Special Places - A Century of Golf

A century ago, 1911 was a good year for golf, a game that was capturing the interest and imagination of people around the globe. In the year that saw the birth of Ronald Reagan and also Italy declaring war on the Ottoman Empire, Harry Vardon won the Open Championship for the fifth time, a week after JJ McDermott became the first American to win the US Open. A clear sign of the huge popularity of the game was the Public Links at Jackson Park, Chicago announcing on 1st December that the total number of tickets issued to players for the year was 98,790. The year 1911 also saw the establishment of many golf clubs including:

• Clonmel Golf Club in the breath-taking Irish countryside around Tipperary
• Betchworth Park Golf Club in Surrey by Harry S Colt who designed the East and West courses at Wentworth, and the New Course at Sunningdale
• Carterton Golf Club, New Zealand, set against the foothills of the stunning Tararua Range in Lord of the Rings country
• National Golf Links of America, Long Island, New York – the ultra-exclusive host venue for the inaugural Walker Cup in 1922.

In South Africa, 2011 brought the centenary celebrations of two Top 100 golf clubs, Irene Country Club in Centurion, Gauteng, and Rondebosch Golf Club in Cape Town. Irene underwent a recent upgrade by Phil Jacobs Design that has seen the facility retain its traditional values as well as keeping pace with the modern developments in the game of golf. Rondebosch, located just a few minutes from Cape Town’s CBD and offering great views of Table Mountain and Devil’s Peak, is one of the most popular golf courses in South Africa with more than 45,000 rounds played last year. Locals and visitors enjoy the lush kikuyu fairways and well-conditioned poa-annua greens that are some of the best around Cape Town, reminding us that in the past, Rondebosch’s parkland layout has hosted events on both the Sunshine Tour and the Ladies European Tour.

Although these two Bob Grimsdell designs are currently moving in opposite directions on the Top 100 rankings, both Irene Country Club and Rondebosch Golf Club look well positioned to take on the challenges of the next 100 years.

Golfweather Editorial