GOLFER Mark Pond might be quite well known in his local area, there are only 363 residents after all, but the notoriety is about to expand dramatically.
The 70 year old has been a long time resident of the tiny Victorian country town of St James, located halfway between golfing mecca Yarrawonga and Benalla in the north of the state.
Mark is a retired NSW ambulance officer and was also an esteemed postmaster in St James but it is love of golf in latter years that will get him the airplay.
St James is the kind of town that when you search for it on Google Maps it at first appears to be nothing, and in the middle of nowhere. When you drill down further and further suddenly a golf course appears. And not much else.
Obviously, the St James Golf Course is a big part of everything that happens in the local area.
Mark’s first ever game of golf was at the course and for the last 15 years he has been playing there twice a week.
As well as being a dedicated player he has also served as men’s Club Captain, Vice-Captain and even gets out on the course mowing and tending the sand greens.
Mark’s affair with golf and the St James Golf Club – and the important role the club plays in the local community – has been captured on video as part of a social media campaign for the upcoming 2016 Golf Month.
As part of the banner #WhatDrivesYou a series of videos will be shown on various social media channels whereby four people of varying demographics (including Mark) are captured playing golf and telling the story behind why they love the game.
As we’ve written previously, all golfers can get involved in the promotion – aimed at increasing golf participation and growing the game – and there’s an opportunity to win one of four Cobra F6 King drivers, as well as other great prizes
Mark Pond #WhatDrivesYou Video
We’ll let Mark and his video speak for itself: