EPISODE 66 Clubs, Gadgets & Greens

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
In a world where fairways meet the airwaves, where berties
and banker collide. Welcome to the show that takes you
beyond the clubhouse and onto the green. There is balls
and teas, your passport to the golfing universe, where every
swing tells the story and every part has its punchline.
Get ready to step onto the lost screens and dive

(00:22):
into the world of givets, drives and delightful better.

Speaker 2 (00:32):
The Magician.

Speaker 3 (00:35):
All right, ladies and gentlemen, it is yet another Wednesday,
and it is the one and only Tony told the
ball with a lot of flair. I am the Magician,
and yes, of course, if you've seen me on the
golf course, you realize that I am a classic man. Listen,
ladies and gentlemen. It is that day where I get
to check to experts within the social golfing sphere and

(00:57):
all the other professionals who would be listening. Man, I'm
so delighted that we have started the year. This is
our second episode and now what better way to actually
uh than to actually started off on a high note.
Last week we had three guests, and now we had
a beautiful conversation with our guests, and I just want
to say thank you once again to them. And then

(01:18):
this week we've got someone who is an expert when
it comes to golf equipment, golfing gear, and he knows
all about the gadgets that are currently dominating the industry.
So ladies and gentlemen, please allow me the opportunity to
introduce miss Jason Rowe. Mister how are you TARTI.

Speaker 2 (01:43):
Great man, Thank you so much for the invite. Hello
to all the listeners. Privilege to be on your shows.

Speaker 3 (01:48):
All right, thank you for actually honoring the invite Jason,
and wow, how punctual were you?

Speaker 4 (01:59):
I've been waiting here for fifteen Let you down, but yeah, yeah.

Speaker 2 (02:03):
That's going on.

Speaker 3 (02:04):
Awesome stuff now that so Jason, Welcome to Bows and
is the only relevant podcast when it comes to social
golf and today, I'm actually highly delighted to have someone
who understands the ins and outs the trends around golf
for powerl golf equipment, golfing gadgets, someone who's got an

(02:25):
idea of how the whole industry has been revolutionizing. So
I'm honored to heavy Year and I believe that we're
going to have a very interesting conversation because like any
other golfer out there. I'm also trying to figure out
what is relevant now, how will it work in my favor.

(02:48):
But before all of that, I would actually like you
to reintroduce yourself. I tried to do it, but I
don't think my introduction had a lot of weight on it.

Speaker 2 (03:03):
To a lot of one to blow my own on.

Speaker 4 (03:05):
But I mean, you know, I'm one of the founder
founders of the Golfers Club. You know, I've been selling
golf equipment since I was I don't know, probably fifteen
years old.

Speaker 2 (03:14):
I left school.

Speaker 4 (03:15):
I think I finished my sen at seven, which would
in today's terms, would be the equivalent of a grade
A grade nine.

Speaker 2 (03:22):
I think my.

Speaker 4 (03:23):
Kids are they going to university and the other ones
in grade ten? So yeah, sen at seven was you know,
the gen X the nineteen seventy when I was born.
So I was in school, you know, so, and yeah,
you know I left school in the first two weeks
of senate eight.

Speaker 2 (03:39):
I was.

Speaker 4 (03:40):
I was a good golfer as a youngster, and I
played in a provincial golf for Western trans Ball, and
then we moved to natal and I played for NATL
for a good few years and I met you know,
I obviously met some of the very good golfers that
have achieved some success on on on a multitude of tours.

(04:04):
I played golf with Darren Fihart, who did very well
these kept eas European Tour card for I think twenty
five years. He was, you know, just a great example
of somebody who who worked very hard at his game,
and and and and you know you're in you're kept
his he's playing card, and he's one of our better players.
I was lucky enough to to play with guys like

(04:25):
Tim Clark who we were in the same side, and
and Rory Sabatin Simmy Clark was. He won the Players Championship,
he won the African Opened, uh the you know, he
won the this Canadian Open, Australian Opened. He was an
exceptional player until injury obviously affected him. He doesn't play anymore.

(04:46):
But I mean he's one of the all time money
winners on the US Tour. And Rory Sabatini won probably
seven or eight times on on the US Tour. So
you know, so Africa traditionally a younger players. I mean,
our golfer our professionals have always punched way above their
weight category in terms of accomplishment.

Speaker 2 (05:06):
I mean you look at.

Speaker 4 (05:07):
Guys like Charles Watts or Louis Stays and Dean Burmmuster,
Ernie Alson Ratieff person were a lot of you.

Speaker 2 (05:13):
Know when I was around.

Speaker 4 (05:14):
I mean, Ernie just won again for the eightieth time
eight years tour, went on the on the Senior Tour,
and Ernie's just you know, next to Gary Player was
our greatest ever and Bobby Locke, who won the Open
four times. We've just had a you know, we just
we just had some really great players. And Africa, you know,
I think it's I think it might be. You know,

(05:35):
we're just a great sporting nation first of all, and
second of all, we have great weather and and you
know we've got you know, we've got four hundred golf courses,
and golf is relatively cheap compared to the rest of
the world. And some some listeners out there might disagree
with me, but you know, we really have great opportunity.
You know, I've been I've traveled extensively, very luckily. I've

(05:58):
traveled to all parts of the world to play golf,
and I can tell you golf is very affordable compared
to the rest.

Speaker 3 (06:05):
Of the world. Yeah, yeah, that's very interesting, and I mean,
uh uh. You know, you know, as you've been speaking,
I'm thinking to myself, well, you've seen it all, and
not just from the parrel side, but from an experienced
point of view to say, you've been in the golf
course for so long and you've come across our icons

(06:28):
when you come to South African golf whilst you were playing.
So the key question now would be okay, you you
play provincial and you find yourself today as an MD
for Golfers Club.

Speaker 2 (06:42):
So we're we're a golf for each other.

Speaker 4 (06:47):
And you know, the way it worked was I thought
I was in a pro golfers. So every young every
young footballer, every young cricketer, I think they're going to
play for the fun of for fun out or they're
going to play for the proteins. You know that that's
just the nature of youngsters and their dreams. And you know,
when I started realizing I was a good player, but
you know, I was getting beat. I'd win a tournament

(07:10):
and then and there would be guys that are winning
seven eighteen tournaments, and there would be guys when you
go play at a national level, there were guys that
you'd play well and you'd still get beat and you
start realizing that, you know, this is a very tough
game to succeed in, you know, and you know something
for the parents out there, there's you know, the parents
out there, I mean, we always want the best for

(07:32):
our children, and they really think their kids are going
to be superstars. And it's very good to give them
every opportunity, but you have to realize that only the
top one hundred or one hundred and fifty golfers in
this world actually make a huge success.

Speaker 2 (07:46):
Out of golf. It's a very it's a very tough living.

