Over the Drakensberg
The main sponsor for this record was American SUV. Tel (012) 665 2925
The most famous event in the Afrikaner history must be the “Great Trek” over the Drakensberg. Imagine the journey with oxwagon, crossing a mountain with no roads, which has never been crossed before. This took place 1834 and 1840.
On the 18th of November I teed off at the Harrismith golf club in Harrismith at around 05:00 am. I played a total of 58km on the first day, leaving another 29km to cover on day two. Around 19:00 we reached our halfway stop at a small town in Drakensburg called Geluksburg.
On the 19th I teed off at around 05:00 am again. From here it was downhill, literally. I finished this record in 19 hours and 12 minutes. In the process I made 963 golf swings, and lost a total of 82 balls.
My support vehicle was a specially modified Jeep proudly sponsored by American SUV in Centurion (012) 665 2925.
My journey started at Harrismith Golf Club (3rd Oldest golf club in SA) in Harrismith, and ended at the Ladysmith Golf Club.
For this trip I needed a lot of golf balls, and for this I was sponsored by the Centurion branch of the Vodacom Golf Village
My rental car needs is proudly taken care of by Peter Retief from Europcar
Fastest Round of Golf
The fastest round of golf (provided that the ball comes to rest before the next shot is played), was set at 27 minutes and 9 seconds by James Carvill at the Warrenpoint Golf Course, Co. Down on the 18th of June 1987. This 18 hole course measured 5 628 meters (6 154 yards).
On the 16th of July 2008 I broke this record at the Woodhill golf estate in Pretoria.
Out of all my Guiness world record attempts, this one was the most demanding, even giving me sleepless nights. The new record for the fastest round of golf played (provided that the ball comes to rest before the next shot is played), is set at 26 minutes and 37 seconds, at the Woodhill golf club, measuring 397 meters (6 995 yards), 769 meters longer than the previous record.
The Woodhill Golf Estate really left no stone unturned to ensure a trouble free round, closing the course for the day, and giving me access to all their caddies on the day. They even gave me permission to travel as close to the green as possible to make the travelling distance shorter.
My saviour on the day was my driver, only missing two of the 14 fairways with a small margin. I had a total of six birdie putts, which I could unfortunately not convert, but I´m happy to say that I made 6 pars at least. I completed this record time round with a score of 92, which was not too bad considering the speed in which the round was played.
My team on the day consisted of 58 people, including caddies, time keepers and journalists verifying the attempt.
For all the guys out there… sorry! Now I´ve shown wifes and girlfriends around the world that golf can be played in less than 30 minutes, so if you get home late again, you have a lot of explaining to do.
Legendary race
A couple of weeks back, on radio, I was challenged by Sakkie van der Merwe (former South African Airways pilot and weather forecaster on SABC) to try and beat him while he flies, and I play golf.
On Tuesday the 15th of September I attempted to beat a helicopter by driving from Pretoria to the Legends Golf Estate in Limpopo. But that was not all. I also played the Legends Golf Course, currently the longest golf course in SA.
The race started in Pretoria, under the supervision of Kurt Darren.
The winner was the person who gots his ball in the hole on the 18th green first. They took off from the Wonderboom airport, and I made use of a police escort to get to the Legends golf course as fast as possible. As soon as I arrived, I teed off on the longest course in SA and needed to finish the 18 before my opposition gets there.
I made use of my specially modified golf cart, which can reach speeds up to 90km/h. I was literally flying around the golf course.
This was a very close encounter. The most nerve racking experience was trying to establish how far the chopper was. On a quite day you could hear the chopper approach from quite a distance.
Longest ball caught
On the 13th of September 2010 I btroke the Guinness World Record for the longest golf ball cought. The previous record was set by Ian Cahill at the St Andrews Bay golf resort in Scotland on the 18th of June 2005. The ball he caught flew a distance of 182 meters.
As with all my record attempts I tried to raise the bar a lot higher and went for the magical distance of 250m.
A lot of planning went into this attempt, as the guy hitting the ball is just as crucial as my attempt to catch it. For this purpose I have selected my old friend and golfing partner Werner Maree. Werner playd off a 6 handicap, and is a member at the Cullinan Golf Club. I also made use of a crew which consisted of Johann Grobbelaar, Dandre Steenkamp, Cade Larkan and Buks Burger.
