Pace drives for golf development

South Africa’s top female golfer Lee-Anne Pace and First Car Rental will host the First-Pace Golf Day for Girls at the award-winning Pearl Valley Golf & Country Estate on 14 May 2014.

The recent Investec Cup for Ladies champion and her sponsor, First Car Rental, will be collaborating with some big names and brands when they present the golf day specifically aimed at growing the game among girls who attend local schools in the Franschhoek region, while identifying and nurturing talent.

“The aim of the day will be to identify two girls with natural talent and attitude,” Pace explained. “We have invited the school heads, coaches and teachers of 11 government and private schools in the surrounding area to nominate up to 40 girls between the ages of nine to 18 years to take part in the day.

“At the end of the day, two of the participating girls will be awarded a sponsored package valued at R500,000.”

The fully-sponsored package will include playing rights and full use of the facilities at Pearl Valley Golf & Country Estate, a set of golf clubs and bag, plus golf clothing and shoes sponsored by Puma and Cobra, who also sponsor Pace, as well as coaching and mentoring by professionals such as SwingFit, in association with Boland Ladies Golf.

“The packages will run over a 12 month period and will be aimed at developing their skills levels,” Pace explained.

In addition to the one-on-one time with the former European Ladies Tour number one, the girls will be tested on different golf shots in a fun and relaxed environment.

Other renowned personalities in the golfing industry who will be on hand to assist and evaluate include pro golfer, author and full-time Erinvale Golf Estate teaching professional Rae Hast, pro golfer and coach, Anna Becker-Frankel, who also runs the Girls Love Golf programme in Boland, Boland Ladies Golf president, Lol Jones and Cherry Moulder-Williams, a former Springbok golfer and winner of the 2002 Telkom Classic on the Nedbank Ladies Tour.

“We are very excited to be collaborating with such fantastic brands and committed champions in golf, all of whom have the same vision, and that is to help further identify and develop women golfers in this country,” said Melissa Storey, the executive head: strategy, development and marketing at First Car Rental.

“Nurturing young students is the best way to spot natural talent, but more than this, the proper attitude, character and personality upfront so that they may continue to become our country’s superstars tutored by the best there is.”

PHOTO – SA number one, Lee-Anne Pace; credit Luke Walker.