Speaker 4 (07:49):
And so I decided, if I wasn't going to be
a professional golfer, what is the next best thing? I
could stay close to golf. And you know, there's there's
many opportunities in golf. You can become a golf club manager,
you can be greenkeeper, you can you can join institution
like Golf ORSA to do an unbelievable job running amateur
golf in this country. And I was always, you know,

(08:12):
very much an ADHD child at school, and I was
busy and and I couldn't concentrate very well, and and
and in those days, you know, ADHD wasn't really diagnosed, so.

Speaker 2 (08:24):
You know, my mother was and irony out.

Speaker 4 (08:27):
Of it was my mother was a school teacher and
you know she you know, and and anyway, so I
was restless and and I left school, you know, fairly young,
and I jumped on a bus from the from from
the towel and I came here as a seventeen I
was just turning eighteen, and I started my career selling
cause I wasn't very good at that. But then I

(08:47):
went to go and I went to go, and I
went to go and visit a guy at in town.
They started My mentor at the time was a guy
called rees Use and Reese undercome company called the Pro Shop,
who are still the biggest, you know, one of the
biggest retailers in South Africa.

Speaker 2 (09:07):
They are now our competition, you know.

Speaker 4 (09:09):
So after spending nine years with Recite, I decided We're
going to open, you know, with some partners of mine.
I've got some very good part I've got a good partner,
you know, in the business.

Speaker 2 (09:21):
And we started off very small.

Speaker 4 (09:22):
But you know, if there's a will, there's a way,
and you know, we started with one store and we
went to two stores and we opened a third store
and now we have we have six stores and a
big warehouse, a central warehouse, and we have a franchise store.

Speaker 2 (09:35):
So we're up to.

Speaker 4 (09:36):
Seven stores and you know, with the second biggest retailer
in South Africa, and and you know, we employed one
hundred and thirty people and and you know we've it's
just a dream and we work on the basis that
you know, customer is king, and you know, it's just
it's quite a good Cinderella story.

Speaker 2 (09:53):
So you know, you know, for those people.

Speaker 4 (09:54):
Out there that I'm not I'm not advocating that that
youngsters drop out of school, but you know, if you
if you have the belief, you know you can you
can definitely make a success out of things.

Speaker 3 (10:05):
Definitely. And I mean your story is very very it's
a bold move that you made. Like you said, you
left president when you were seventeen, came to Joburk and
then that's when you met Riez who actually encouraged you
or mentored you to actually one day have your own
So I just want to find out from your site, Jason.

(10:27):
So obviously there is a story behind every single thing. Now,
how old were you if you can recall how old
were you when you first held your first golf club?

Speaker 2 (10:38):
Yeah, so I was quite I was quite lucky. You know.
I have a younger brother. He's also a good.

Speaker 4 (10:45):
Golfer, and in fact he runs our Cape Town operation now.
But my dad was a very sports orientate. He was
a good sportsman as a youngster, and he introduced us
to soccer and cricket and.

Speaker 2 (10:57):
Tennis and swimming.

Speaker 4 (10:59):
And he was a golfer. He wasn't the greatest. I
think it was a decent golf a single figure handicap.
I think it was a seven or eight handicap. And
and he, you know, he put a golf club in
our hands. We weren't, you know, and and and you know,
I only sound like I was one of those privileged
kids that you know that it was a country club child,
because I definitely wasn't. My father was a racial trainer,
and my mother was a school teacher, and my dad

(11:21):
had my dad's passed now and he and and he
wouldn't disagree with me, but he was was a big gambler.
So we never really had money as children, but but
my dad was He was always there at the cricket matches,
always the soccer matches, and he was he was like
our coach, you know.

Speaker 2 (11:37):
What I'm saying, and and and and he made.

Speaker 4 (11:39):
Us excited about every sport we played. And he would
play golf with the guys and we we we'd sort
of have one golf club and we knock around with them.

Speaker 2 (11:47):
And he taught us the rules.

Speaker 4 (11:49):
And and you got to keep up with the guys
in front of you and make sure that you fix
your pitchmarks, and and once you've hit too many shots,
you've got to pick your ball up because you got
to keep up with the guys in front of you.

Speaker 2 (11:59):
So he was very instrumental. It was very instrumental in.

Speaker 4 (12:03):
In ensuring that you know that we understood that golf
is a gentleman's game, and and and and it's a
it's a game of honors. It's really the only game
where you govern yourself. You know, your your own referee.
You know if the ball moves in the rough, or
you happened to, you know, infringe on the rules in
any way, and nobody else ses. Only you can go

(12:25):
and tell your playing partners that you've done something wrong,
you know. And that's why I believe it's the greatest
game you know, but but I was always very interested
in the equipment side of of of of golf. I loved,
you know, I love the latest technology in in in
the drivers and shafts, and you know, the first cavity

(12:48):
back irons that came out were made by Ping and
and you know, the first and the best wedges when
I was a kid that came up with square grooves
were you know, and and and Cleveland Wedges made unbelievable
beautiful looking wedges.

Speaker 2 (13:00):
And I always was like sort of enamored with uh.

Speaker 4 (13:04):
And I love the alleure the of the technical side
of golf equipment. And you know, if you you know,
if a shaft was regular to soft for you, you'd
hook the ball, and if the shaft was too stiff
for you, slice the ball. And you know, that's that
that we've obviously I've taken that passion across you know,
and trying to inculcate that with my staff.

Speaker 2 (13:25):
You know, So when when when the.

Speaker 4 (13:27):
Average golfer walks into our store, I always tell them
we have to make an experience for them.

Speaker 2 (13:30):
We have to tell them we are the doctors.

Speaker 4 (13:33):
And you're the patient, and we're going to make sure
that that you know, you walk out of here that
your golf game isn't a better place. You're much healthier,
you've got a good mindset, and you're going to enjoy
the game more. Because if you enjoy golf and golf,
I've got to tell you know, the listeners out.

Speaker 2 (13:48):
There, that golf is such a it's such a difficult.

Speaker 4 (13:51):
Game, but it's got a terrible and cruel way when
you have your worst round of your life, if you
had one golf good golf shot, or one you hold
one long putt, or you you know, you hit one
good drive, or or you make one last birdy, it
just seems to bring you back to the game, which
is it's just it's just an amazing game.

Speaker 3 (14:10):
It's quite abusive, if you have to ask me, because
I mean many times we have a lot of terrible rounds.
But like you said, that one shot makes you believe
it tomorrow is going to be a different day. It
gives you hope.

Speaker 4 (14:22):
Yeah, you know, I've seen I've seen some of my
best players and my best customers say to me. You know, Jay,
I'm giving up. I can't play this game anymore. I'm
not playing anymore. I said him, Are you crazy? What
are you going to do on a Saturday? What are
you going to do on a Sunday?

Speaker 2 (14:36):
You know, you know what I'm saying. It's it's you know,
there's something about golf. You know. They say that you'll
learn more about a human being, Yeah.

