Club history...

The Somerset West Golf Club has had close ties with De Beers/AECI from the outset. The idea of a golf links for De Beers staff was first mooted in 1903. Permission was obtained from De Beers Head Office in Kimberley for “a stretch of rough veldt near the original soccer fields at the crossroads” to be used for the purpose of creating a golf links. Then followed a “probationary period” of three years during which considerable effort was put into the creation of the course (with assistance both material and financial from De Beers) culminating in the founding of the “Paarde Vlei Golf Club” in 1908, a nine-hole course with par 39. In the same year the first clubhouse was erected – a wood and iron shack that was to serve the Club for almost 20 years.

In 1919 the decision was made to abandon the old course and move to a new site nearer the village on the south side of the railway. Once again Company ground was granted for the purpose. At the same time the Club underwent its first name change and became The De Beers-Somerset West Golf Club. This was followed by the formation of the Ladies section in 1924, with a membership of 21.

In 1926 the first proper clubhouse was constructed, once again with the assistance of AECI. By the late 1920’s the Club was well established with an active membership of 120. Then followed a very important phase in the development of the Club, with the expansion of the course to 18 holes, a dream that was finally realised in 1934. On this occasion the Company granted a piece of land on the town (northern) side of the railway. By the 1935/36 season the Club had the use of a full 18-hole course and changed its name to “Paarde Vlei-Somerset West Golf Club”.

A third change of name took place in 1948 when the club became simply “Somerset West Golf Club”.

The period 1956-59 saw a further important development with the addition firstly of tennis courts and then bowling greens to the facilities, and the “Somerset West Country Club” was born.

The Club has continued to evolve since then with numerous ongoing changes and developments. The period 2000 to 2006 has proved most challenging, as the Club attempted to raise the necessary funds for upgrading its facilities to enable it to compete with other major courses.

Golf development...

The Club has had a long association with local schools and has produced a number of outstanding young players. Youngsters have always been encouraged to participate in club activities and it provides opportunities for them to develop. Some of the high profile players who have become successful through their association with the club are:

• Roy Joubert
• Gerald Williams
• Ryno Bougas
• Trevor Immelman
• Josh Bezuidenhout
• Deon Brown
• Justin Harding
• Heibre Davids.

Previously Disadvantaged Groups...

The current Club Champion is a former caddie who has benefited from the Club development programmes. In addition the Club works closely with the SA Golf Development Board and makes its facilities available for use by the Board.0

The Club recently applied for and was granted limited funding by the National Lottery Board for the creation of a dedicated practice facility at the Club. The will enable it to grow its already established programmes for penetrating the previously disadvantaged groups, identifying talented individuals and giving them the opportunity to develop under the guidance of our in-house professional. The Club’s business and development plans make clear provision for these activities and a dedicated budget is available for this purpose.

Strengths...

Multiple facilities:

In addition to the golfing facilities that are available, there are also Tennis, Bowls and Squash Clubs on the same property. Whilst these Clubs are operated independently of the Golf Club, we share some amenities and many members have multiple membership. This makes the Club unique in the area in the variety of sports that can be catered for “under one roof”.

Convenient location:

The Club is situated in the heart of Somerset West, within easy walking distance of the Station making the facilities easily accessible to the local community.

Spirit/camaraderie/spectrum of membership.

The Club is renowned for its friendly and relaxed atmosphere. Its accessibility both in terms of price and physical location, results in it attracting a broad cross section of the community. Whilst golf is the major draw card, the many social activities at the Club often result in many members and their families enjoying evenings at the Club. This is in stark contrast to almost all other Golf Clubs where such support is absent. The Somerset West Golf Club is truly a community asset.

Commitment:

The Club has had to endure a situation where it has had to “fly by the seat of its pants” financially speaking for many years. This has been brought about by the onerous conditions surrounding its ownership of the ground on which the course is located and delays to its plans to sell off pockets of unused land to raise funds. Despite this the Members have persevered and today the Club stands on the threshold of developments beneficial to the whole community.

Opportunities...

Recreational facility for the community.

The unique attributes of the Club in terms of the variety of sports on one physical location, the spirit of community mindedness and the opportunity for further development, result in it being uniquely positioned to provide a wonderful and diverse facility for use by the entire community in the future.

Development of local sportsmen/women.

The Club has excellent credentials in the arena of development. It plans to build on this happy situation by extending its development programmes so as to provide opportunities for a larger number of young people to benefit from its facilities.

Access to the local business community.

The envisaged improvements to the course and to the clubhouse will result in the Club offering a full spectrum of high quality entertainment opportunities for local businessmen and their clients. They will be able to entertain their clients to excellent meals at club prices and entertain them to a round of golf. The ease of access of this facility makes this a unique proposition in Somerset West.

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