MASTERS AT WORK

San Lameer general manager, Pierre van Vuuren, gives Paul Stubbs an inside look at what goes into hosting a big tournament

Sadly, it’s been a while since I visited the beautiful San Lameer! It looks like it’s exciting times for you all, with the SA Women’s Masters taking place at the estate. What does hosting a tournament like this mean to San Lameer?

San Lameer has always had a special relationship with the SA Women’s Masters, we hosted the event for quite a few years in the past. When Jenny [Havenga] approached us to host again, we jumped at the opportunity. We believe San Lameer is a wonderful place to visit, as not only do we have a great golf course, but amateurs and professionals will also be able to enjoy all our amenities on the estate. It gives the tournament a different feel to regular events in other parts of the country.

Have you planned any changes to the normal layout?

We are in year three of a 10-year improvement plan. So there have been some changes to the course. We added numerous tee boxes to our layout that the ladies will enjoy. We've also started to inter-seed our greens with bentgrass, so they can expect our greens to be in fantastic condition.

From the back office side of things, what goes into the planning for an event like this?

We had our first on-site meeting with Jenny early this year when we were approached about the event. She is so passionate about the South Coast, as are we. It just made sense to bring the tournament back to San Lameer and to bring golfers back to the South Coast.

When did your team start getting the course ready for the tournament?

We are quite fortunate that we are hosting three big events in the space of six weeks, with the SA Women’s Masters being the final event. We started our preparations in May with the inter-seeding of our greens, and for the duration of the winter, we took on projects to ensure the course is in great shape for the event.

Which holes do you expect the women to find the most challenging?

We are blessed with numerous risk-and-reward holes. I expect the women to find the 6th and 7th quite challenging. Those holes are well protected by water and are in a part of the course where the wind tends to swirl a bit. Our 18th is one of the best finishing holes in the country, it should set us up for a bit of drama during the final round.

Lastly, a big challenge... what’s the winning score going to be?

Knowing how good the women are and depending on the wind, I would say eight under par would be a very good score.

Thanks so much for your time Pierre, as always, it’s a great pleasure chatting with you. Good luck to you and your team, I’m sure it will be an amazing success.

Thank you so much. It is always a pleasure, and we hope to see all of you back at San Lameer for a round of golf.