Speaker 4 (14:44):
In four hours or five hours around the golfer than
you will over twenty years over the boardroom table, you know.
And there are so many deals being made and and
you know, my biggest my biggest plus or the biggest
encouragement has been seeing so many players of color come
and play golf. I mean, you know, I just see

(15:05):
the guys coming and they're so excited and they they
you know, they just want to they just want to
play golf. So you know, we are grateful for every
new golfer that walks through our doors. I can tell
you so. And you know, my staff are very diverse,
and a lot of them come from different backgrounds, and
it's exciting for me to uplift them and and and
teach them the game of golf, even tho they were

(15:28):
born into it. You know, because whether you start golf,
it whether you start golf at sixty, who you start
golf at six, it's a game for life.

Speaker 2 (15:36):
You never rarely leave it.

Speaker 4 (15:38):
You might go into a bit of a hiatus and
you might step away from it. But there are times when,
you know, there are times when you're go on holiday,
you want to play golf every day. And there's times
when you're busy at work and you're under pressure and.

Speaker 2 (15:49):
You can't play.

Speaker 4 (15:50):
And there's times when some young couples there, you know,
young couples are having a baby, and you know, the
modern couple today that the husband is quite involved and
he needs to be there and whatever they can. So
he would love to play, but he's got to look
after the baby, so you know, and and and you
go through patches, but I mean, ultimately, everybody comes back
to the game.

Speaker 3 (16:09):
People get hooked to the game. I don't know. For
some reason, there's there's a magnet around golf. And I'm
speaking from experience. I spent quite a while without playing golf,
but as soon as the buck came back, sure, I
wanted to be on the golf course every single day.

Speaker 4 (16:25):
Yeah, and that's and you know, and and you know,
I see it. I see it especially with you know,
and a lot of guys or ladies when they were
sporting at school, they played a bit of hockey, or
you know, a guy was a half decent cricketer, or
he could catch a ball or kick a ball, or

(16:46):
whatever the case the case may be. When they start golf,
they think it's going to be a bit like hitting.

Speaker 2 (16:52):
A hockey ball, the cricket ball, or or like kicking
a soccer ball. But it's so much different. You know.

Speaker 4 (16:58):
It's just you had one good shot, five bad shots,
and you know, one duff and then a real absolute
beauty and you think yourself, jeez, I've got it. And
then and the next minute you get it on the
head or you have you missed the ball completely, you know.

Speaker 2 (17:09):
So, but my biggest excitement.

Speaker 4 (17:12):
Is seeing when golfers break one hundred for the first
round for the first time, or they break ninety ano
they want to break eighty five. When they break eighty five,
they want to break eighty, you know. And then they
come to me and they say to me, how I'm
now shooting consistently eighty two, eighty three?

Speaker 2 (17:32):
How do I shoot seventy nine? Say? How do I
break eighty?

Speaker 4 (17:35):
And I'll tell them listen, I said, I we sell
We've got millions and millions of rands where the stocks
are stock in our stores. And if you want to
take it to the next level, you have to go
and practice your short game. You have to go and
you've got to practice one hundred meter shots, the eighty

(17:56):
five meter shots, the sixty meter shots.

Speaker 2 (17:58):
You got to go and practice your chipping around on
the greens. You've got to vary your short gam you
got to.

Speaker 4 (18:02):
Bump and run the hop and stop the spin, the
spinny one, the high flops.

Speaker 2 (18:07):
You've got to go into the bunker.

Speaker 4 (18:08):
You've got to play the long bunker shot, the short
bunker shot, and you've got to go and practice your
three and four foot puts, because those are the putts
that make all the difference when players go through their round.
When players go through their round, they say, jeezus, you
know I actually hit the ball, okate that.

Speaker 2 (18:22):
I don't know how I shot what I shot?

Speaker 4 (18:24):
And how many pus did you meet? Missed from under
four foot? Oh I missed three of those? Okay, So
now we've got two three puts. Take two off there,
you know, and take thee take the knocking, knocking the
three four foot is.

Speaker 2 (18:42):
That you missed. Now we five shots better. So if
you shot eighty seven and down to eighty two.

Speaker 4 (18:47):
And how many times had you done for chip that
you didn't get onto the green?

Speaker 2 (18:50):
And I did that once?

Speaker 4 (18:51):
Okay, take one more of How many times did you
choose the wrong club?

Speaker 2 (18:54):
No? Four times? You see? And then when they go
through there around the Hello, jes amateur golfer is inemy.

Speaker 3 (19:06):
Sorry, yeah, your line was breast for a second year.
I can hear you know.

Speaker 2 (19:11):
Right back.

Speaker 4 (19:11):
Sorry, And I was saying the difference between a between
a professional golf and an amateur golfer is a professional
golfer knows exactly how far he hits every.

Speaker 2 (19:23):
Club point one and and an amateur golfer.

Speaker 4 (19:30):
If he's got one hundred and fifty meters to the flag,
and he hits his eight time, let's say seven one
hundred and fifty meters, he won't take a sixth time
because he believes it's his seven one hundred and fifty meters.
But he only hits his seven one hundred and fifty.
He only hits his seven one hundred and fifty meters.
When he hits it, well, he doesn't take him to
the fence. He might get it slightly thin, No, he

(19:52):
might have it slightly fat. You know, and and and
and and and when he does hit is slightly fat
or slightly thin, he 's one hundred and forty meters
now tend to short of the green or short of
the pin, and then that's when the trouble starts. So,
you know, professional golfers have just got a much much
better understanding of where to miss the green, where to
miss the fair way if they're going to miss, and

(20:14):
exactly how far they hit their clubs. And obviously their
short game is is a couple of notches.

Speaker 2 (20:19):
Up on an average golfer. They just don't make mistakes.

Speaker 4 (20:22):
So if you're looking to make love with scores, you've
got to start thinking about those things, you know. And
and also you've got to get fitted for the right
golf equipment. I mean, so often guys watch YouTube and
they and they watch advertisements and they see guys on
the tour using this club or their club, and then
they want it, but they don't even check if they can.

Speaker 2 (20:44):
Hit the club, you know, or if the golf ball
is right for them.

Speaker 4 (20:47):
And you know, our businesses, our businesses are built nowadays
on fitting guys on the right equipment, making sure the
guys have brought the.

Speaker 2 (20:56):
Right loft, the right shaft, the right grip thickness, the
right light angle on their irons.

Speaker 4 (21:01):
And I might be talking a bit of you know,
a bit of swayili to the listeners out there.

Speaker 2 (21:06):
They might not understand what I'm saying.

Speaker 4 (21:07):
But you know, the thing is, if you're not you know,
if you're gonna wear you know, when you if you
know you're a medium shirt and I'll put you into
an extra large shirt, it doesn't it doesn't feel great
on your body.

Speaker 2 (21:19):
You know.

Speaker 4 (21:20):
And if you if you're size seven shoe and I
give you a size ten, you're gonna walk funny, there's
no question. Yeah, and and and you know, customers just
sometimes want to buy the clubs for the look, but
they're completely not functional. And a lot of times, you know,
customers will walk into our stores and say I bought
this and I bought that, and then we have to

(21:40):
say to listen, So I think you've made a terrible mistake.

Speaker 2 (21:42):
I know you've spent a lot of money on this stuff,
but it's it's it's not suitable.

Speaker 4 (21:46):
These things are just not and they're not suited to
your game. They're not suit your gam you know. And yeah,
so you know, luckily, luckily, when when customers walk into
our store, they're very much like if I don't know
if you've got children, but if your children walk into
a into a candy store, it's quite difficult to control them.
They want this, and they want that, and they want that,

(22:09):
and that is that is That's what makes our business,
you know, quite exciting, because customers really like nice things,
and we just have to point them in the right direction.
Sometimes they're quite headstrong on what they want, but you know,
must must off are trained to make sure that you know,
we point you in the right direction.

Speaker 3 (22:28):
In your opinion, Jason, right now, what would you say
is the best invention in golf?

Speaker 4 (22:39):
Well, I mean, you know that you know, over the years,
they've improved, they've improved the golf ball technology so much
that nowadays, if you're to say to me, you know
that that we sell golf balls from as little as
twenty rand and the most expensive golf balls on ninety rand.

Speaker 2 (22:57):
And you say, you know, when people.

Speaker 4 (22:59):
Start, you know, often during Christmas time and just we've
just we've just gone past the festive period our you know,
it might be your granny, or it might be your aunt,
or it might be your sister doesn't play golf, and
they want to buy Tony something for you know, the
for the secret center or for the you know, stocking

(23:21):
filler or something, whatever the case may be. And they
come in and they and they want to buy some
golf balls. And I mean, you tell these people that
a golf ball cost ninety rand. You know, you almost
have to, you know, get the smelling salts out to
wake them up after they fainted, because they cannot believe that.

Speaker 2 (23:37):
The three golf balls can cost two hundred and seventy ran.

Speaker 4 (23:40):
But the truth is there's an enormous amount of technology
that goes into golf peers. And I started, you know,
I started playing golf when I was five years old.
And you know, sometimes golf peers they were just, for
want of a better word, they were wobbly. They just
didn't they weren't the centers weren't completely round, the quality
of the cover wasn't great. They when you had been badly,

(24:02):
they used to get a big cut in them or
a big smiley and then we call them smiling, you know,
so so and the golf ball travels a long way.
And I think the greatest thing over the years is
that golf balls have. If you buy a twenty rand
golf ball, you buy a ninety ran golf ball. There
isn't a bad golf ball today. You cannot buy a

(24:22):
really bad golf ball. So that's you know, if you
buy it, you buy three golf balls for thirty bucks each,
just ninety rand. You mustn't know this comb be as
good as you know, But for the average golf it's
a very good golf ball. It'll suffice, it'll do the job.
And you know, until you get into the water, out
of bounds, or over somebody's wall, or whatever the case is,
it's going to lost. So that is one of the

(24:44):
great inventions. And then there are there have been so many,
you know, I mean, I saw a golf when I
was a youngster. When I saw the golf we used
to use bladed irons which were not cavity back, and
steel shafts, and and the woods were steel shafted with
presummon or lemon eight heads. They were made from wood.
You know, I'm only fist, I'm not one hundred years old.

(25:04):
I'm fifty, But you know, it seems like so long ago,
and I've seen the golf business transitions so many times.

Speaker 2 (25:13):
They've gone from They've gone from wooden headed woods to.

Speaker 4 (25:18):
Metal woods with steel shafts, to metal woods with graphite shafts,
to titanium headed drivers with graphite shafts, to carbon headed
woods with graphite shafts, to a mixture of.

Speaker 2 (25:32):
Carbon and titanium. So there's just mean.

Speaker 4 (25:37):
I mean, when I talked to some of my youngest staff,
they think they think I'm from.

Speaker 2 (25:40):
The Bible, you know, they think I'm that old.

Speaker 4 (25:42):
I said, does you know I'm telling you now, I've
seen it all so and I've been very privileged to
see it all because I'm saying I'm fifty and Tiger
Woods will be fifty in on the thirty yeth of
January twenty twenty five. At the end of the shore,
he'll be fifty. And I've seen Tiger his whole career.

(26:03):
I mean, Tiger will go down probably. I mean, besides
Jack Nicholas as the greatest, and I saw I saw
in his in his prime. I saw twenty years of
the most ridiculous.

Speaker 2 (26:15):
Dominance in that you'll ever see in your life, you know,
And and please hell Jason, but I really think, hello, Chunny, Yeah, I.

Speaker 3 (26:29):
Can hear you now, I'm sorry you were breaking again there.

Speaker 2 (26:32):
Sorry for some reason it breaks up now and then. Yeah.
So I'm just saying it's very you know, very privileged
to have seen.

Speaker 4 (26:39):
Every shot of Tigers, every major, every tournament win, and
and you know, I mean I sometimes get a bit
of a lump in my throat when I think how
his career is coming to an end because he you know,
through injury and and cor accidents, and it's a bit
sad for me, but you know, he's and and I

(27:00):
can honestly say he's been a couple of and I've
I've in the golf indus, We've been through ups, we've
been through downs, and I've seen the best of it,
and I've seen the worst of it, and there's been
a you know, if it wasn't for Tiger Woods, I
don't really think golf would have been quite as buoyant
as it is today. And I don't think people give

(27:21):
him the credit that he deserves. I mean, they do,
he's the greatest, and they do. But but I mean,
I'm very grateful that when I started my business is
now our business is now twenty four years old, and
Tiger Woods basically.

Speaker 2 (27:38):
One of for the years before we started our business,
if you know what I mean.

Speaker 4 (27:47):
So it's just been I've just been very lucky that
people have been watching golf, loving golf, wanting to be
like Tiger, and our business was also in a growth
period at this very same time.

Speaker 2 (27:58):
And then the second thing is after COVID.

Speaker 4 (28:00):
You know, we all nearly went out of business during COVID,
But after COVID business has received, sorry, golf has received
such a shot in the armor, such.

Speaker 2 (28:10):
An injection of enthusiasm.

Speaker 4 (28:12):
You know, I think I think human beings just in general, they.

Speaker 2 (28:19):
They all got their they work, they work.

Speaker 4 (28:23):
Up and you know, they they they just thought to themselves,
you know, the fragility of life.

Speaker 2 (28:28):
You know, we could have all died, and it.

Speaker 4 (28:30):
Was like doomsday and whatever the case may be. And
and and when.

Speaker 2 (28:35):
They got out, they said, I want to see the
fresh air. I'm not going to cancel that golf time.

