Louis Oosthuizen may be one of the world’s top-ranking golf players living the big dream in America, but the simplicity of a good old braai is still one of his favourite ways to spend time with his wife Nel-Mare and daughters Sophia, Jana and Emma.
Another South African tradition kept alive in the Oosthuizen household is making their own boerewors and biltong. “I miss my family and friends, South Africans are just so easy going and always have time for an unplanned braai and a kuier,” Louis told Saffa Mag in an email-interview.
The Oosthuizens recently bought a farm in Ocala, Florida where they now live. During the hard lock-down when no golf championships took place, Louis often accompanied his daughters when they went horse-riding at a nearby ranch, which motivated him to buy their own place: “They can now enjoy riding their horses every day. I just love to see how they grow up and each one is developing her own unique personality. But on the other hand, to have four women in the household can be costly!”
Farm life is familiar to both Louis and Nel-Mare who grew up in Albertinia, where they knew each other as kids. They met again much later when Nel-Mare was studying at Stellenbosch University and the couple married in the NG Church in Mossel Bay in 2007.
“We really miss our family in South Africa and we try and get back to our farm in Albertinia every year during December. Due to Covid we could not visit for the past two years, so hopefully we will be able to see them again soon. Our farm is my favourite place as my parents and brother Ricus are neighbours, so we can spend time ogether when we are there,” Louis says.
It was Ricus who introduced him to the sport. Louis excelled in various sports like tennis, cricket and rugby and then starting playing golf. He honed his skills at Albertinia Golf Club which has grass fairways, but sand and oil greens, and later joined the Mossel Bay Golf Club, where he played his famous round of 57 in 2002, then still an amateur golfer.
This momentous event was followed by the beginning of his professional career which started in 2003 and led to various wins on the Sunshine Tour. In March 2010 he had his first win on the European Tour, the Open de Andalucia de Golf in Malaga, Spain, which was followed by The Open Championship shortly after. Louis not only has 14 wins all around the world under his belt, but has also been runner-up in all four majors. His best world ranking was 4th in January 2013 and he has been ranked in the Top 50 players in the world for the past ten consecutive years.
57-round becomes a wine brand
In 2012 Louis first ventured into the field of winemaking and the Louis57 wine selection was born from his passion for kids, golf and fine wine. Joining hands with Boschkloof Wines in Stellenbosch, the collection is produced by master winemakers, the father-and-son duo, Jacques and Reenen Borman.
Funds from the wine collection support the Louis57 Foundation which helps various children’s groups like Kids with Cancer, the Leolan Academy and the Louis57 Junior Golf Development. Since then, Louis57 Wines have developed into a fully-fledged commercial wine label which is internationally available.
His favourite wine from the Louis57 selection is the Jasoma Conclusion: “It is a Bordeaux Blend red wine, a very nice full bodied red wine that pairs well with meat. It is named after my three daughters Ja(na), So(phia), (Em)Ma.” With golf championships back in full swing, his time for leisure is limited but he constantly reminds himself about the greatest lesson he took from the unprecedented impact of Covid: “I need to value every moment in life, those with my loved ones, with friends and on the golf course, as it all can change so quickly.”
