PLAYER E-NEWS

Gary Player travels the world as an ambassador for the sport, but for the Nedbank Golf Challenge he plays host in his native country. He did not win as many majors as Jack Nicklaus or win over the masses like Arnold Palmer, but he still has had a lasting impact on the game. Player, 84, of South Africa, won the first of his nine major titles, the 1959 British Open, at the age of 23, and the last, the 1978 Masters Tournament, at 42. He came back from seven shots down on the final day. He also won nine majors as a senior. He has been one of golf’s most revered ambassadors, circling the globe for decades. For the Nedbank Golf Challenge, he gets to play host in his home country at the […]

This week, the golf world’s focus turns to Sun City as Gary Player will again host the annual Nedbank Golf Challenge at the Gary Player Country Club in South Africa. The tournament has come a long way since Sun City was a mere volcanic crater prior to 1978. Sun International founder, Sol Kerzner, came to Gary Player with a vision to build South Africa’s premier resort. “The first helicopter flight with Sol Kerzner into the vast open bushveld was interesting,” said Gary Player. “I thought to myself, there is no way a golf course, let alone a world-class resort, could be built here. But Sol was a visionary who made things happen. “Our team had to move an unbelievable amount […]

A stellar year of recognition continued for Poland’s Modry Las Golf Resort. The latest in a line of awards secured by the club since it was officially opened in 2009, the golf destination reclaimed the top spot at the 2019 World Golf Awards in the UAE when it was named Poland’s Best Course at the annual ceremony. The West Pomerania golf resort received praise at the World Golf Awards in Abu Dhabi following a series of exciting new developments. This latest accolade points towards ongoing improvements that have been supported by an internationally recognized design. The 10th anniversary year of Modry Las Golf Resort has been truly special, and now the only Gary Player Design signature course in Poland is […]

Golf legend Gary Player — one of five men to win the career grand slam and namesake of The Player Foundation that has raised millions globally for underprivileged children and education — is the recipient of the 2020 Old Tom Morris Award from the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America (GCSAA). Player, 84, is among an elite group of golfers who have won all four majors. The others are Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods. The winner of nine major championships, Player’s road to the career grand slam started when he won The Open Championship in 1959. He went on to win the Masters in 1961 and the PGA Championship in 1962, and he completed the grand […]

Jinji Lake Golf Club received one of the highest accolades in golf, being voted as China’s Best Golf Course 2019 at the World Golf Awards held this year in Abu Dhabi. Located in the Suzhou Industrial Park, between Jinji Lake and Dushu Lake, the Jinji Lake Golf Club is a 27-hole championship course, and was designed by the Gary Player Design company. The course opened for play in 2006 and hosted the Volvo China Open in 2010 – an event co-sanctioned by the European Tour and Asian Tour. And this past June, Jinji Lake Golf Club hosted its first event on the PGA TOUR Series-China – the Suzhou Open. The course has three distinct 9-hole layouts – Links, Wetlands and […]

Gary Player and Ronan Keating capped a memorable weekend of charity, golf and a Rugby World Cup Final victory by the Springboks by raising over R1 million as part of the A Night with Ronan Keating presented by Citadel charity fundraiser. The Grand Slam legend and Irish pop star first teamed up for charity in an exclusive gala dinner and fundraising auction at Val de Vie Estate on Friday evening, which raised R1 433 000.00 for The Player Foundation and the Ronan Keating Foundation’s selected beneficiary, the Red Cross War Memorial Children’s Hospital Oncology Unit. Then on Saturday, they each led a team of VIP amateur golfers in an 18-hole match at the renowned Pearl Valley Jack Nicklaus Signature Golf […]