Speaker 4 (28:39):
I'm going to play, I'm going to go ride my bicycle,
I'm going to take my family on holiday, I'm going
to I'm going to enjoy my life. And I've never
seen the golf business more buoyant than in the last
four years from twenty twenty to twenty four, please got
twenty twenty.

Speaker 2 (28:55):
Five is another good year. But it's just it's it's
I'm just we're very bleaced.

Speaker 4 (29:01):
To be in the golf industry over the last you know,
five years.

Speaker 3 (29:05):
All right, Jason, can we just quickly go for a
two minute water break and then when we come back,
let's delve into the economics of golf as well as
the evolution of golf in South Africa since you started playing.
And yeah, let's let's catch up in two minutes.

Speaker 4 (29:24):
I see you now, Okay, all right, Shah.

Speaker 1 (29:33):
In a world where fairways meet the airwaves, where birdies
and banker collide, Welcome to the show that takes you
beyond the clubhouse and onto the green. There's balls and teas,
your passport to the golfing universe, where every swing tells
the story and every part has its punchline. Get ready

(29:53):
to step onto the large screens and dive into the
world of diveds, drives and delightful better.

Speaker 5 (30:11):
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(30:58):
Ink dot co. Set to Riches, www dot Invisible League dot.

Speaker 2 (31:06):
The Magician.

Speaker 3 (31:10):
All right, ladies and gentlemen, welcome back to yet another lovely,
lovely episode of Bos and Teas. As you know, ladies
and gentlemen, I am joined by the MD of Golfers
Club Mester Jason Rowe. So without any further Jill, ladies
and gentlemen, let me bring back Jason on the line. Jason,
are you with me?

Speaker 2 (31:31):
I'm with you, Charn all right, one hundred percent.

Speaker 3 (31:34):
Jason. Before I was a shortbreak, I mentioned that I
would like for us to actually dive into the economics
of golf. I mean, there's been so much happening in
the country for ages, and like you said, Corona was
one of those times where business went south. And then
after Corona there's been quite a huge injection, especially of

(31:55):
social golfers into the system. So from your end as
an interview, y'all, who's in the golfing business and has
been there for two decades going for three, how has
it been if you look at let's say, golf in
nineteen eighty up till yeah, let's let's go back to
nineteen eighty too, till today, how has it been in

(32:17):
terms of way it started, where it's heading and if
you look at the business side of things, is it
looking promising? Has there been moments where there's no tragic
tree and everything has flattened down? All those kind of scenarios.

Speaker 4 (32:32):
Well, like I said, you know earlier, I've seen I've
seen all the ups and downs during the you know,
during the golf industry. You know, during my time in
the golf industry, and you know, for a long time,
golf was very much in the seventies, eight sixties, seventeen eighty,
it was very much an predominantly a white elite to sport.

(32:55):
You know, we never even saw players of color. And
I can honestly say to you now that I've never
ever been so excited about the golf industry. We are.
We have never been busier. I've never rounds up at
golf clubs. Memberships are up. I mean, I'm a member
Bryanson Country Club and I can tell you they've closed
the membership because there's just too many members people cannot

(33:17):
you know, you just obviously can't take on. You can't
make everybody a member if they're not going to get
a tea time. So, you know, to be fair to everybody,
they're just saying, guys, doesn't for the time being, membership
is closed. And slowly with surely as opening has become
available at the players in and it's happened in a
number of golfriends, you know. So that's a great indicator
that that that golf is in a very good place.

(33:39):
And I was sitting with a friend of mine and
you know, funny enough, he started he brought I mean,
if you guys are familiar, I'm sure the golfers out
there familiar with a brand called Stricksen and Stricts and
stricts and golf balls and when when we start a
golfers club. A friend of mine by the name of
Mike Powell brought Stricksen to Africa and and you know,

(34:02):
for the you know, guys couldn't even pronounce the name
Stricksen correctly and they thought it was, you know, a
Chinese import at the time. And in fact it's one
of the premium brands from Japan.

Speaker 2 (34:15):
And Mike has.

Speaker 4 (34:18):
You know, did a great job with Strixen in South
Africa and then he got the top job in the UK,
and I's got the top job in California. And I
had breakfage with him yesterday morning. He was here for
a short visit and he said to me that that
that rounds in the US are.

Speaker 2 (34:38):
Memberships up.

Speaker 4 (34:39):
Golfer has never been never been busier, you know, they
they've they've almost Strixen as a brand has has sort
of doubled their their turnover in the US over the
last couple of couple of years, you know, and strix
And just understand that the big power players in golf
or Taylor Made and Callaway and Titleist.

Speaker 2 (35:00):
Those are the big big brands.

Speaker 4 (35:01):
So for a brand, a Japanese brand in the US
to double its turnover.

Speaker 2 (35:06):
Mike's obviously doing a very good job.

Speaker 4 (35:08):
But you know, the product is obviously exceptional, and that
means that there are more there are more consumers. The
more consumers there are, the more they want to try
different things.

Speaker 2 (35:18):
So yeah, so we're very.

Speaker 4 (35:21):
Comfortable with things are at and you know, we're thinking
about opening a couple more stores in in more some
strategic areas where it makes sense. And for the most part,
I can only see the golf growing from strength to
strength over the next while.

Speaker 2 (35:38):
And that's that's.

Speaker 4 (35:39):
Even with some adverts economic conditions, you know, with the.

Speaker 2 (35:46):
Interest rates going up, and so there.

Speaker 4 (35:48):
Are people out there that are you know, it's tough
to you know, to get by every month.

Speaker 2 (35:51):
So you know, it's golfers.

Speaker 4 (35:54):
It must be doing well relative to you know, how
tough it is out there economically.

Speaker 3 (36:00):
And I like the fact that I mean, you mentioned
that Branston has not closed membership, so have other golf
courses at the moment. But that doesn't doesn't it actually
disrupt the entire market to say, okay, the value chain.
If you look at the number of golf clubs that
have full membership, and you look at the fact that, Okay,

(36:21):
more people are trying to break into the space, yet
there's not enough resources. From a golf course point of view,
doesn't it affect the market to say, or doesn't it
challenge the market to say, guys, let's go and build
more golf courses. And obviously, from a retail point of
your on your site, uh, I'm sure you're you're practically
looking at Okay, if more and more golf courses aren't

(36:43):
taking any more membership, then it means that my my
market would remain as it is. There will be an Yeah.

Speaker 4 (36:54):
No, I mean, on the contrary, you know, it's not
every golf course it's closed theymbership and a lot of
a lot of clubs are welcoming members every single day
and they make it more and more attractive. Brandson just
happens to be in an a catted area where it's an
old club with an existing membership, and it's goal has

(37:16):
become more popular and they've got to a point where
they've saturated, and.

Speaker 2 (37:20):
You know, they still they're not completely fulled.

Speaker 4 (37:22):
You know, you can still joins a weekday member and
they have various other options. But there are other options
like you know, our competition, you know, rival company in
the pro shop.

