May 2025
GENERAL MANAGER
Jason Syme
It has been great to see all the members and visitors enjoying our golf course of late.
After all the rain, although actually too much of it the golf course is now in a great condition to which I personally really enjoy when playing. I see all the new grass sods are mostly bedding in well and eliminating most of the bare areas. There is and always will be much work to be done, but we as a team will always strive to keep on improving.
I don’t know that many people are aware of my history at the club, but I have been a member at the Krugersdorp Golf Club since the 1st of January 1981, so a member now for 44 years. It does seem like just yesterday that I would ride down to the club on my bicycle, get my clubs out of my locker and enjoy 36 holes during the school holidays and even sometimes 45 holes. How times have changed.
I have also been fortunate enough to win our B Division Club Championships, way back in 1985, the Singles as well as the Pairs Knockouts, also the Presidents Prize and the Captains Prize. I actually challenged for the A Division and played Scratch League many, many years ago, but unfortunately those days of being a low handicapper have disappeared a long time ago now, but much fun is still had out on the golf course.
With the support of all our members and the many visitors that regularly come and enjoy our beautiful golf course I believe we are going to have a successful 2025.
I look forward to seeing you all soon under the Lapa and enjoying a cold beverage of your choice.
CAPTAINS CORNER
Grant Syme
I cannot begin to tell you all what an honour it is to serve you all as a Captain of Krugersdorp Golf club and I would like to thank you from the bottom of my heart for entrusting me to do so.
For those who don’t know me, my name is Grant Declan Syme and I have been a member of Krugersdorp Golf Club for the last 23 years. This club is where I learnt to play golf and learnt many lifelong lessons, throughout the years this club has become my home away from home. I currently work as a customer service manager for a company called Acorn Products which manufactures and sells, Tabard Mosquito repellents amongst other household products.
I have been married to my beautiful wife Juanita for 8 years and together we have two boys – Quaden and Carson who are 13 and 8 respectively. Other than eating me out of house and home, the boys have developed a liking for the game and I’m confident that the bug will bite them soon. I have been married to my wife Juanita for 8 years but have always been married to the game.
When I’m not playing golf, my other interests include fishing and hunting from time to time and of course, thinking of my next tee off time. Myself and the family love spending time outdoors, whether it be at a water park or somewhere nice for lunch.
I have served on committees and sub committees for over 6 years and have been mentored by the great committee members and committee alumni. I look forward to making Krugersdorp the best overall golfing and social experience for all those who choose to spend time at our beautiful club.
In my tenure as captain, I have a few ideas and visions I’d like to bring to fruition that I believe will elevate our club to new heights, as well as creating a welcoming environment where golf and community come together. A few of the things, that we’d like to achieve are:
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Bringing back the Gees and vibe to our golf club in all aspects.
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Bring in new events (club comp’s and various formats) and improve on already existing events.
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Increase our junior membership
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Promote a family culture so our club will appeal to the whole family.
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Create easier ways for members concerns and suggestions to be heard.
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Be fair and equal to members in all in all aspects surrounding the golf club.
I am very excited to take on this new role and I ensure you all my best efforts. Id like to reassure all members that I am available to speak to whenever.
CALVIN'S TEE
Calvin Caldiera
It seems life has been a bit of whirlwind over the past few months, and I cannot believe we are already almost halfway through 2025. It is by far my favorite time of the year, as it seems every day we are given perfect golfing weather, not too hot neither too cold, and seeing all the different shades of Autumn around the course just makes the course even better. Luca has decided he wants to be just as golf mad as the rest of the family, and is now constantly walking around with a club in his hand, making for some interesting times around the house with clubs swinging all over the place. I haven’t been playing much golf of late, it has been a crazy period with golf days, but I did manage to get down to San Lameer and play in the PGA Championships in the beginning of May. I had a bit of a struggle in round 1 with a few lost balls, but came back nicely over the next 2 days to finish 9th in the end, not the win I was so hoping for, but a result I will take after the start.
THE COURSE
From having no rain whatsoever to having an excessive amount over the past 2 months, we really are in a much better place entering Winter than we were last year. I know that the rough has been quite a challenge over the past few months, I promise we are trying to cut it as quickly as possible, but it seems it grows even quicker. This however should alleviate now as the temperatures get lower and growth stops. Our greens are also recovering nicely from the dry season, we did have a few spots that really burnt up in the heat, but with the rains it has allowed Johan to treat these areas and they should be fully recovered in a month or so. Our new chipping green is almost ready, and we have already started to cut this down, I think it is going to become a really popular spot to visit for many players before tee-off. We have also rotavated and added sand to all of the bunkers, and our next task is to sort out all of the dams during the Winter. Overall, I think the course is really looking great and I would like to thank Johan and all of our ground staff for the hard work they have put in over the past few months through wind, rain and cold they are here working to ensure we present a great course every week.
CLUB CHAMPIONSHIPS
Exciting times ahead, we have champs in around 3 weeks and this time around I think the weather should play ball with us. As I have said above, May is probably the best time of the year for golf, and so with this being a bit of a ‘forced experiment’ we might decide to move champs to May every year to not only avoid the rains, but the course itself shows off best with Autumn coloured trees, slightly quicker greens, and fairways that are running a little more. Please ensure you enter for the championships, as entries will close on the 21st May and handicaps will then be frozen.
THE PRO SHOP
With winter arriving we have started stocking up on some warmer items from FJ, Swagg, Nike and Rhode Island. We have also received our beanie drop so make sure you have a look around and get yourself kitted for some new gear to keep you warm whilst playing this Winter. I have also managed to get my hands on a few pairs of Limited Edition Footjoy shoes, we got a few pink “Spring Bloom” Masters edition pairs, and will be receiving our PGA Limited edition ones in a about a week, so definitely something to snap up as they won’t be repeated again.
COURSE ACCESSORIES
Some of you may have noticed that we have put out some new fairway markers and have removed the old ones. These make life much easier as they can be removed so you don’t need to risk your lives when trying to hit past them. It is the start of a bit of a revamp, as over the next few months we will be putting in a few more accessories around the course to keep the markings looking new and modern.
In closing, please ensure you keep an eye on our golfing calendar, we have some exciting events coming up throughout the winter period and we would love to have as many members join us for the fun. Keep it straight and chip them close …