After a few unsuccessfull attempts I managed to catch the ball at 212 meters. This attempt takes a lot of skill and planning…and a whole lot of concentration.
This record attempt took place at the Woodhill Golf Estate in Pretoria.
Most balls in 24 hours
his record was proudly sponsored by
The previous world record holder for both the 12 hour mark (6 971), and the 24 hours mark (10 392) was David Ogron from the USA. My aim was to break both these records between the 4th and the 5th of June 2009. According to Guinness Record rules a certain distance has to be achieved, as well as a 30 degree arc.
My attempt started at midnight, and I broke the 12 hour record just after 07:30am, finishing on the 12th hour with a total of 9 437 balls.
The previous 24 hour record´s total was achieved at 14:32pm. My total after 24 hours was a massive 15 011 balls.
The record took place at the Vodacom Golf Village in Centurion, Gauteng.
Most holes in 1 year
The record was held by Leo Fritz (USA), who played 10 550 holes, using a cart, in 1998.
My attempt took place between 11 August 2008 and 10 August 2009.
What gave me a real boost was the Guinness World Record attempt for the most rounds of golf played in 24 hours.
By doing this record I managed to add a total of 405 holes to my tally in one day. Another great help was playing the South African Top 100 golf courses in only 80 days, giving me another 1 800 holes in only 80 days.
Being a member of the Woodhill Golf Club in Pretoria gave me another advantage, allowing me to play early in the morning before the AM field, and another chance to play in the afternoon after the PM field.
My total amount of holes for the 365 day period is set at 10 854.
Most holes in 7 days
A very special thanks to the guys from Golf and Bush Car SA who sponsored all the golf cars I used during the entire record attempt. They even supplied a formula 1 type pit crew to change batteries, adjust brakes, clean windscreens and more. Without the help and support from Cade Larkan and everyone else at the country´s leading golf and bush car supplier this record would not have been possible.
On the 18th of January 2010 I teed off at the Wingate Park Golf Club in Pretoria, Gauteng, attempting to break the Guinness World Record for playing the most golf holes in 7 days.
On Sunday 21 June 2009, Thomas Bucci (USA) set the new Guinness World Record for playing the most amount of golf holes in 7 days at the Albany Golf Club in Voorheesville, New York, USA. His record was a total of 1 801 holes in 7 days. A 6-handicap, Thomas averaged 89.66 strokes per round, including 32 birdies and a hole-in-one. His total stats were as follows:
* 32 Birdies
* 494 Pars
* 845 Bogeys
* 345 Double Bogeys
* 84 Tripple bogeys and more
Well guys, I did it. I smashed this record with 8 holes, making the new record for playing the most amount of golf holes in 7 days a total of 1 809. I currently play off a 9 handicap, and my stats were as follows:
* 90.42 strokes per round
* 55 Birdies
* 619 Pars
* 739 Bogeys
* 302 Double Bogeys
* 94 Tripple bogeys and more
My best rounds were round no 48 and 81, both being 79´s.
My worst round was a 106, which I played at night.
My worst hole was the 18th hole (par 5) where I made a 12.
My best hole was the 15th (par 5) where I made 10 birdies.
My birdie and average stats were as follows:
Hole no 1 (Par 4) – 2 (5.11 average)
Hole no 2 (Par 5) – 1 (5.70 average)
Hole no 3 (Par 4) – 1 (5.10 average)
Hole no 4 (Par 4) – 1 (4.85 average)
Hole no 5 (Par 3) – 3 (3.76 average)
Hole no 6 (Par 4) – 2 (5.02 average)
Hole no 7 (Par 4) – 2 (4.92 average)
Hole no 8 (Par 3) – 2 (3.69 average)
Hole no 9 (Par 4) – 1 (5.24 average)
Hole no 10 (Par 4) – 1 (5.32 average)
Hole no 11 (Par 4) – 1 (4.38 average)
Hole no 12 (Par 4) – 3 (4.70 average)
Hole no 13 (Par 5) – 8 (5.63 average)
Hole no 14 (Par 3) – 1 (4.05 average)
Hole no 15 (Par 5) – 10 (5.70 average)
Hole no 16 (Par 4) – 6 (3.75 average)
Hole no 17 (Par 4) – 1 (5.09 average)
Hole no 18 (Par 5) – 5 (6.11 average)
This record was pretty tough as I had to play golf late into some nights. The field during the day was rather busy, making my progress slow. The Wingate Park Country Club went out of their way to ensure this record attempt went as smooth as possible.
