Howard keen to soar at the Lake
On the first hole of golf she ever played in 1997, Rachel Howard achieved an eagle.
![](https://images.caxton.co.za/wp-content/uploads/sites/26/2017/09/IMG_0481_74754.jpg)
Fast forward to 2017 and she is now flying high as the new director of golf and club professional at The Lake Club Benoni.
Howard recently took over the reins from stalwart club professional Rob van Velzen, who ended his over three-decade tenure at the club at the end of August.
She is no stranger to the Lake Club, having served two years of her apprenticeship under van Velzen before running the pro shop at Pollak Park Golf Club in Springs from 2015 to 2017, where she helped get the club up and running again after they were in a spot of trouble.
“The people here at the Lake Club are amazing,” she said.
“They are warm and welcoming and you’ll never be alone here.
“Our membership figures are not bad and the total number of golf rounds played here are not bad either.
“We have new members coming from all over.”
The new golf director is now keen to make her mark at the Benoni facility and pick up and grow the club from where van Velzen left off.
Howard was involved in some projects at the club before heading to Pollak Park and she is delighted to see that they have been completed upon her return, like the development of the new dam on the fourth and fifth holes.
“It is great to come back and see that all the projects Rob focused on have been completed.
“He did a terrific job.”
She too has big goals for the club and is in the process of revamping the pro shop to give it a fresh and modern look.
She would also like to see the club becoming more family orientated.
With regards to the condition of the course itself, Howard is pleased with the quick recovery of the greens and fairways following hollow tining last week.
While there is still much to be done, the golf director is excited for the future of The Lake Club Benoni.
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