Provincial Golf Profile:
The 2008
Eastern Cape Women’s Golf Championship, sponsored by Nedbank, takes place from
10-14 February at Port Elizabeth Golf Club. The Championship is expected to
attract some of South Africa’s
top female amateur golfers and is one of the major highlights on the Eastern
Cape Women’s Golf Association’s calendar.
President of
the ECWGA, Ria Bestbier, told gsport that women’s golf in the Eastern Cape is healthy and growing all the
time.
"We have
a development program called Introduce a Girl Child to Golf that we wrote ourselves
and that is working so well. We started this program on the 4th of September
2006, and over a year later we have nine girls between the ages of 11 – 14
and of all races, on the course playing competitions each with their
own handicaps.
"We are very excited about this
programme and EC will hopefully have a continuous intake of young girls,
resulting in the Province having enough young players for the future. We are always interested in hearing about any
promising, young players."
While
Bestbier is positive about the growth of women’s golf in the region, her
assessment of the state of provincial women’s golf in South Africa is
that the "bigger, financial stronger provinces, are
doing better than the smaller provinces", citing distances and transport
has a huge problem. She also believes that along with the need for sponsorships,
women’s golf in South Africa
needs committed administrators.
Having said that, Ria Bestbier
and her dedicated team at the ECWGA are determined to continue growing the game
among women by fundraising every year to cover the cost of its Inter-Provincial
team.
One of the Eastern Cape’s rising
young golf stars is vibrant 17-year-old Tanya Tibshraeny, who took up golf at
the age of 11.
Currently in
her matric year, Tanya is coached by Graeme van der Nest, head pro at Humewood
Golf Club, who has been coaching her for three years and she says her golf has
gone from strength to strength.
Tanya is one
of two siblings; her 20-year-old brother is studying in Cape Town, currently doing a greenkeepers
course. Her dad owns a butcher shop, which is the family business, and her mom
is a home executive, who travels with Tanya to her various tournaments.
Tanya, who
lives with her family on a farm in Kirkwood in the Sundays River Valley, 80km
from Port Elizabeth, spoke to gsport about her love for golf and how she plans
to become a successful lady golf professional.
Tanya, how do you balance golf and the rest of your
life?
I have just
started my matric year. Balancing golf and the rest of my life is a difficult
question. Being my matric year, schooling comes first, but golf is my
first passion. I also enjoy spending quality time with my school
friends.
When did you take up golf and what drew you to the
game?
I took up
golf at the age of 11 while my brother was playing in an Interprovincial
tournament in George.
What is your golf handicap?
My current
hcap is 1.
Which is your home golf course?
My home
course is Port Elizabeth
golf club where I am handicapped.
Kirkwood golf club is my second home club
where I practice every day. It is a typical 9 hole country course, the
practise facilities are not of any standard, but the members of this small
club are my most loyal supporters. What more do I need?
Which is your favourite golf course to play?
Fish River Sun Country Club
What do you enjoy most about playing golf?
After
practicing hard and doing well in a tourament.
What have been some of your biggest golf
achievements?
Winning S.A.
girls U/16 at Fish
River Sun in 2006
Runner up
girls U/18 at Middelburg Mpumulanga in 2007
3rd in the
Gus Ackerman tournament at King David 2007
Runner up in
the Raymond Ackerman tournament, lost in a count out to my best friend Bertine
Strauss, who is the best amateur S.A player.
How do you deal with disappointment on the golf
course?
Disappointments:
It does not really rattle me, I learn from my mistakes.
Who are some of the South African women golfers you
admire and why?
Sally
Little, she left S.A.
to further her golfing career, what a great career she had. She has
now come back home to develop and take women’s golf S.A. to a next level.
What are some of things you do to constantly improve
your game?
Improving my
game: I practice with a purpose 3 hours every day.
What are your goals for
2008?
Finish top 4
in the junior Order of Merit.
Win a senior
Order of Merit tournament.
How do you feel about your chances in the upcoming Eastern Cape Golf
Champs?
My home
course, watch this space…
Who are your golf heroes?
Tiger Woods,
he has a great passion for the game/worlds best.
What is your advice to young girls who are keen to
take up golf?
Practice and
make golf fun for yourself.
What is your ultimate golf ambition?
To become
a successful lady golf professional.
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