Most rounds in 24 hours
The previous record was held by Ian Colston from Australia, who, at 35, played 22 rounds and 5 holes (401 holes) at Bendigo GC, Victoria, Australia (par-73, 5542m 6061yd) on 27-28 Nov 1971.
I teed off at the Bangkok Golf Club in Bangkok, Thailand, at midnight on the 2nd of November 2008, and finished my attempt at midnight on the 3rd of November 2008. I managed to break the record with 4 more holes. The new record (to be verified by the Guinness Book of Records) stands at 22 full rounds and 9 holes.
My planning was to start off at midnight to give me a mental advantage of only 6 hours to go before the sun comes up. This way the night would be cut in half, with a few hours sleep prior to midnight counting in my favor.
To see my score cards
The planning worked well, with the Bangkok Golf Club making sure that the course was well lit for the night golf. The only down fall was that my shoes and socks were soaked from heavy rains the day before, as well as the large amount of dew on the course at night. Due to the wetness I started developing blisters on my feet, and was forced to take my shoes off after round number 7. From there on I played bear foot until I finished.
This in itself presented another major problem. Due to the hot and sunny conditions, and the white sandy bunkers, I got a few additional blisters from the hot sand and black conveyer belt strips laid down over certain bridges.
The course was also heavy under foot due to the rain the previous day. My clothes were wet after the first two rounds, and did I have to change underpants every two rounds. I had a spare pair in my pocket, changing from wet to dry after every 36 holes.
I planned to get as many rounds in as possible in the first 7 night hours, since I would be the freshest during this time. My first round time was 55 minutes for 18 holes, compared to my last round time of 01:46.
The night golf was a lot tougher than I anticipated, since external factors such as mosquitos also tried to spoil the party. At one stage I counted a total of 26 bites on one leg between my ankle and knee. From this picture below you can see the mozzie bites on my left leg.
My short game was on song, and about 80% of my longer shots stayed in the fairways. This helped my time quite a lot, since I didn´t waste a lot of time looking for lost golfballs. I had a total of 150 golfballs at my disposal to use for the entire day, but I managed to stay below 100 used for the entire 24 hours.
The course I chose plays difficult as a rule, with 16 of the 18 holes having water in play. Fortunately the club´s general manager consulted with me prior to the attempt, and he made sure that the pin placings was as friendly as possible.
“Who remembers the man who stayed behind in the space ship so that his friends could walk on the moon?” During this week I was the man who had the priviledge to walk on the moon. I was a part of history. But I do remember the guys who stayed behind in the spaceship.
First and foremost I would like to thank the Lord and Heavenly Father for giving me the talent and the strength to set about this record and achieving my goal. Lord, you are the best!
Secondly, Ian Colston from Australia for setting up this record in 1971. For 37 years you could not chat to anyone about what you had gone through to set up this record. Now you can. I am the only person on this planet who knows what you have gone through. I would love for us to meet and discuss our trials and tribulations, and maybe play a round of golf.
Then, to the man who stayed behind in the spaceship, so that I could walk on the moon. Leon Kotze from Centurion, South Africa. Cheering me on when the going got tough, working out my schedule and helping me give everything I had to succeed. Thanks Leon, you are a true and special friend.
Then, ofcourse, the guys at the Bangkok Golf Club. My very good friend Tony Choy… who always has a plan. The owner of the Bangkok Golf Club and a good friend, Khun Sirichai Bulakul. The General Manager, Khun Suttipong, Chris Choy, and all the staff at the beautiful Bangkok Golf Club. Without you guys this record would not have been possible at all! Bangkok Golf Club is truely one of the jewels of Thailand and Asia. Also a very great and special thanks to my good friend Mr Bundit Saralamba from Thai Airlines. for looking after my travel needs.
