Edwin Compton – Development Manager

South African Golf Development Board

	@comptonedwin
	comptonedwin_sagdb

 

What led you to becoming a PGA Professional?	I took up golf at the age of 15 and fell in love with it instantly. I almost immediately said that I want to become a golf professional. We all know golf is expensive – as like with many people a lack of finances made it very hard for me to get coaching, descent equipment or compete at a high level – this is why the SAGDB’s vision resinates with me so much.
How long have you been in your current position?	8 Years
What does your job entail?	Managing 6 Development Coaches and just over 200 Junior Players across Mpumalanga. This includes overseeing daily operations, coaching sessions, managing budgets, and planning. The work we do at the SAGDB goes beyond the golf course; I often find myself taking one of our players to the doctor or something similar.
Do you have any environmental or sustainability goals that you have met and would like to share?	I oversee a feeding scheme at our Malelane SAGDB Programme that gives food to 37 children in our program. The Feeding scheme takes place at a clubhouse that we built through the generosity of Mrs Gaynor Rupert’s Ladies Invitational where our players have access to over a thousand books, wifi and computers to help them with their education.
Please give us a brief outline of the path you took to lead you to your current position	I got introduced to the South African Golf development Board by the Mpumalanga Golf Union in 2012 when the SAGDB started it’s projects in the province. Our firts programme was in Secunda with about 17 players and grew to where we are today.
Why do you feel that you would be a good candidate to win this award?	This is a hard question to answer because what I do comes down to a team effort. I am very privileged to be part of an amazing organisation that creates opportunities and equip its people to make a difference and grow the game of golf