Ask Ernie Archive

1. Ernie, what is your favourite golf course in the world?
In South Africa that’s an easy one; Oubaai, my first golf course design project in my home country. It’s a beautiful piece of land and I think we’ve done it justice with a great golf course. If I were going for a more impartial choice, shall we say, I’d choose Leopard Creek for its beauty; the surroundings are what you’d call true African bush. It’s a well kept golf course and it has the best clubhouse in South Africa.

For the rest of the world, it’s a tough one to answer, but if you push me into a corner then Oakmont in Pennsylvania would have to be one. It has a special place in my heart, because I won my first US Open there in 1994. It’s a great golf course in its own right, though.

Also I’d have to include Royal Melbourne, a classic Alister Mackenzie design, and Muirfield where I won the Open in 2002. I loved that golf course from the moment I first set foot on it way back in the 1992 Open and I couldn’t wait to go back there. Had to wait 10 years…but obviously it was worth the wait! Very tough, but everything is there in front of your eyes. It’s a very fair test; a great links test.

2. Dear Ernie, I hit balls usually twice a week but I never know what to work on. What is your recommended practice routine?
It depends how much time you’ve got, but my advice to the guys I play with in Pro Ams is always the same – however long you have, whether it’s 20 minutes or 90 minutes – don’t rush! Too often I see golfers go on to the range and go through a bucket of balls in double-quick time, mostly with the driver, and it’s all a bit of a blur, really.

Try hitting half as many balls and take your time – just a moment between shots to think about what you’re trying to achieve, visualise the ball-flight and maybe mix-up your targets a little bit. Always start with the wedge – just gentle pitch shots – and gradually work your way up through the bag. You don’t have to use every club – maybe go with, say, 9-iron, 7-iron, 5-iron, fairway-metal and then the driver. At the end of the session, wind-down with a couple of easy pitch shots.

Then make sure in your next practice session you ignore your long game and instead work exclusively on your chipping and putting. That part of the game often gets neglected, which is a big mistake.

3. Ernie, I’m interested to know what is your view on golf being included in the Olympics?
You know, I just don’t see a downside. For me personally, and I think for pretty much any other golfer out there, it would be an honour to play for your country and go for an Olympic Gold medal. That would be incredible. I mean, you could see what it meant to some one like Rafael Nadal when he won the tennis gold medal in Beijing.

And on a broader level I do also think that golf in the Olympics would have a massive positive impact; probably more so than any of the major championships. It would bring the game to a whole new audience and help give the game a boost at all levels, from grass roots all the way up. Like I said, I just don’t see any downsides. I hope it happens for 2016.

4. Hello Ernie, I am 6-foot tall and over the years I've copied no other swing but yours. I have all your books and your videos. I am curious, though, what is the main difference in your swing now with Butch Harmon compared to when you were photographed in 1994 for your book How to Build a Classic Golf Swing?
That’s a good question. The thing to understand is it's not like I've completely changed my swing. It still looks like my swing; it’s just that some of the positions are a little different to when I was in my 20s.

I'm tall and quite a flexible guy and swinging as long as I was…you know, the last few years I felt like I was at times getting a bit out of sync with my lower body and upper body. That was causing me some problems with consistency. So with Butch we’ve worked on a couple of things to address those issues. We’ve stabilized my lower-body action, shortened my backswing a little bit and got the club more out in front of me. Basically, there’s more width in the backswing and into and through impact.

It took a while to bed-in, as they say, but it feels great and I’m hitting it really nicely.

5. Ernie, it seems to me that the younger guys on Tour spend an awful lot of time in the gym. What kind of influence or effect has that had on you? Have you stepped it up in that department, too?
You’re right; the younger guys coming through have all got the muscles and the six-packs and all of that. I think that’s a good thing. I mean, it makes the game look better. Even the dress sense has changed a lot out here and, all in all, I think the product of the Tour looks more athletic and healthier than it did, say, 20 years ago. I think it's all positive. From my own point of view, yeah, I’ve definitely stepped it up in the fitness department. I think as professional golfers we all have to stay in very good shape and that becomes even more important as you get older. I’m almost into my 40s now, but I work harder than ever on my fitness and I would say I’m in as good shape physically now as I was in my early 20s. By staying fit and working on the right things there’s no reason why I can’t stay competitive out here for a good few years yet.

