A new chapter for the Boland Golf Union with a new leader.
After the successful amalgamation of the BGU with Boland Women's Golf, Maria Kirton has been elected as the new President of the Boland Union.
In this interview the energetic Kirton talks about her passion for golf and her goals as President.
QUESTION: At what age were you introduced to golf?
KIRTON: My first experience at golf started at the age of 40. Going to the driving range hitting golf balls with a 7 iron. That was my “go to club” for the next 2 years. I also caddied for my partner during his league matches. I obtained my official handicap in 2012 just before the Devonvale Foursomes Classic, where we "famously" won the tournament.
This is where the “Golf Gogga” really bit me. I loved the excitement, the challenges, disappointment and the satisfaction that you experience on the golf course. It is also the only place that I could switch off and forget about everything else around me.
QUESTION: When did you join the Paarl Golf Club?
KIRTON: I joined in 2015 after playing a few courses to see which one will be our new home club. My choice was the Paarl Golf Club - after I shot a nett 59 off a 30 handicap on the Boschenmeer course. That sealed the deal for me and I became a member at PGC.
QUESTION: When did you decide to participate in committee affairs at the Paarl Club?
KIRTON: I only started playing with the Paarl ladies in August 2018 after the Ladies Vice-Captain Helaine Strydom invited me to join the Tuesday Ladies.
I remember sitting at one of the Tuesday prize-givings when the then Ladies Captain Arina van der Vyver asked who would want to be involved with Boland Ladies Golf? Without thinking I put my hand up for this. That is also how I got involved with the Paarl Ladies Committee. Two committees at one go!
I was responsible for the league on both of these committees. I was ready to take over as Paarl Ladies Captain after being Vice-Captain when I started working for Paarl Golf Club as a Customer Experience Coordinator in March 2020 just before Covid19 outbreak. Obviously by occupying this post, the position of Ladies Captain could no longer be on the cards.
QUESTION: When did you join Boland Ladies Golf Committee?
KIRTON: I served on the BOL committee since 2019 and was elected to Vice-President for the 2020/2021 season. I was responsible for league golf, and also became more involved with the organization of tournament golf and the Albatross scoring system. I was elected president of Boland Ladies Golf for the 2022/2023 term. I also served on three committees of Womens Golf South Africa (WGSA) and represent the Boland Union at WGSA.
QUESTION: What was your biggest "lesson" regarding the administration of golf that you learned since joining the Boland Committee?
during that period.
KIRTON: You have to be prepared for challenges. Keep it Simple. In golf, nothing good ever happened as a result of overthinking or complexity. You have to continuously assess and realign your strategy to achieve your goals. Celebrate the small wins and when you have to deal with challenges, observe and assess the situation and then re-engage.
QUESTION: What are your main goals as President of the BGU?
KIRTON: As the two unions Boland Golf and Boland Ladies just amalgamated, it is important that we foster unity amongst both men and women as we are all in this together! We have shared goals, hopes and vision to grow the game of golf.
I am privileged to follow in George Bezuidenhout footsteps who has directed and lead Boland Golf the past 4 years. It is a huge responsibility and I am very aware of the challenges to keep building on the objectives and goals set by George. I am very fortunate that I have the support of Abrie Swanepoel the Director of Golf of the Boland Union, Vice-President Bill Steyn and a strong team of Executive who believes in me.
It is important that, together as a team, we discuss the direction and rethinking if necessary, the objectives and goals for the union. This is not a one-man (woman) show.
However, I am very passionate about developing and growing golf at a junior level. They are the future and it is important that we have a continuous feed into our junior squads.
This is the biggest challenge that I am currently facing especially amongst girls. However, having said this, I have had discussions the past week and there are plans in place to change this in 2023.
QUESTION: You are also a golf rules official and are qualified to do course ratings. How did you got involved with this part of golf?
KIRTON: Golf is my passion or more like a drug...I want to know more, do more and be more!
I used the downtime during Covid19 and obtained my level 3 Rules of Golf. To practice what I learned, I refereed for Boland Ladies, BGU, WP, GolfRSA and the Standard Bank Pro-Am. The experience gained is invaluable and I am grateful for the opportunity that were provided by all. I got involved with Course Ratings after I was recruited by Steph Lotz. Rita Heroldt, the current Southern Cape Women's President, was instrumental in my training regarding course rating.
