are the heroes of their community, heroes in jackets and ties with good manners and an understanding of etiquette and honesty. That goes a long way to growing the game and raising its profile to a level closer to that of football and boxing. Most importantly, the SAGDB creates heroes in the community who arent gangsters and arent missing classes at school. Zimbabwean-born Hepburn moved to SA in 1982, settling with his family in Amanzimtoti. The young Hepburn excelled physically, playing nine first-team sports, including surfing, which remains a favourite pastime of his. Ionly began playing golf once I had completed my military service at the age of 21, which is relatively late to start a sport like golf. Although I progressed pretty quickly, I knew I was too late to have ambitions of playing professionally and, in fairness, I simply wasnt good enough. In those days I was a professional lifeguard on the beaches of Durban. Life was great, we were paid well and we surfed all day not to mention that we were experts in the latest bikini fashions. I would hit golf balls on the beach most days, and got wondered who this young guy with the South African accent was. We got talking, soon became friends and stayed intouch. A couple of years later Robert arranged for me to go over to America and assist him at Leadbetters. Shortly after I arrived, he decided to leave Leadbetter to go out on his own, and offered me the role of assisting him. He couldnt really afford to pay me, but by this time he had introduced me to Johann Rupert, whom Robert coached on a regular basis. Because Robert was so busy I

HEART AND SOUL

Grant Hepburn is a giant in the golf-coaching world. The SA Golf Development Board MD speaks to GCM about his work with golfs next generation.

Back in the 90s, being on the PGA Tour with Robert was a thrill.
more and more hooked on the game. A friend, Gregg Upton, was a scratch golfer, and he invited me to join Amanzimtoti Country Club. I was playing competitive football, but golf soon became a priority and Gregg was kind enough to share much of his experience and advice with me. Its over 20 years later and Gregg now works with me, running my golf school in Cape Town. Hepburns life changed when he met renowned golf coach David Leadbetters right-hand man Robert Baker. It was at the Million Dollar Challenge in Sun City. Baker is a South African who was living in America working for Leadbetter at the time the worlds most famous and sought-after coach. Leadbetter couldnt make it to Sun City that year, so Robert was there in his place, coaching Nick Faldo, Nick Price, Seve and David Frost. I would watch him on the range every day coaching these world-class players, and would often coach MrRupert in his place; it was at this time that Mr Rupert took me under his wing, and I spent an extended period of time with him. He paid me generously enough so I could afford to spend weeks at a time on the American PGA Tour with Robert. It was basically his way of sponsoring me to learn the ropes. That was almost 20 years ago and, in that time, I watched Mr Rupert help many of our South African golf professionals who are now world-beaters. Its remarkable. Back in the 90s, being on the PGA Tour with Robert was a thrill. He was coaching 20 players on tour, including Ernie, Seve, Greg Norman, Mark OMeara, Faldo, Price and a host of other players. It was amazing to think that only a couple of years before I had been a lifeguard in Durban and then there I was, assisting Robert with legends of the game. I still have to pinch myself sometimes at the memories. I was so fortunate to

Given the history of golf development prior to the formation of the board, which works to introduce youngsters to the game, there are those within our industry who still view the idea with a jaundiced eye. A common argument put forward is that kids from economically depressed areas are unlikely ever to be able to afford what is an expensive game. I understand what people are saying when I hear this, says Hepburn. My response is that all of the golfers in the SAGDB have to attend school and pass their exams to be in our programme. Not only does

golf give them an incentive to attend school and study hard, it also teaches them so many other things. By the time our golfers turn 18, they are able to communicate with people from all walks of life, and they understand integrity, honesty and good manners. They are all-round better people with hope and a good set of life skills. That means they are infinitely more employable than they were before they got into our programme. Once they leave school there might be a few years in which they dont make money because they are studying or finding their feet, but once these young

adults get jobs and forge careers they will inevitably return to golf and become contributing members at golf clubs across the country. That has to be good for the game. Golfs transition in a democratic South Africa has been slow, particularly since sports such as soccer and boxing have traditionally attracted the most interest in the townships. But that does not temper Hepburns determination to grow the game in these areas. One has to consider that soccer and boxing are easily accessible for the underprivileged. In my opinion it is that accessibility

LEFT: Grant Hepburn is recognised as one of the best golf coaches in SA, and his commitment to the SAGDB cause makes him the ideal person to steer the organisation into the future.