6. I hear you like cars. What’s the best one you’ve ever owned?
Yeah, I’ve always loved cars ever since I was a kid and I’ve been fortunate enough to own some good ones, including several very nice Mercedes sports cars and sedans. Probably the best I’ve ever owned, though, was a Ferrari 612 Scaglietti in metallic grey with cream leather seats. It was a real beauty. It’s a big car, which I like, but when you’re driving it the car feels quite agile. And it has back seats, so when we were at Wentworth I could take the kids to school in it. All in all, an awesome machine!

7. What is the best shot you’ve ever hit?
That’s a really tough one to say, but I’d probably choose the 5-iron I hit into the 17th on the final day of the US Open at Congressional in 1997. I’d practised that shot with my coach earlier in the week because I had a feeling the pin would be back-left on Sunday…and it was. That hole played a lot longer then that it does now and it was very dangerous, with water down the left side and behind the green. I swung it in there with a touch of draw and it was one of the sweetest shots I’ve ever hit; it just came off perfect. And you know, it was such a key moment. A few minutes later I made par on the final hole to win my second US Open.

8. Hi Ernie, I love the fact that you’ve probably travelled more than any other golfer of your generation and played tournaments all over the world, but do you think you’d have been more successful concentrating on one Tour, say, in America.
No, not at all. I mean, this is what I’ve always loved doing. It doesn’t suit me to play just one Tour. It never has done, really. I enjoy the travelling – and I think I’ve got the balance about right. People have often said to me that I do too much, that maybe I’d be better off focusing on one Tour, but I don’t agree. I think if you look at my results I’ve been successful. And at the end of the day I think it’s actually made me a better player.

9. Ernie, I hear that you excelled at Soccer, Cricket, Rugby and Tennis when you were younger, so what in the end made you choose Golf?
Yeah, I played a lot of sports when I was growing up and I guess you could say I always had a pretty good eye for a ball. But I needed to think about what game I was going to play professionally – you know, for the rest of my life – and to be honest golf was an easy choice. Golf was the sport I was best at and I enjoyed it the most, too.

10. Hey Ernie, I’m a big fan so it’s been disappointing to see you drop to 16th in the World Rankings. And I think most South Africans feel the same way. My question is, do you practise as hard as before, or are other activities such as building golf courses, making wine and so on, taking too much of your golfing time and deflecting your focus?
I’ve been asked this question a lot over the years and the answer is always the same. I wouldn’t get involved in business if I felt these activities in any way affected my ability to play my best golf. I think the thing to understand is that all professional golfers need balance in their lives. I’m interested in business and the commercial world. Other players do things differently, but none of us is on the golf course seven days a week, 52 weeks a year. That wouldn’t be healthy. And this is something that I love to do. I enjoy the process of designing golf courses. I find it creatively very fulfilling. With each golf course we build we are leaving a legacy for generations of golfers. I consider that to be privilege and it is not something I take lightly. Also, I have a dedicated team of people around me which allows me to focus on my golf and winning more tournaments. That’s still what really drives me. And to answer the first part of your question, trust me I’m working my tail off trying to get my game to where I want it to be.

11. Ernie, I’ve played off a low single-figure handicap for 25 years and sadly I’m still waiting for my first hole-in-one. I think the answer to this next question might depress me! But how many have you had in your career?
Yeah, sorry! I have to tell you I've had eight career hole-in-ones. The first one was way back when I was a kid playing golf in South Africa, so that was pretty exciting. I guess the best one was in the 2004 British Open, on the famous ‘Postage Stamp’ hole at Royal Troon. There are grandstands all around that green so the cheer from the crowd was huge, so that was very special. Anyway, keep trying man!

12. Ernie, what is the most memorable win of your career?
My first major was obviously very special, but I’d have to say probably my Open Championship win at Muirfield in 2002. To me that is the greatest golf tournament in the world; I love the history, the tradition, the atmosphere, and I love links golf. It was an incredible week.

13. What would be your all-time fantasy fourball?
Hmm…I’ve got to go with some guys who can play a bit, so I’d definitely have Bobby Jones in there. He was the greatest player who ever lived, before Jack Nicklaus came along and then obviously Tiger, so I’d love to see him play. I’d have to ask my dad, because he wouldn’t want to miss this game! And probably Nelson Mandela; he’s not a golfer, but I’ve been lucky enough to meet him a few times and he is a truly great man.

