Gary Player interview by Sean Harrison.

Gary Player has logged more than 15 million miles in travel, probably more than any other athlete. With his nine major championship victories, as well as his nine major victories on the Champions Tour, he is widely regarded as one of the greatest players in the history of golf.

Born in Johannesburg, South Africa, Gary is renowned for his dedication to the principles of excellence as well as his golfing accomplishments. He is recognized worldwide as an uncompromising perfectionist who settles for nothing but the best. His impeccable set of values, stringent regime for health and fitness and insistence on quality have earned him admiration the world over.

Dubbed the Black Knight, Mr. Fitness, and the International Ambassador of Golf, he is a renowned golf course architect with more than 300 design projects worldwide.

His business interests are represented by Black Knight International, which includes Gary Player Design, Player Real Estate and Black Knight Enterprises, aspects of which include licensing, events, publishing, wine and apparel.

Set up in 1984, The Player Foundation built the Blair Atholl Schools in Johannesburg which has educational facilities for over 500 students from kindergarten through grade eight. The foundation has since expanded efforts in all corners of the globe, raising funds for impoverished children through four Gary Player Invitational events in Europe, China, the USA and South Africa.

You are the only golfer in the 20th Century to win The British Open in three different decades. Would competing in The Open Championship be some of the most enjoyable times in your career?

Absolutely, I won my first major at Muirfield in 1959 and The Open Championship has always been a very special event for me. The first time I was invited to play in the British Open the members at my local golf club had to take up a collection to pay for my travel expenses and I ended up sleeping on the beach because I could not afford a hotel room. When I went back to St. Andrews, in Scotland many years later I visited the sand dune where I slept. The experience of sleeping in the sand was so powerful.

What would be your most memorable event?

There have been so many truly memorable events in my life it is very difficult to point to just one. In terms of golf – when I completed the Grand Slam on the Champions Tour is very special for me.

I feel that this was the greatest accomplishment of my career.

Who would stand out as some of the most celebrated and recognised people you have played golf with – tour stars or celebrities?

Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer will always stand out because of the great competitions we had during our careers and the great friendship we have built over nearly 50 years. Having the chance to play Ben Hogan was the most memorable of my career. I have played with most of the US Presidents since the 60’s as well as celebrities like Elvis, Bob Hope, Jack Nicholson, Samuel L. Jackson, and Michael Douglas and his wife Catherine Zeta-Jones.

What’s your opinion of the modern day prize funds - and do you like the idea of the FEDEX Cup and the Race to Dubai?

The reality is that the game has changed since my days on tour and the prize money is much more significant. I think it is great the today’s players have the chance to earn the amount of money they do and I have no issues with the prizes being offered. Golf competes with other sports for TV ratings and ratings are very important to secure sponsors and the large purses we see. Golf like every other sport needs to adjust to the times and the FEDEX Cup and Race to Dubai are examples of how golf has attempted to make positive changes and increase its popularity.

Are young players still coming to you for advice regarding your health and fitness regime?

Yes and I am happy to help in any way I can. Diet, health and fitness were such a huge part of my success both on and off of the course and I hope that every person, golfer or not, takes their health seriously. Staying in top physical form is one of the keys to becoming a true champion.

Do you still find the time to work on your all-round golf game?

I still love to play competitive golf and have not lost any of my desire to win, but I don’t practice like I used to. I do however put a lot of practice time in before a tournament that I am competing in.

What time ratio do you think golfers should adopt for long to short game?

There is no set ratio in terms long and short game, what I do suggest is that golfers think about what clubs they hit most often and put the time in to master those shots. The short game is extremely important so take the time to master it as best you can and don’t forget to practice the things you don’t do well. If you can’t hit a bunker shot then practice until you can.

For bunker play, apart from you, Seve Ballesteros was probably the best player in the world - and he would practice on the beach. How did you spend most of your time practising bunker shots?

I practiced in the bunker and practiced until I holed three in a row. I was late for dinner a lot. The key for me was to master the bunker shot and not the club I was using. I got to the point where I could take any club from a lob wedge to a three iron and hit a bunker shot. Once I learned and perfected my sand shot I could replicate it under any condition, in any type of bunker with any club.

In today’s game – which up and coming players do you see with the chance to be golfing greats?

I do believe that Rory McIlroy will eventually become the world number one player and probably sooner rather than later. I also think that Camilo Villegas, Charl Schwartzel, Ross Fisher, Rickie Fowler, Alvaro Quiros, and the Molinari brothers all have the game to become great players.

How do you think today’s private jet travel has changed life for the guys out on tour?

Private air travel makes life on tour easier and more convenient and for those pros who can afford it is great.  The thing to remember is that players may get to tournaments faster and with less hassle, but your jet doesn’t make a 15 foot pressure putt to win a major - you do.