Speaker 2 (37:33):
They own the World of Golf, which is a really good,
you know, practice facility. They offer.

Speaker 4 (37:42):
Through play more Golf, which is one of the other businesses.
They offer a membership where you can join and you
get and they tell you where you can play.

Speaker 2 (37:52):
And golf courses don't on't busy.

Speaker 4 (37:55):
Golf courses aren't busy twenty four to seven, seven days
a week.

Speaker 2 (37:58):
They have downtime too.

Speaker 4 (38:00):
And what play more Golf has done, They've they've gone
and checked, you know, with a golf course, when is
your downtime Sunday afternoons, Tuesday afternoons, Wednesday mornings, you know,
whatever it might be. And and players can get games
there a really good, good deal. And then places like
Cathedral Peak, a Cajia golf club. There's a number of

(38:20):
golf clubs that hold they clubs as such and they
they're in good standing with Golf RSA and they are
able to offer memberships at a very affordable rate. So
I think a club like Cathedral Peak, which is not
the kind of club that you would play golf at
every Saturday if you live in Karteng or.

Speaker 2 (38:41):
You know, in djoebug.

Speaker 4 (38:42):
But you can join the club and we get an
official handicap and an official you're an official member of
a golf club for as little as you know, eleven
or twelve hundred rand, you.

Speaker 2 (38:53):
Know, so a year, not a month.

Speaker 4 (38:55):
A year.

Speaker 2 (38:56):
So yes, and I mean.

Speaker 4 (38:58):
A Cajia golf club is very which is a club
in Pretoria, which even if you live in Mondior, you
live in you know, olive Dale, you live in uh,
you know Lone Hill, You can join a Clasia golf
club and it makes you an affiliated member. And the
difference between a non affiliated member an affiliate member. When
you go and play as a visit at a golf club,

(39:19):
the difference in what you're going to pay is quite demonstrable.
You're going to be paying you know, maybe father and
a round as opposed to eight fifty around. Now four
and fifty or five and around is manageable. You know,
nine and a round for a game of golf plus
your halfway house plus maybe a caddy, plus a cot.
It becomes quite pricey to play a game of golf

(39:41):
this very and yeah, and you know the outerlying golf
clubs like I don't know, you know, if you live
in the middle of Joeburgh. I mean I live in
you know, yeah, in four ways. So I'm thinking, you know,
Raims of Country Club, which is Ruderport Country Club, but
no Bernoni Country Club, Springs Pollock Park. They all offer

(40:04):
memberships and they also have a lot of clubs that
what they call a visitors day or an open day
in the week. So when you pitch up there, they
treat you like a member. It's very affordable. They most
clubs are looking for business. They always want to make
sure that their membership is healthy. And you like if
you like the feel of the club, you like the

(40:26):
warmth and the camaraderie, and you don't live you don't
live an exceptional distance away from the club.

Speaker 2 (40:33):
It's manageable.

Speaker 4 (40:34):
You can join that club for or I think it's
quite reasonable relative to you know, gym fees or you know,
sports club fees.

Speaker 3 (40:44):
It's no different now, Jesson, I just want to understand.
I mean, obviously there's been like you said, there's been
an influx. If there's no better way of mentioning, there's
been an influx of people of color into the space,
and I think mainly it's because of the economic changes

(41:05):
where there's becoming. The affluent market is actually increasing right now.
Of course, if we were to look at the retail
business of golf in and tie it down to golf courses,
of which a majority of our golf courses here in
South Africa obviously will rely mostly on social golfers. Looking

(41:26):
at the pool of people that it has from a
retail point of view, is there a direct link or
or do you think that there's a direct link or
do you think that the professional side of golf still
sustains business within the golfing space.

Speaker 2 (41:47):
Well, I mean, you know, it's a very simple equation.

Speaker 4 (41:50):
I'm saying, there's more golfers and your golf business, the
consumption of golf balls, golf equipment, the need for new sets,
golf shoes, socks, apparel is going to go up. So
you know, from our point of view, we are absolutely

(42:11):
thrilled with the amount of guys that are that are
taking up the game. And from a corporate respect that
I've never worked for a corporate company, but it's it's
a great place to do deals and company golf days.
We we cater to company golf days all the time.

Speaker 2 (42:27):
We're always doing.

Speaker 4 (42:28):
Their you know, the you know, when you pitch up
at a company golf and I'm sure Tony, you've played
in you know, a few company golf days or sponsored
days that we call them. You know, you pitch up
and there's always some very nice ladies to welcome you
in and welcome to our day. And they give you,
you know, what's your name, and you say, Tony, how's

(42:49):
it or whatever.

Speaker 2 (42:49):
They give you a shirt and they give you your welcome.

Speaker 4 (42:53):
Back, and off you go and you put your shirt
on your matching cap with obviously the branding of which
whichever corporate is hosting the day, and you get to
meet three new guys on the tea and by the
end of four four and a half hours on the
golf course with these guys, they're your new best friends.
And then you have a shower and you have a
few drinks, and then you know, you get into prize
giving and you sit around the prize giving table, and

(43:15):
you know, it's just a really a great way of
bringing like minded people that are in the corporate space,
that want to do business together, that want to do
deals together, and and I mean, you know, I think
it's one of the greatest forms of networking and I've
built my business. I can tell you right now. I mean,
we would never be where we are today it wasn't

(43:36):
for our staff and you know, the guys that I
know and the people wanting to support us. And you know,
from from all the rounds of golf, golf have played
with some really nice people, influential people, guys that are
deal makers and captains of industry and and you know,
from that perspective, you know, we've been quite lucky. But

(43:58):
I can tell you that for the most part, golfers
are very nice people. They're just they're just nice guys,
you know, and then they want to have a good
time on the golf course. It's the four or five
hour break where they can just switch off. Whether you're
a you know, if you're a sales manager or a
CEO or you know.

Speaker 2 (44:16):
Whatever you might be. You might be the company financial director.

Speaker 4 (44:19):
You don't have to think about numbers, you don't have
to think about spreadsheet, you have to think about profits
and losses.

Speaker 2 (44:24):
What you've got to think about is your next shot.

Speaker 4 (44:26):
And you know, with with With With With are found
that generally at corporate golf days, the guys have a
great time and a lot of friends are made, and
you know, it's it's just a great place where people
of all ethnic backgrounds and all you know, different backgrounds

(44:47):
from from from you know, when they were children, whether
they were underprivileged, you know, privileged, whatever.

Speaker 2 (44:53):
The case would be. It really has no relevance there.

Speaker 4 (44:56):
It's just a matter of you talk golf, you talk rugby,
you talk soccer, you talk cricket. You know, how are
we doing at the World Cup, whatever the case may be. Yeah,
and and and by the end of the round, you
just you know, big friends. And I like that, you know,
that's just what the golf is. A is a great
game from that perspective.

