Our People

Retief Goosen

Two-time US Open champion Retief Goosen has been an ardent supporter of the SADGA for nearly two decades having become a patron in 2002. The Goose embodies many of the qualities that we try to instill in our members. Chief among them is his humility despite the abundant success he has enjoyed throughout his career. His work ethic and longevity too are to be commended and it brings the SADGA great joy to see Retief adding to his impressive resume with his first Senior Major Championship title at the 2019 Senior Players Championship.Retief is passionate about positively impacting disabled golf in South Africa – mostly through his wine label Goose Wines and he is a keen social media follower of ours. All of us feel privileged to count a player of Retief s stature in the game among our patrons.

Dale Hayes

One of the great golf personalities not just in South Africa but in the world, Dale Hayes has been a patron of the SADGA since 2015 though his support of disabled golf dates back far longer than that.Dale is truly one of a kind. His excellent humour and wit has been a major drawcard of many SADGA events. His humour is only surpassed by his generosity and kind-hearted nature. For a number of years Dale s course – Zwartkop Country Club – has been the home of disabled golf in Gauteng, offering SADGA members fantastic rates and allowing them to be part of a welcoming and inclusive environment. Dale has always encouraged our members to play the game in the right way and for the right reasons. He encourages everyone to play for the love of the game and to forge the lifelong friendships that are unique to the game of golf.

Emil Maehler

Emil Maehler is a disabled golfer who was diagnosed at birth with Spastic Cerebral Palsy and although physically disabled, he can walk and has the use of his right side. His adversities, however, have made him more determined and he works hard to achieve his goals both on and off the golf course. Emil is a very sociable young man known for his wonderful smile.

David Watts

The South African Disabled Golf Association is delighted to have David Watts as one of its ambassadors.

Having joined the SADGA early in 2022, Watts wasted no time in making his mark on disabled golf in South Africa as he won all five SADGA Opens he contested in that year. The trophy-laden success David has enjoyed is a product of not only his fantastic talent but a tireless work ethic.
Watts role is multifaceted: The 35-year-old is charged with raising awareness for the SADGA and disabled golf in general. He will also be on hand at a number of FSP coaching sessions which will no doubt serve to inspire our next generation of golfers to realise their full potential.
David will also fly the SADGA flag at various golf days going forward which will demonstrate to the general public and potential members not only the talent the SADGA possesses but the core values our members play by.

charlene Pienaar 

 Charlene Pienaar has entrenched herself as one of the very best blind golfers in the world, underlined most recently by her wins at the 2023 SA Blind Open and IBGA World Championship respectively. Quietly confident, Charlene Pienaar sets a fine example for her fellow female SADGA golfers as she prefers to let her clubs do the talking. 

 Since a car accident prior to her 21st birthday left her Visually-Impaired, Charlene has become a fantastic example to all those who have had a disability forced upon them: living her life with humility and is just eager to make the most of the challenges her situation presents.

Kelvin Van Baalen 

 Not many people get electrocuted during a paragliding landing gone wrong and live to tell the tale. But then again Kelvin Van Baalen is not like most other people, able to withstand 413 days in Intensive Care and 75% of his body being burnt. But just a few years after the accident, Van Baalen isn’t merely surviving, he’s thriving.

 The hard work and dedication needed to piece his life back together both on and off the course makes Van Baalen the perfect mentor for our First Swing Program golfers as he exemplifies what it means to get the most out of a difficult situation. He is never far from the top of the leaderboard at SADGA Opens and earned his first SADGA Open at the 2023 Nomads Kwa-Zulu Natal Disabled Open.

Craig Stirton 

Craig Stirton is known more for the stories he scrawls than he is for his swing. He is far more eager to create a platform to celebrate the on-course exploits of his fellow members than he is trying to squeeze in a round of his own at a SADGA event. While he enjoys playing, he prefers to devote all of his energies at SADGA events to telling the competitors’ many wonderful stories of triumph and success through the written and spoken world.