26

December 2013

www.golfclubmanagement.co.za

www.golfclubmanagement.co.za

December 2013

27

GOLFDEVELOPMENT
RIGHT: The two excited visitors, Keelan Africa and Dylan Jacobs, speak to Gary Player. FAR RIGHT: (From left) Manager Andr Rossouw, Keelan and Dylan with Richard Sterne, Charl Schwartzel (third and fourth from left), and Louis Oosthuizen (far right). BELOW: (From left) Keelan Africa, Dylan Jacobs and Andr Rossouw before a special treat in Scotland playing on a golf course preserved as it was in the early 1900s, using hickoryshafted clubs and dressed in period costume. Even old-fashioned ginger beer issupplied as a thirst quencher.

have been able to learn in that environment from Robert, who is a genius of golf instruction, and from some of the best players of all time. I then went from coaching on the PGA Tour to running a project for one of our international clients, who had built a golf course and coaching academy in the eastern part of Berlin. That was a baptism of fire. I went from the glamour of the PGA Tour to the countryside of Berlin, where the people had grown up behind the wall in a communist state. Many of the people couldnt speak a word of English, and had little or no knowledge of golf. I remember getting really excited when a golfer had a handicap of 24. So there I was with all this knowledge I had acquired in America, and yet I could barely say guten morgen! Believe me, you learn to keep things simple and find ways to communicate very quickly in those circumstances. I loved Berlin and had a fantastic time there, and I honestly believe that it played a major role in helping

me become a coach who understands the technique and intricacies of the golf swing, but who can keep the message simple and easy for the student to understand. I also have a mentally challenged brother to whom Im very close. I must say that growing up with him also had an influence on my ability to communicate, and probably contributed to the part of me that always wants to help people, which is why I find coaching so fulfilling. It was again Johann Rupert, who has done so much for golf, who was directly responsible for introducing Hepburn to the next phase of his career: his involvement with the SAGDB. In 1999 Mr Rupert established the SAGDB. I was running an academy in the UK, and had spent a number of years overseas. I had remained friends with him and his family, and he mentioned to me that he had this development project back in South Africa. There was an opportunity for me to have my own golf academy in Cape Town, and also to get involved in the

SAGDB coaching programme. Iwas ready to move back to SA, and I jumped at the chance. I worked as a consultant to the SAGDB, running its coaching programme and training the coaches around the country. I wasnt a member of the

especially in light of my international experience. I did the final-year PGA business study examinations, and was then welcomed into the fold. For the past few years, the PGA has been very supportive of the coaching

I was ready to move back to SA, and I jumped at the chance

PGA back then, so it ruffled a few feathers. Fortunately for me, Mr Dennis Bruyns took the reins at the PGA and we had some discussions around the possibility of my joining their ranks. My profile in SA was growing, not only from my position with the SAGDB, but also because of the support I was getting from Compleat Golfer magazine, which invited me to write instructional articles on a monthly basis. Dennis thought it would be better to be inclusive rather than exclusive, programme I run at the SAGDB, and we have worked closely to develop a system that continues to upgrade our coaches and ensure that the SAGDB golfers receive topquality instruction from our coaches countrywide. Hepburn is quick to admit that his job is not easy, and that there are practical problems that he has to contend with. Supply of equipment, especially clubs suited to small children, is always a challenge. Another consideration is transport, which is a huge

expense. Because of this we do our best only to have projects near driving ranges, school fields or golf courses. It makes no sense for children not to be able to practise the sport outside of the specified coaching times we provide. There is also an inescapable humanitarian side that comes with the territory. Many of our golfers come from unstable backgrounds and broken homes. That in itself presents challenges, and many of our managers and coaches play a huge role in counselling and in parenting a number of these children. But I am pleased to say that many golfers and clubs across the country are helping us develop the game. Whether this is done in the form of equipment donations, coaching programmes or free memberships for disadvantaged youngsters, there is definitely a welcome trend out there to help. The SAGDB has a number of important partnerships with

golf clubs that supply us with free rounds of golf, lend us the use of their facilities and, in many cases, allow us the use of their coaches. All registered golfers contribute R39 a year to a development fund through their fees to the South African Golf Association (SAGA). The SAGA in turn gives that money to the various provincial golf unions around the country. It is up to the SAGDB to convince the golf unions to spend that development money with us. That has been my primary

partnerships and an excellent working relationship with those unions. The SAGDB has wellestablished structures and programmes in place. My role is to make sure those structures are utilised in the best way for each unions requirements. Its important to treat each province as a project in itself, as the strengths, weaknesses and challenges differ around the country. The SAGDB does its best to help each union run the most suitable programme for its particular region. Golfers, clubs and unions play a big role