Speaker 3 (45:13):
One hundred percent. I think I think it's the only
spot where you can actually mix business with pleasure. I've
seen other other sports codes where obviously eaves the soccer
matu you just meet up before you start the game
and then you just shake hands afterwards. But when it
comes to camaraderie, I think golf is the only place
where you can actually have fun while talking business or networking.

(45:36):
Like you said, just to make sure that you continue
building relationships with people in relevive in different industries from
different backgrounds as well.

Speaker 4 (45:48):
Absolutely, and I mean I've also noticed, and I mean,
you know, I might be overstepping the market a little bit,
but I'm just saying I've just noticed when you know,
youngsters that join a bit corporate start playing golf, or
there are decent golfers and they've been playing golf from
young and they happen to play with the boss or
you know, somebody of influence in the company, and they're

(46:10):
good players. They seem to sort of, you know, sort
of rise in the company and they just they just
you know, the boss wants to play golf with them
all the time, at the next golf time, whatever the case,
and it's just very good for their development within the company.

Speaker 3 (46:28):
I mean, what you're saying, I hope it air goes
with everyone that's listening now to say, listen, guys, golf
is the only place to actually make sure that you
have fun while advancing in your career, if I can
put it that way.

Speaker 4 (46:43):
Look, I mean, there's a good chance there's a possibility
that the boss, you know, loves the English Premiership and
he you know, he loves maybe he loves Liverpool or
Man United or Arsenal or you know whatever. And I
don't want to you'll notice I'm mentioning many names that
I don't want the listeners. You know, you know, you know, or.

Speaker 2 (47:02):
Chiefs or pirates. I'm not sure.

Speaker 4 (47:04):
But the thing is, you know, and and and and
and and if you can talk soccer, you can talk ruby.
That's what sport just in general, I mean, you know,
not not not you know, getting away from golf, but
just sports in general is just such a great conversation piece.

Speaker 2 (47:17):
And it just it breaks down barriers, you know.

Speaker 4 (47:22):
I've just I've just noticed that in my life always
being a good golfer. You know, people seem to when
you play with somebody who might be the CEO of
this company or that company, might be a twenty handicapped golfer,
he immediately gives your respect.

Speaker 2 (47:37):
Mm hmm.

Speaker 4 (47:41):
If you can plays with you said, jeez, he's just
he's already given respect because.

Speaker 2 (47:44):
You're paying good golf.

Speaker 4 (47:45):
And he's like, he's in awe that you can play
good golf because it is a tough game, and and
and and and that is quite nice too, and and
and when you offer him some advice, and maybe he's
you know, maybe he's not standing correctly. Maybe he's he's
he's you know, when he's putting, he's moving his head,
or you know, he's doing something wrong with he's shipping
or whatever. When you give him some advice, he's not
going to say, what do you know? Yes, thank you
very much.

Speaker 3 (48:06):
They actually take the few words take advice.

Speaker 2 (48:11):
Of course, of course.

Speaker 4 (48:14):
But you know, getting back to you know, our business,
which is you know, primarily and fundamentally hardware.

Speaker 2 (48:23):
When we talk hard we're.

Speaker 4 (48:24):
Talking drivers, fairways, hybrids, wedges, you know, and and and apparel.
You know, all the all the clothing under the sun,
clof shoes, gloves, all the latest tats, you know, yeah,
all the gadgets, technology, GPSS, range finders or whatever.

Speaker 2 (48:42):
If if if my staff.

Speaker 4 (48:44):
Are well versed on on all the latest stuff, when
somebody walks in, it's not a difficult cell. Because human
beings inherently like nice things. They want to look better.
They want to they want to pitch up making sure
that they they they look the pot And you know,

(49:04):
I can honestly say that.

Speaker 2 (49:07):
I said to my staff, educate yourself. We educate them
as best we can.

Speaker 4 (49:12):
But watch all the later, watch all the latest videos,
watch all the latest reviews, watch all the latest shows
that talk about the latest equipment because when and you know,
the internet is a very powerful tool, and YouTube are
very powerful tool.

Speaker 2 (49:26):
A lot of these customers have watched these videos.

Speaker 4 (49:29):
Or they've done that, they've done their own homework, so
when they walk in the store, they sort of know
what they want. And I said, you don't want to
be caught with your phone stuff. So it's very important
that you know, our soft stay on top of.

Speaker 2 (49:45):
The technical side of what is new and exciting whatever.

Speaker 4 (49:49):
And we're going to a very exciting time now because
every January, every January going into early February, the brands
launch the latest equipment and and and we've just received
the brand new Cobra Adapt, which is the new range

(50:10):
of Cobra Driver, which has thirty two different settings in
the drivehead. We just received the new Tailor Made q
I thirty five, which is put into play by guys
like Tommy Fleetwood and Glory McElroy and you know all
the guys, a lot of the tailor made players, Scottie Scheffler,
they're all just moved into the new driver. So that
that's it's a really nice it's a really nice piece

(50:31):
of equipment. And on the twelfth I think of the twelfth,
the fifteenth of February.

Speaker 2 (50:38):
The new Callaway Elite arrives.

Speaker 4 (50:40):
We've just received the new titles pro v One and
prov one ex golf balls for twenty twenty five. That
are they are absolutely magnificent. Cleveland Wedges have just arrived,
the new Zspin Wedges. They are they're just you know,
they're crazy. You know, they feel soft and you know,
just even always made such unbelievable looking wedges and and

(51:05):
and tricks, and have just released the new Irons and
Woods range.

Speaker 2 (51:07):
So you know, you know, we're in a good space
to hit the hit the ground running in twenty twenty five.

Speaker 3 (51:15):
Jason, we are now approaching the end of our episode,
but I just want to find out currently in your
golf back in your golf backyard, what's the one club
that you can't deal, you can't do without.

Speaker 4 (51:30):
At the moment, I carry a you know, I can
tell you that I've always.

Speaker 2 (51:37):
Been and thankful.

Speaker 4 (51:38):
I've always been a very good putter, so I haven't
had you know, the rest of my golf game at
times has weighed, especially my chipping over the years. I
don't know if it's from stress or too much wine
or you know my wife shouts at me or you know,
the paying the school fees.

Speaker 2 (51:52):
I'm not quite sure what it is.

Speaker 4 (51:53):
But you know, my putter is a Scottie Cameron, you know,
titles obviously on the Scotti Cameron brand. And I've got
the tightest Scottie Cameron Collector's Champions Choice, which comes with
a trillium insert. And it is you know, it's a
collector you know, we so Scotty Cameron as a as
a you know, within the titlest brand, under the Titlest

(52:16):
Umbrella release once or twice a year, a limited edition
range of pudders.

Speaker 2 (52:23):
And I got this Champion's Choice. It's called the Champions Choice.
I got it about.