Travel has taken up a great part of your life. Approximately how many hours/miles are you in the air each year?

Honestly it’s impossible for me to estimate the hours and miles I travel each year, but over the course of my career I have travelled more than 24 million kilometers via air. I still love it.

Airline travel must have been so much different in the 1950’s and 1960’s?

Completely. Because we lived in South Africa and I had to win tournaments to support my family I traveled all over the world to compete. Put it this way 40 hours from Johannesburg to New York was not uncommon. Today it is a 16 hour flight in a seat that turns into a flat bed. Oh how I wish the airlines had seats that turned into beds during my career.

Do you spend a relative amount of time working whilst flying?

Not usually. With the amount of time I am travelling I use the time in the air to relax and sleep whenever possible. Also, lot of sit-ups and push-ups much to the surprise of my fellow travel companions.

As a course architect you have over 300 design projects throughout the world. Do you have any favourites?

I am truly proud of most of our work over the years. Certainly some of our recognized projects in South Africa are near and dear to my heart… The Links at Fancourt was certainly one of our most challenging sites on which to work, and it was eventually selected to host the Presidents Cup. More recently, Blair Atholl near Johannesburg has received rave review and I think deservedly so. We also just completed a very impressive project in Abu Dhabi, Saadiyat Beach Golf Club…..I love that one. Not many people have seen it, but I am quite fond of the golf course I built on my farm in Colesberg, South Africa. It has many cutting edge water conservation techniques, which I view as extremely important.

What design projects are you working on right now?

We have 62 current projects under contract in about 20 countries…from the Middle East to China to South Korea to Canada to Eastern Europe to South America. I remain very busy in the design arena and really enjoy the creativity of design.

What are the most important aspects of putting together a successful golf resort?

I have been preaching that a golf resort has to have more than just a golf course. Amenities should be built for all members of a family, so that everyone will want to be there. Wives and children who don’t play golf shouldn’t be forgotten.

How have the changes in golf equipment, especially the driver and ball, influenced your course designs?

I wish I could say no, but they have. We must design for length in today’s world, and that’s a direction that needs to be reversed if we are to build affordable golf courses. Even with the length of today’s players, I still like to design short, strategic, “risk/reward” holes. We have pitched for the course in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil for the 2016 Olympic Games and this would be very special to me if we were awarded the project.

If you could build a golf course anywhere in the world where would it be?

That’s a tough question. I will say that emerging markets where golf is not yet popular are my favourites…..I simply love introducing golf to new populations and to help grow the game globally.

You have designed and built courses that use less water - why is this? And is your primary focus at Gary Player Design to preserve the environment?

I strongly believe that water is one of our most precious resources, and I am determined to do my part in conserving it. Not only do I feel that the environment is our primary responsibility as designers, I feel that we must be truly eco-friendly if we are to survive as an industry…..we really won’t have a choice in the coming years.

The Gary Player Stud Farm has received worldwide acclaim for breeding over 2,000 top thoroughbred race horses. Can you tell us a bit about your horses and the ranch?

I love spending time on the ranch with my horses. We have been doing quite well in terms of raising top flight thoroughbreds which brings me great pleasure given the time and effort we have put into the business. Horses remain one of my true passions.

When you are away from business or playing on the Champions Tour are you able to spend much time on the ranch?

My ranch is my favorite place in the world and I make an effort to spend as much time there as I can. I usually can spend a full month there 2 or 3 times a year which I really enjoy.

The Player Foundation was established in 1983 and has raised over $25 Million USD. Can you tell us a bit about the foundation?

We have actually reached the $30 million mark which is absolutely fantastic. I came from humble upbringing and know firsthand what it means to have little and that was my motivation for establishing The Player Foundation. I sincerely wanted to help at risk kids and with my son Marc we established the Blair Atholl School in South Africa. Children can’t choose their parents or what situation they are born into, so we set out to help them as best we could by providing a safe environment where they could get a good education, health meals and most importantly love.  My dedication to helping those kids is one of my true passions and Blair Atholl is one of my greatest, if not my greatest accomplishments in life. I am so proud of what we have built and the education we have been able to provide to so many needy children.

If you could be given the chance to re-live some moments of your life which would they be - whether on or off the golf course?

I wouldn’t relive anything. I never look back as we cannot change the past, but we can change the future.

To enable you to have so much success in golf, life and business what would you list as your top ten principals/commandments?

I have ten – what I call The Ten Commandments of life:

- Change is the price of survival.

- Everything in business is negotiable except quality.

- A promise made is a debt incurred.

- For all we take in life we must pay.

- Persistence and common sense are more important than intelligence.

- The fox fears not the man who boasts by night but the man who rises early in the morning.

- Accept the advice of the man who loves you, though you like it not at present.

- Trust instinct to the end, though you cannot render any reason.

Gary Player by Sean Harrison.

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