The sporting industry has transitioned immensely over the years, with womenâs voices and presence changing the sporting landscape. It is profound how women have positioned themselves and embraced the challenges they have faced in their respective journeys. The availability of development centers that can help up and coming girls and professional players has become more important than before to help train and harness the skill and love for golf.
The Standard Bank Golf Development Programme is proud to be working alongside Nobuhle Dlamini, the professional golf player. Nobuhle â who was inspired by her late father, a self-taught golfer, who over time became a caddie and managed to qualify for the European golf teacher diploma â has risen through the golfing ranks because of her hard work, dedication to the sport and drive.
âAs a financial institution, we are excited to be affiliated with an athlete of such great stature, one that has worked really hard to create a name for herself. Our programme aims to develop and empower women who have a strong love for the sports of golf and working alongside Nobuhle, we believe we can continue to create the desired awareness to the work we do, whilst ensuring that our development clinics continue to create opportunity and development for both amateur and professional golf playersâ, said -Lee-John Maans, Head: Personal Banking, Gauteng Province.
Aimed at taking the game of golf directly to the girls to create interest and excitement for the game, and generate support for them within their communities, the Standard Bank Golf Development Programme has been designed to grow womenâs golf on all levels and create opportunities for young females and women in South Africa to forge professional careers for themselves in the golf industry through playing ability, coaching and all aspects related to the business of golf.
The 2021 Standard Bank Golf Development Programme aims to cover four levels of abilities and learning from the young beginner right through to top amateur and professional players and will initially be hosted in Gauteng and will grow, in the long term, into a wide-reaching grassroots national programme.
âMaking use of Nobuhleâs professional expertise was a no brainer, her drive to succeed makes her the ideal role model for young, aspirant sports stars â especially young girls. Our aim as an organisation is to ensure that the game of golf is made accessible to every young person who has a vested interest in it and that we also continue to grow the professional gamers through that journey. It is through the partnership with Standard Bank and that of Nobuhle Dlamini that we believe we will continue to reach our set targetsâ, stated Jenny Havenga of Lifestyle Golf, founder and promoters of the Standard Bank Golf Development Programme.
âPersonally, I couldnât be more excited to work with the team on the Standard Bank Golf Development Programme, alongside Lifestyle Golf in association with the Womenâs Professional Golf Association expanding the reach and development of golf through their golf tournaments and more importantly their golf development clinics. Understanding how I was introduced to the sports through my father, it has become my personal goal to help younger girls gain easier access to the sports and learn and develop very early in their careersâ.
âI wish I had such facilities available to me when I first got introduced to the sport, as it would have assisted immensely through my development. I hope in working closely with the organisation, we can reach more young girls and women and help close the gap between accessibility of the sports through the development clinicsâ, stated Nobuhle Dlamini.
The key focus has been on creating accessibility ensuring that the game of golf is taken to young girls to garner interest and increase participation. The aim is to promote, grow and develop womenâs professional golf in South Africa. By creating accessibility to sports through the various tournaments and the development clinics available, we are contributing to growing and grooming young talent which is part of the fundamental goal of the programme. The programme also facilities the identifying and recruitment of young girls with focus on driving participation in sports, creating a platform which makes it possible for women to reach greater heights.
