A new golf pro has arrived from South Africa to help grow the game of golf in Merritt.

Sydney vanRensburg arrived from South Africa with his wife Vanessa and their four year old son Nathan last Thursday.

Andy Wahnschaff, General Manager of the Merritt Golf and Country Club, is grateful for the talent and commitment to the youth golfing program that vanRensburg will bring to the course.

“I need all the help I can get right now because things are growing and bustling,” says Whanschaff.

“Our lesson services are popular, our food services are popular, and our tournaments are always filled to capacity.”

The van Rensburgs were looking for an opportunity to emigrate from South Africa, primarily due to the deteriorating security situation in that country that had them concerned about the future for their son Nathan.

Having spent five years living and working in London, where Sydney played golf professionally, before returning to Cape Town, the vanRensburgs were aware of what a luxury not living with constant security concerns was like.

“We could not let our son out of the house without someone being with him, even within the security complex,” says van Rensburg.

“Even inside the gated security complex our house had burglar bars, an alarm, and we had a dog.”

The vanRensburgs are grateful to all of the kindness and generosity that has already been shown to them since arriving in Merritt last week.

“Dr. Besters, a fellow expatriate from South Africa, and such a long list of people have done so much for us. They set up a house because we left with only five bags, and made sure we had everything we needed,” says vanRensburg.

“We do not feel like strangers or lost but feel very welcome.”

The course has been open since March 1 and will operate until the end of October.