I see the SAGA and the golf unions as vital partners of the SAGDB
objective since taking over at the SAGDB. I see the SAGA and the golf unions as vital partners of the SAGDB. I am happy to say that we are now very well supported by the unions around the country, and we have strong in helping us develop the game. It is important that the development contributions made by golfers in the form of annual subs to the SAGA be well used so that people can grow their trust and belief in what we do. The SAGDB runs

an open book. Our finances can be scrutinised at any time, and we are fully audited. We have about 2 000 children around the country, and about 150 have been selected on merit to play for their provinces. Recently, 11-year-old Tristan Galant won the SA under-13 championships with a score of level par for three rounds quite an achievement for someone that young. We have a girl by the name of Crystal Beukes who won the ladies club champs at Somerset West at the age of 12, and who represents the ladies senior team at Interprovincials. Last year Musi Nethunzwi was selected for South Africa, and Sipho Bajela became the first black player to automatically qualify to play in the SA Open, thanks to his high amateur ranking. So the results are there. All of these golfers came through our programme or are still in it. Success breeds belief, and that leads people to want to

28

December 2013

www.golfclubmanagement.co.za

www.golfclubmanagement.co.za

December 2013

29

GOLFDEVELOPMENT
RIGHT: Tristan Galant, one of the SAGDBs prodigies the 11-year-old won the National U-13 Championships with rounds of 2 over par, level and 2 under par.

help us be sustainable. The more people who play golf the better for the sport. And in our country, the more we can get players of colour involved, the better it is for everyone; there is an emerging class of business and career people who can afford to play golf but it must become more widely accepted and played among the communities that have not traditionally played golf in the past. The Sunshine Tour has become a firm partner of the SAGDB through the help of Selwyn Nathan and Grant Wilson. They have assisted us in an initiative whereby some of the funds they receive from sponsors of their tournaments are channelled to the SAGDB. We have projects in most of the regions where Sunshine Tour events take place, and money from these sponsors is now used to help sustain those programmes. So the Sunshine

obvious problem for the growth of the game among lowerincome sectors, but Hepburn believes mini courses could be the answer. There is probably a need for more mashietype golf courses. At my golf academy in Cape Town, based at the River Club, we have a lovely little nine-hole mashie course that is extensively used by the SAGDB. These courses offer all aspects of golf in an environment that is friendly, relaxed and pressure free. Its a perfect way to learn the game, and it is very cost- and time-effective. I think that more mashie courses would be a very good way to grow and sustain the game in an economical way. Earlier this year, Hepburns position changed from technical director to MD, and he has embraced the extra responsibility. My job used to be based solely around coaching, but nowadays it

It is still so much fun to help beginners just to get the ball in the air or get a slicer to hit a draw
Tour helps development golfers through invitations to tour events, and it also contributes to the SAGDBs grassroots programme. Thats vital for golf in the country we need to have a healthy and wide base of golfers at the lower levels in order for the champions to emerge at the highest level one day. We are very excited and thankful to have this support from the Sunshine Tour. The lack of low-maintenance, basic, affordable golf courses in South Africa has been an involves much more than that. And from a coaching perspective, it is still so much fun to help beginners just to get the ball in the air or get a slicer to hit a draw. The delight on peoples faces is very rewarding. Coaching professionals comes with its own challenges and rewards, and one of those highlights for me has been to help my friend Richard Sterne to win the Dunhill Championship and SA Open back to back. I am also very

fortunate in that I get to meet many of my personal sporting heroes through coaching, and that is a special position to be in. Ive coached all over the world, and have been exposed to some of the most successful people in the world. I always try to learn something from them, and I consider myself to be privileged to have those opportunities. My role at the SAGDB has been gratifying: seeing youngsters become provincial or professional golfers, and watching kids turn their lives around by becoming good students and turning their backs on drugs. It has also been rewarding to travel around the country visiting the various

golf union presidents and their committees. These are people who give their spare time to golf at no charge. They are the lifeblood of the game in our country. Forming friendships, relationships and partnerships with these people on behalf of the SAGDB has been a lot of fun, and very valuable to what we do. As our relationships strengthen and grow, it can only be good for golf and the work that the SAGDB does around the country. Whats disappointing is that, after all these years in golf, breaking par is still damn difficult to do. But thats probably why I still have a job as a coach this game isnt easy, but its very rewarding.

30

December 2013

www.golfclubmanagement.co.za