14. What is your view on the development of equipment technology and do you think the golf ball is flying too far now?
Well, I think in some ways that horse has bolted. The situation could have been addressed 10 years ago. Although saying that, generally speaking I am against stopping technology. The thing we need to do is just be a little bit careful how golf courses are set-up, especially for majors. It’s easy to get scared of technology, scared of a low winning score and then a great golf course can be spoiled. Longer is not always better. I think lessons have been learnt, though, and I think the R&A and the USGA have got it absolutely right in recent championships. I mean, Augusta was great this year. So was Bethpage this year and Torrey Pines and Royal Birkdale last year; obviously tough but also very fair. That’s a good sign for the future.

15. How do you stay calm on the course?
I suppose I’ve always had a pretty calm temperament, even when I was playing golf growing up, and I maybe don’t tend to show my feelings on the outside as much as other players. It’s just the way I am. I’m not saying I don’t get mad sometimes, though. Trust me, if I play badly I get really angry at myself! We all do. The key is finding a way to put it behind you. Someone once told me early in my career that the only shot that matters is the next shot. That sums it up. You have to find a way to focus 100 per cent on the shot in hand. What’s happened is history. And the interesting thing is, the same principle applies when things are going well and you’re playing great. You don’t want to get too excited or start thinking ahead. Always try to stay in the present. One shot at a time!

16. I often get very nervous on the 1st tee, especially in competitions when I hit some terrible opening tee shots. And the thing is, it starts off my round on the wrong foot and now it's affecting my confidence. What thoughts go through your mind when you stand on the 1st tee in tournament play and how do you hit a decent shot?
Well, you have to understand that everyone feels nerves on the 1st tee – and I mean everyone…me, Tiger, Vijay, Phil, Sergio, or anyone else you care to name. You just have to accept this as part of the game and learn how to deal with it. Most pros will tell you at times like that they fall back on their pre-shot routine and I think that’s good advice. Picture your target. And don’t take more time, don’t rush it, just do your normal thing – it doesn’t matter if it’s the 1st tee or the 18th fairway, you have to stick to that routine.

17. Hi Ernie, what do you think you'll be doing in 20 years' time?
Wow, that's a pretty scary thought! Not sure I've ever thought that far ahead, to be honest with you. Obviously the priority is to be happy and have a healthy family. On top of that...well, hopefully I'll have won all four majors and be part of the Grand Slam winners' club; that's always been my No.1 career goal. Also I'd like to continue to be successful in business, especially the golf course design side of things which I feel very passionate about. I'm sure I'll still be playing a bit of golf here and there - although I can't see myself doing much on the Seniors Tour. But who knows? Maybe I won't have to. Tom Watson almost won the Open at 59 years of age, so that's kind of inspiring for me as I approach my 40th birthday. The thing is, I love competition and maybe I'll miss it if I don't play competitive golf. Hey, ask me the same question again when I'm 60!

18. Dear Ernie, with your renewed confidence and momentum gained from back-to-back top-10 finishes in the last two majors, what is your biggest goal for the remainder of the 2009 season and what will it take to reach it?
Thanks. It's certainly been a step-up in terms of results, although I've been playing well for quite a few months now and just not scoring. But as you said, I've got some momentum now and I feel more comfortable with my swing. I'm seeing my shots better and the putter has got a little warmer, shall we say! So yeah, I'm optimistic that some good things are going to happen between now and the end of the season. I'd certainly like to think I can get a win under my belt soon; that's my goal. I've been working really hard on my game and I just need to keep doing what I'm doing and get myself in the mix come Sunday.

19. Ernie, you have a rhythm that is greatly admired in the game, so my question is this; on a scale of 0 to 100, what percentage of maximum power do you swing most of the time in a tournament? And what advice would you give to amateurs on this topic.
I'd say I very seldom go beyond 80 per cent of full power. To me, that is the perfect blend of power and control. And I think if you asked most players out here on Tour they'd say the same thing. Occasionally I might step on it a bit and really pump one out there, say, on a long par-5. But it is rare and I try to avoid doing it as it can upset your rhythm for the rest of the round. For amateurs I'd say go with the same numbers. You don't ever want to swing at maximum power, as you'll lose your balance and succeed only in hitting it further off line, not further down the middle! So yeah, keep it around the 80 to 85 per cent mark.