
As a farm girl (Tarkastad, Eastern Cape) I always loved the outdoors & enjoyed casual golf.
My dad always allowed us to play with him as long as we didn’t slow the game down. My first golf experience was on oil greens with very little grass on the fairways.
I set off to study at the now-Durban University of Technology where I loved the more technical aspect of soil science. My journey in the golf industry began when Mike Wallington arrived as the golf course superintendent of Mount Edgecombe.
I was doing landscape installations & maintenance but was drawn to the detail on the golf course. I then interned at the Pebble Beach Company, in California.
WHAT A JOURNEY
I am learning to operate TLBs, chainsaws, brush cutters and finally the golf course – raking bunkers, mowing tees, greens, semi-rough, spraying and rebuilding bunkers in preparation for the 2000 US Open at Pebble Beach.
I worked my first tournament – the 1997 AT & T Pro-Am – I will never forget meeting Kevin Costner as I came off mowing the 18th green.
Jack Lemmon walking his dog on 18 tees. This is where I met Mr Rupert, Grant Hepburn, David Frost & Fultum Allen.
In 1997 I returned to South Africa & started working as the golf course superintendent at Leopard Creek. An incredible 8 years of my life. I love Africa & I love training staff so this was the perfect fit. Training each team member on how to operate each piece of equipment & work our way up to the top golf course in South Africa. I am a perfectionist so we rebuilt the greens to a full USGA spec with a SubAir system.
How exciting to meet South Africans
In 1997 I got to work my first of 4 Masters – Tiger won this year as well as 1999 – I mowed greens leading up to the Masters & during tournament week I raked fairway bunkers with 3 other guys and mowed the 2nd cut in the afternoons. What an incredible experience. I love the absolute pride of producing the ultimate playing surface for a golf tournament or now a rugby test or soccer match at Mbombela Stadium.