Editing Gary Player (section)

== Business and other interests ==
Gary Player's business interests are exclusively represented by Black Knight International, which includes Gary Player Design, Player Real Estate, The Player Foundation, Gary Player Academies, and Black Knight Enterprises, aspects of which include licensing, events, publishing, wine, apparel and memorabilia.<ref name="Economic Times" /> The Player Group, which operates The Player Foundation, is owned and managed by Marc Player.<ref name="n24Nov20">{{Cite web|title=Marc Player's 'deteriorated' relationship with father, Gary Player Group proceeds with counter claim|url=https://www.news24.com/sport/golf/mark-players-deteriorated-relationship-with-father-gary-player-group-proceeds-with-counter-claim-20200619|access-date=2020-11-30|website=Sport|language=en-US}}</ref>

===The Player Foundation===
The Player Foundation was established in 1983 by Marc Player and began as an effort to provide education, nutrition, medical care and athletic activities, for a small community of disadvantaged children living on the outskirts of Johannesburg, South Africa. The Player Foundation has since blossomed into an organisation that circles the globe bringing aid to underprivileged children and impoverished communities.  Since its establishment, The Player Foundation has donated over $65 million to the support of children's charities, the betterment of impoverished communities and the expansion of educational opportunities throughout the world.

The foundation is primarily funded by donations, grants and the four Gary Player Invitational events presented through Black Knight International and staged in the United States, China, Europe and South Africa annually.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://garyplayer.com/foundation/foundation_profile |title=Foundation Overview |publisher=garyplayer.com |access-date=18 October 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131019133024/http://garyplayer.com/foundation/foundation_profile/ |archive-date=19 October 2013}}</ref> The Gary Player Invitational is a pro-am tournament that pairs celebrities and professional golfers from the PGA and Champions Tours with businessmen and other local participants. The proceeds of these tournaments and other special events provide funding for an ever-expanding number of institutions around the world, including the Blair Atholl Schools in South Africa, the Pleasant City Elementary School in Palm Beach and the Masizame Children's Shelter in Plettenberg Bay, South Africa.{{citation needed|date=June 2015}}

Proceeds from the Gary Player Invitational have also been donated to the [[Lord's Taverners]] in the UK and the following organisations in South Africa; Wildlands Conservation Trust, Twilight Children and Bana Development Centre.<ref>{{cite web |title=The Gary Player Invitational UK Continues Its Success |url=http://garyplayer.com/news/news_detail/the_gary_player_invitational_uk_continues_its_success/ |publisher=garyplayer.com |access-date=13 July 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130605111110/http://garyplayer.com/news/news_detail/the_gary_player_invitational_uk_continues_its_success/ |archive-date=5 June 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Beneficiaries |url=http://garyplayerinvitational.com/south_africa/beneficiaries |publisher=garyplayerinvitational.com |access-date=5 June 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120311034847/http://garyplayerinvitational.com/south_africa/beneficiaries |archive-date=11 March 2012}}</ref>

=== Golf course design ===
The Player Design firm have executed over 400 projects in 41 countries on five continents, including courses such as the Gary Player Country Club, Leopard Creek, Thracian Cliffs, Wentworth and The Links at Fancourt.The company offers three different design brands: Gary Player Design, Player Design, and Black Knight Design.

With golf accepted back into the [[2016 Summer Olympics]] in [[Rio de Janeiro]], Gary Player Design was selected among the finalists of an official RFP in early December 2011.<ref>{{Cite magazine |url=https://www.golfdigest.com/story/how-gil-hanse-beat-jack-nicklaus-greg-norman-and-gary-player-for-the-rio-job |title=How Gil Hanse Beat Nicklaus, Norman and Player for the Rio Job |last=Whitten |first=Ron |magazine=Golf Digest |date=13 July 2016 |access-date=18 January 2019}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.geoffshackelford.com/homepage/2012/3/7/gil-hanse-wins-olympic-course-design-competition.html |title=Gil Hanse Wins Olympic Course Design Competition |website=GeoffShackelford.com |date=7 March 2012 |access-date=18 January 2019}}</ref>

===Nelson Mandela Invitational===
Player hosted the [[Nelson Mandela Invitational]] golf tournament staged by Black Knight International from 2000. In October 2007, media attention arose about his involvement in the 2002 design of a golf course in [[Burma]] and as a result, the [[Nelson Mandela Children's Fund]] withdrew its support.<ref>{{cite web |last1=McGreal |first1=Chris |title=Mandela snubs Gary Player over Burma links |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2007/oct/09/burma.southafrica |website=The Guardian |access-date=12 January 2021 |date=9 October 2007}}</ref> Both [[Nelson Mandela]] and Archbishop [[Desmond Tutu]] accepted Player's position and statements on Burma.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/10/10/nburma110.xml |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071011224404/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=%2Fnews%2F2007%2F10%2F10%2Fnburma110.xml |url-status=dead |archive-date=11 October 2007 |title=Burmese diplomat quits London Embassy |newspaper=The Daily Telegraph |date=10 October 2007 |access-date=10 October 2007 }}</ref> Player refused to withdraw as he and his son Marc personally built the golf event from scratch and issued a statement rebutting these claims via his website. The event continued to be staged annually at the Sun City Resort as the [[Gary Player Invitational]] until 2019.{{citation needed|date=August 2020}}