Lastly, to all my friends and followers of my records. You guys make these records real. Thank you very much for your continued support, e-mails and text messages. This record is unofficial until verified by the Guinness Book of Records.
SA Top 100 in 80 days
his record was proudly sponsored by
My rental car needs were proudly taken care of by Peter Retief from Europcar
From the 11th of August 2008 until the 29th of October 2008 I attempted to become the first golfer ever to have played the Top 100 golf courses in SA in only 80 days. Well, I´ve done it!!!
This trip will saw me play golf in every province in SA, making use of air and road travel. Logistically this was a very difficult trip to plan, taking small things like a fresh set of clothing per round into account. To do this within 80 days I played two rounds per day on some days, and moved this up to three rounds on some days. I needed to get ahead of schedule as soon as possible, to make provision for travelling hick ups and weather conditions.
Longest drive
In November 2011 I will attempt to break the Guiness World Record for the longest drive ever hit. The current record was set by Paul “St. George” Slater. He also was the 2004 long drive champion in Scotland.
His 658 meter blast occurred on the 19th of February 2005 on the tarmac at the London City Airport. The world-record attempt was part of the London Golf Show.
I will attempt this record in the continent of Antarctica, since the icy surface offers the least resistance, and the wind strength and speed is the most there.
Top 100 in the world
“Twenty-four astronauts have been on or near the Moon. All are men from the United States of America who traveled to the Moon as part of NASA´s Apollo program during the period from Dec 1968 to Dec 1972…
How amazing would it be for a South African to add his name to this holy grail of golf. So far only 15 players have completed this feat. Nearly all of them Americans.
1. Robert McCoy from Florida (1997), USA.
2. Norman Klaparda (1993) from California, USA.
3. Samm Klaparda (1998) The first woman to have played all 100*
4. Oliver (Bud) Thompson (1995) from Ohio, USA.
5. James Dunne III (1995) from New York, USA.
6. Rich Hoover (1997) from Pennsylvania, USA.
7. Sunil Kappagoda (2000) from New York, USA.
8. Selwyn Herson (2004) from California, USA.
9. Alan Heuer (2004) from Connecticut, USA.
10. Leon Wentz (2005) from California, USA.
11. Tom J. Clasby III (date unknown) from California, USA.
12. Masa Nishijima (date unknown) from Japan.
13. Ralph A. Kennedy (1952) from New York, USA.
14. Rod Boren (2000) from Ohio, USA.
15. Mel Hughes (1999) from Colorado, USA.
From the 2nd of April to the 21st of June 2012, I will attempt to put my name on this extremely exclusive list. Most of the previous golfers managed to do this in a few years.
My attempt would be to do this in less than three months. I will be attempting to travel “around the world in 80 days”…like Phineas Fogg, whilst playing the Top 100 golf courses.
During this epic adventure I will visit a total of 5 continents and will travel in excess of 80 000km by car and aeroplane. On most days I´ll play two rounds of golf, some of these in two different countries on the same day.
To view a list of the Top 100 golf courses in the world I´ll be playing…
Longest hole
On the 12th of December 2006 we set out to break an existing Guiness World Record. My three team mates were Johannes du Plessis (Pretoria), Kenny West (Rustenburg) and Rikus Brits (Kempton Park).
The current Guiness record is labelled “Longest hole played in 12 hours”. This record has been standing since 2000, when four Americans (John Bladholm, Gene Molenkamp, Sean Guard and Mike O´Connell) played from South Ice Cave, Lake County, Oregon to the 9th green of the Meadow Course at Sunriver, Oregon. They managed to cover a distance of 70 km in under 12 hours, having played 1 187 strokes, and losing 147 balls in the process.
We managed to go past the existing distance in 10 hours, and covered a total of 76.2 km in 12 hours, played 785 shots, and only lost 28 balls.
Guinness World Record certificate presentation
Finally our certificates arrived. Darren Kelfkens (Joe from Egoli), did the presentation of our unique certificates on the 25th of July 2007.
