Golf
development, in all its forms, can be taken forward through an educational programme,” Derek Le Roux said. “A number of golf academies exist in South Africa and their sole focus is the development and training of potential professional golfers and PGA professionals. However, in reality, not all of the young people aspiring to become professionals are going to make it; that’s the hard truth. So, what do they do, if they don’t make it?” “That’s where Andrew’s vision came into
play. Instead of losing these youngsters from the wider golf industry, why don’t we offer them some formal training in the art of greenkeeping, providing them with a long-term career if they don't make it as a Golf Pro? That’s the difference in what we are trying to achieve here; that’s where we differ from other golf academies.” “If we are to progress the game of golf
across the whole continent of Africa, then we have to have courses managed by trained people from the various African nations. To sustain a proper golf course, trained staff are needed to manage,
nurture and maintain it. This is essential for the development of golf in Africa.” Andrew McKenna continued the conversation and explained how it came to fruition. “In 2010, I wrote to BIGGA, the R&A and Elmwood College outlining what I had in mind; all were very receptive and Ian Butcher, who has since left Elmwood to work in Germany, was particularly enthused. My proposal dovetailed with Elmwood’s ambitions in Africa, so we put an educational plan together, which we named the Elmwood St Andrews International Greenkeeping Qualification. Ian came to South Africa, visiting the great and the good in the golf industry and lobbying to get the programme off the ground. We realised we needed the endorsement of various influential bodies or else it was going nowhere.” “Through a lot of hard work we eventually obtained support from the Golf Course Managers and Greenkeepers Association of Southern Africa (GCMGASA), the South African Golf Association (SAGA) and the West African Golf Association (WAGA).”
“Meanwhile, I was having conversations with Carol Borthwick, the Director of International Golf and Student Services at Elmwood College about integrating the R&A sustainability programme into the teaching module. We succeeded in our quest and we now had an educational programme that was endorsed by national and international bodies, so all we had to do was implement it!” Ian Butcher then introduced Derek Daly to the project. Derek previously worked at Kingsbarns Golf Links, which is part of the heritage of links golf in St Andrews and co-hosts the European Tour’s prestigious Alfred Dunhill Links Championship with the Old Course, St Andrews and Carnoustie Golf Links. He joined the programme as Director of Education in December 2011 and it is his responsibility to deliver the education to the students. The first students arrived in January 2012 and the first course was underway. “I was obviously delighted when appointed as it gave me the chance to impart my knowledge to help improve greenkeeping skills across the continent.
The stunning location of the Silver Lakes Golf Estate is home to the St Andrews International Greenkeeping Initiative
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