Archive for the ‘Sport’ Category
by Amanda on Nov 12th, 2010
As this year winds down, athletes and sporting novices alike are stepping up their training, going into high gear in preparation for South Africa’s annual Comrades Marathon – an “up” run this year on May 29 2011.
If you haven’t yet, it’s your last chance to get those entries in (by November 30th), pull those running shoes out the back of the closet, hit the road or the gym and book the requisite post-marathon break. Don’t forget to pack a copy of KwaZulu-Natal: Adventures in Culture & Nature, a fresh and versatile guide – the ideal KZN travel companion:
Runners wishing to take part in the 86th edition of the Comrades Marathon have until the end of the month to get their entries in. Already over 13 200 people have entered.
The race organiser, the Comrades Marathon Association (CMA), believes that interest in the iconic race will continue to grow thanks to the event receiving official recognition by the Guinness World Records as the event with “the most runners in an ultra-marathon”.
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Image courtesy Comrades Marathon Flickr Photostream
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by Amanda on May 11th, 2010
In 2010, the eyes of the world are on South Africa as the country plays host to the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
Soccer in Africa – A Game of Passion celebrates the beautiful game and its importance for the people of Africa. With stunning images drawn from 12 countries, the book highlights the enormous appeal of soccer – both as sporting spectacle and as a timeless social phenomenon crossing political, religious and social boundaries.
From Cape Town to Cairo, Bamako to Nairobi, and Accra to Maputo, soccer brings together people of disparate origins and circumstances. Whether it is an improvised match played on a dusty street corner with a homemade ball or clashes at the highest level between top clubs and national sides, the images in this book provide compelling proof that soccer is Africa’s game.
About the authors
Photographer Tine Harden has won numerous awards, and has twice been Photographer of the Year in her native Denmark. She is the author of several photography books, and her work has been exhibited in galleries in Denmark, the United States, Brazil, Syria, Netherlands and Spain.
Jesper Strudsholm has been Africa correspondent for the Danish daily newspaper Politiken since 1995. He is a keen follower of soccer, but is himself a hopeless player who only managed to score once during nine long years in primary school.
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by Amanda on Dec 18th, 2009
South Africa has an incredible variety of climatic regions coupled with plenty of beautiful sunny days, days that are perfect for golfing. The only problem a tourist golfer faces is deciding which of our many golf courses to play first. Jamie Thom and Stuart McLean have made the decision a little easier with their South Africa’s Greatest Golf Destinations. The following article from CC Africa is a nice complement to the book:
South Africa is home to many world-renowned championship golf courses and boasts many attractions and safari options in the surrounding areas.
South Africa’s excellent infrastructure ensures that you reach your selected golf courses as planned, and easy access to uncrowded courses means no waiting time and a relaxed game in beautiful surroundings.
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by Amanda on Oct 21st, 2009
Not only is Stuart McLean one of the authors of the recently released South Africa’s Greatest Golf Destinations, but he is also the editor of Golf Digest magazine.
In his editorial for the October issue, McLean addresses the importance of being able to putt well, turning the focus to one South Africa’s top golfers – but a man who has seen shaky form of late – Ernie Els:
Putting has always been the great leveller in golf. A person who putts consistently well, and holes out regularly from all distances, can compensate for any deficiencies which may exist elsewhere in his or her game. What’s more, sinking a 20-footer to save a par after hacking your way up a hole is one the best ways of infuriating and irritating your playing companions, opponents particularly. Especially if they have played the hole perfectly and walked off with the same score as you.
Paradoxically for a game where we work so hard on trying to strike the ball perfectly, spending hours beating balls on the range in pursuit of a repeatable swing, if you’re an above-average player on the greens you will always be a reasonable golfer and enjoy the game, no matter how you perform in other aspects. Conversely, striking the ball with authority from tee to green can amount to nothing if you keep faltering on the greens. A person with no confidence in their putting stroke is more inclined to think of giving up the game than one who hits a big slice off every tee. The ultimate satisfaction of golf lies in holing out successfully, because without that the game is pointless.
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by Amanda on Sep 17th, 2009
A lavishly illustrated coffee-table book, South Africa’s Greatest Golf Destinations presents the cream of South Africa’s greens and fairways. Here you will find a diverse array of golf courses, from Gauteng’s venerable Blair Atholl and Royal Johannesburg to Arabella and Erinvale in the winelands of the Western Cape, from Beachwood and Zimbali in KwaZulu-Natal to the bushveld splendour of Leopard Creek on the edge of the Kruger National Park, which comes with unique water hazards in the form of hippos and crocodiles.
Passionate golfer and specialist course photographer Jamie Thom and Golf Digest editor Stuart McLean have chosen the top thirty courses in South Africa, and included another twenty-nine quality and scenic courses that will be of particular interest to golfers and visitors. Information about each course focuses on what makes them exciting to play, big tournaments that have been hosted there, and what else there is to see and experience nearby.
Special features include a list of best golf holes in South Africa, a section on the four most influential golf course architects in the country, and notes about the challenges of photographing golf courses.
About the photographer
Jamie Thom set out as a mechanical engineer before indulging his passion for the outdoors and photography. During a stint as a game ranger, he turned to photography, winning a number of awards, most notably the coveted BBC/British Gas Wildlife Photographer of the Year Competition in 1999. Thereafter he joined an American company producing wildlife documentaries for National Geographic and Discovery Channel before returning to his passion for photography.
Then his other love, golf, caused a change in focus. He is a regular contributor to Golf Digest and Compleat Golfer magazines and also manages the marketing and advertising for Matkovich & Hayes Golf Estate Solutions. His images have been published in magazines, calendars and books worldwide. He lives in Johannesburg.
About the author
Stuart McLean has been editor of Golf Digest South Africa since 1997. The magazine publishes an annual list of the Top 100 courses in South Africa, which he initiated in 1997, and he has played each and every one of them since then. He is also the author of South African Golf Courses: A Portrait of the Best, published by Random House Struik. He lives in Cape Town.
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