Speaker 4 (52:29):
Three years ago and it hasn't left my bag. I
love it, so, you know, even when I put badly.
You know, some guys want to get rid of their pudders,
but I just know it's not the it's not the
it's not it's not the arrow.

Speaker 2 (52:42):
It's the Indian. That's the shooting arrow. Ye. So yeah,
but but yeah, and I mean, you know.

Speaker 4 (52:47):
I mean, because the truth is, you know, you know,
when you work in a golf in a golf store,
I'm a bit like an alcoholic in a bottle store
because you know, I can't help myself. I mean, as
soon as I look at a driver or a set
of irons where I said, Jesus, look good, and I
take my existing irons out and I put the new
irons in, and I look at this.

Speaker 2 (53:07):
Drive, and I think, you know, and.

Speaker 4 (53:09):
And and I mean it's terrible, you know. I mean,
can you imagine being a chocoholic in a in a
sweet shop.

Speaker 2 (53:14):
It's not nice, definitely.

Speaker 4 (53:15):
So yeah, but I mean I can tell I've got
some customers that aren't even in the golf business, and
I like that.

Speaker 2 (53:21):
So I'm very thankful for them because they like to
buy things.

Speaker 4 (53:24):
So you know, it wasn't for it wasn't for bad
golfers and good customers, we wouldn't have a business.

Speaker 2 (53:30):
So we're very thankful or grateful to our customers.

Speaker 3 (53:33):
And then before I let you go, Jason, would you
perhaps share a few words of wisdom, especially with new
entrants in UH into golf, particularly beginners. I don't even
want to call them amateurs, I'd say beginners coming from
a feitting's environment and equipment environment. What would be your

(53:57):
number one tip for people who just started playing golf.

Speaker 4 (54:02):
My number one tip for guys that are getting started
is to make sure that you don't listen to your
friends who you're playing golf with.

Speaker 2 (54:11):
In terms of instruction.

Speaker 4 (54:15):
If your friends want you to play golf with if
I say to you, if I'm friends with Tony and
I say, Tony, I want you to come and play
golf with me. Okay, I'm not a good example, but
I'm going to say to you. If I'm a ten handicap,
I'm going to say to you, Tony, I'm not going
to teach you how to play golf. I want you
to come play golf me, but go and see a
PGA certified professional for some lessons. Go and get three

(54:39):
lessons just to get you started, because if I start
teaching you, I'm going to teach you wrong from day one,
You're going to hate the game. That's from an instruction
point of view, and then from an equipment point of view. Please,
and I'm not knocking the international websites and the box retailers.

(55:01):
Go and see guys that are good at what they do.

Speaker 2 (55:05):
You know what I'm saying.

Speaker 4 (55:06):
We and I mean whether it's the pro shop who
are competitors or ourselves, or you're on course professional, we
know what we're talking about when it comes to getting
you started. And if you you know, if you've got
five thousand around to start, we'll find you a set
of golf clubs. If you've got ten thousand round to start,
we'll find you a set of golf clubs.

Speaker 2 (55:27):
So we've seen it all.

Speaker 4 (55:28):
I just don't like it when guys go and they
bought a set from their friend on Facebook marketplace, and
they think they got a good deal, and then they
pitch up and the clubs are completely wrong for them,
you know, and and or just at least come and
get some advice from us before they you know, before
you buy anything. That's always tell my stuff never scare

(55:51):
its customer way by taking them to the twenty thousand
rand set irons showing where we start.

Speaker 2 (55:56):
We start with, you know, our biggest sellar is a
package set.

Speaker 4 (55:59):
A package set is a one stop combination set that's
got a bag, a butter, said irons, a driver, a fairway,
a hybrid or the matching covers. You can get away
with five six or seven thousand round. And even if
you hate the game, the most you've wasted is five
five six or seven thousand round when guards get involved
in a drop fifty sixty grand on a set of

(56:19):
clubs and they bought the wrong clubs from a friend
who suggested this going Oh Jesus to be horrendous.

Speaker 3 (56:25):
You know, yeah, that's very true. And once again I
just want to say thank you, mester Row. It has
been a good chatting with you, and thank you to
everyone around you who's giving us the opportunity to steal
an hour from your schedule.

Speaker 2 (56:41):
I believe, no problem, no problem.

Speaker 3 (56:43):
I believe you'll be sharpening your chipping skills or your
short game skills over the next couple of days as well,
since you've also picked up that that's where you're you're
currently struggling.

Speaker 2 (56:55):
Yes, exactly. So.

Speaker 4 (56:57):
So I'm playing on Friday morning and I've got a
I've got a four's knockout match at Branston, And I mean,
I'll never really get nervous about golf, but I can
tell I don't let my partner down. So tomorrow morning
I'll be at the range working on my chipping. And
it's been a privilege being on your show and great chatting.
Thank you so much, And I just want the listeners
out there to remember golf really, if you haven't played

(57:19):
it before, get into it. And I promise you it'll
be a game for a lifetime. You can play it
until you're ninety years old.

Speaker 3 (57:25):
Thank you once again, mister Rowe, and now you must
have yourself a lovely evening. Further say, and.

Speaker 2 (57:31):
To you, thank you Tony for the best.

Speaker 3 (57:35):
All right, ladies and gentlemen, that is our guest for today,
mester Jason Rowe, who's the MD of Golf a slub
and as you heard the man, golf is the only
place where you can literally mix business with pleasure. And
I mean he's in the industry, he understands, he sees
it all. And there's a couple of things that he
shared which are quite enlightening. To say, listen, from what

(57:58):
he is seen, most junior us in entities tend to
actually progress quicker when they start playing golf because they
are now playing with the big boys in different industries
and that's where decisions are made. So, ladies and gentlemen,
now we have gone off our seven pm slot and
we are currently on FORMU. This is past seven. But
I have to say it's always good having this show

(58:21):
on Wednesdays. And I would like to speak to much
more and more and more people from different aspects of life,
because there's only one common thing that binds us together,
and that is the addiction that we all have for golf.
And for those who haven't started playing golf, please don't
be scared when I mentioned the word addiction. It is
not from a bad content context, but it is from

(58:46):
a good place where we know that this is the
This is one spot that will build you as an
individual mentally, physically, emotionally and uh well, as you said,
as as you've heard, even economy economically can help you advance. So,
ladies and gentlemen, like I said, it is only January,
I'm not going to come with the business of saying

(59:07):
the weekend has officially started. I want everyone to go
to the office tomorrow. Go to the office tomorrow. People
are playing golf on Friday as well, and I want
them to go and play because for me, I'm startying
my weekend. Don't follow my trend only after February then
can we officiate the weekend from Wednesday. So with them
being said, ladies and gentlemen, I just want to say

(59:28):
thank you, thank you, thank you, and please continue sharing
our link with your loved ones, even your enemies and freenemies.
Make sure that you share with them so that we
spread the love of gold. This is the one and
only Tony, Tony the Magician signing out

Speaker 2 (59:47):
The Magician