He says… She says!

You all know that it takes very little to get me revved up about St Francis Links, St Francis Bay, Louis, Ernie, my team, my wife, our country, nice weather, a good meal and on and on. Ok, I am still SA’s number one cheerleader. It’s nice when we win, we produce great events, we crown champions and we get the world to take notice. I came here 19 years ago to start a golf programme at Fancourt. I expected to be here 3 years – get it all up and going, see the country, meet the people and move on. Well, it wasn’t all that simple. Fancourt was financed with the wrong bank – Masterbond (I need not say more), and 30 days after arriving in the country, I was sort of stuck.

Well, we certainly got through that period by surpassing everyone’s expectations; we maintained our golf course at the highest standards while in liquidation and we developed programmes base on service and flexibility. Not long ago two guys came to me in the bar to remind me of where we first met. I made them welcome on their first golf tour 18 years ago at Fancourt. I looked after them there and again at Pezula and now here. They had played in all 18 tours and needed to tell me how my courses and staff treated them the best. Well, that, my friends, is why I do what I do – find the best course and club, develop the best team (partnering now with the best partner in business and life, Liezl), provide the best service and do whatever it takes to inspire another trip.

Everywhere I have been; Fancourt, Simola (after the flooding), Sparrebosch/Pezula and now here - my main focus or philosophy has been to “treat our members as royalty and our guests as members for the stay”, ultimately with the hope that members will introduce new members and guests will want to come back for more.

Always blowing my horn for YOU!

Members (and Friends) mean the most!

Ambassadors!

Members making memories! (Links Cup)

St Francis Links launched in “good times” with many of you investing for life and others for a nice profit. The downturn has put pressure on everyone. Golf estates and developments around the country are taking strain. For many of them, it is because they have not made the necessary adjustments to offset the drop in traffic and revenues. WE ARE BUCKING THE ENTIRE SYSTEM BY BEATING OUR BUDGETS, RUNNING OUR OPERATIONS WITH A PROFIT AND FORECASTING CONTINUED GROWTH WITH ONLY MARKET RELATED INCREASES TO OUR MEMBERS!

The recent “Road Trip” was an amazing success in terms of awareness and support. Our team ‘smoked ‘em’ and our course had them all singing our praises. Hang in there folks as this too shall pass. We are preparing for another difficult year ahead and will continue to provide you all with the best estate, course and club at the best price. Read what my friend, Ian Kennedy, PGA Director of Golf at Steenberg wrote and posted to his members. One of his members was so impressed that he sent it on to one of ours! This testimonial is one of the best ever! Thanks, Ian and Simmo for forwarding it to me!

Golf Director's News (Steenberg Estate)
Last week Greg, PJ, Etienne and I were all incredibly fortunate to have participated in a PGA event at St Francis Links. The event was fantastic as we were treated like royalty by their infamous Director of Golf, Jeff Clause and his lovely wife Liezl. I could go on about the actual event for hours, but I don't want to bore you and neither do I want to drop the boys by not adhering to the unwritten rule about tours!

However, I would like to talk about St. Francis Links. If you have a bucket list, I implore you to add this mind blowing course and experience to yours. Not only is this the best Nicklaus course that I have played (I have been fortunate to have played many), but undoubtedly one of the top 3 golf courses in SA.

When you go there, do not expect to shoot the lowest round of your humble career, or to make your most birdies in a round, as the course humbles the greatest of players. But what you can expect is to have fun. You will have plenty of fun and the golf purist in you will understand that this golf course is a gem and that it has been naturally carved as if it has been there for a thousand years. The course will not only test your mental resolve but will test all the skills you have which leads to the ultimate test of golf.

The clubhouse rates as my favourite in SA and any experience which involves Jeff Clause is memorable. Sitting outside on the veranda, you will no doubt hear and recollect your own stories of how the course rewarded and punished you for the day!

When you leave the St Francis Links Estate, you will want to come back and play it again and the memories which you, the course and the experience create will be etched into your memory forever!

Ian Kennedy
PGA Director of Golf
Steenberg

Come And Bring Friends!
There is no better time than now to be planning a spring trip to St Francis Links. Our 4 Days on the Links package is a fantastic trip. Two games here, one at St Francis Bay and another at the renovated and rejuvenated Humewood Links. Please take note that we will be closed for spring programme the last week in August. This will enable our course team to get your LINKS even better than it already is! Click here for more details.

ST FRANCIS LINKS RESTS FOR A WEEK!
Due to our annual hollowtining programme, general maintenance and a rest period for our dedicated staff, the CLUBHOUSE AND GOLF COURSE WILL BE CLOSED FROM SUNDAY, 22 AUGUST UNTIL SUNDAY, 29 AUGUST 2010. During this time, only our administration department will be open between 8h00 and 16h30 weekdays. Unfortunately there will be no food or beverage services.
• We will re-open for business as usual on Monday, 30 August 2010.
• Click here for more details.

IS THERE SOMETHING IN THE WATER?
Our staff is putting on weight this winter…to much starch in the staff lunch! No, it’s baby-time again…this time for Lelani in Accounting and Bianca, one of our long-time waitrons. The girls held stork teas for both!

Bianca is center-stage!