Getting into the swing of things with Arnold Mentz
The talented golfer has always been passionate about coaching youngsters.
Teaching golf to youngsters is what Arnold Mentz is all about, and the Herald recently caught up with this former tour commissioner for the PGA of South Africa at the Wild Coast Sun Hotel and Casino Resort, where he is currently coaching youngsters from the rural areas near the resort.
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“Golf is an active game and players are less injury-prone than those who play contact sports,” says Arnold. “Conditioning for golf improves the strength of core muscles that support the spine, improves flexibility and allows players to become active and fit.”
And his reason for concentrating on local youngsters? “I believe the coast could be capable of producing a golfing superstar,“ he says. “The talent could be here, and we certainly don’t want it falling by the wayside.”
Arnold was the professional at Southbroom Golf Club from 1990 to 1996. Here he held clinics every Saturday morning, and these proved popular.
“One of the rules was that juniors had to attend school in order to attend my clinics. That was very important and I still stick to that philosophy today.
“I could go on at length about persistence, consistency and other character attributes. I owe so much to this great game and the valuable life lessons it taught me as a golfer. In this game, I found deep, wonderful mentoring relationships with amazing people and I am now passing down these life lessons to my students.”
He has been quite impressed by what he has seen. “The youngsters love coming to learn about the game, they’re getting better and it’s positive. The next step is to take them out onto the course and see how they perform.”
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