About
Clovelly Golf Club
A walk through history...
Used initially by a group of naval officers stationed at the nearby Simonstown base (who were mainly transitory), and a number of enthusiastic golfers from the area, the Clovelly Golf Links was formed, and was for a start, only a nine hole course. This was around the 1920’s.
It was two years after the Great Depression of the late 1920’s that Clovelly was rescued from closure by two entrepreneurs, Gus Ackerman and Michael Pevsner, who purchased the property.
The property was originally the farm “Klein Tuin”, and was purchased for the sum of 3 000 pounds. Gus Ackerman and Michael Pevsner’s stated purpose was “that the aforesaid land shall only be used for sporting and other activities of the Clovelly Country Club from the membership of which no person shall be debarred by reason of nationality or religion.
By the begining of 1933 an 18 hole golf course and 4 tennis courts had been built. Farmers further up the valley were not keen to release water and already in these early years Clovelly drilled boreholes to ensure a reliable and economically viable source of water. The designer of the course was Dr CM Murray with Mr R Grimsdale, a talented and experienced specialist in this field.
In addition in these early years, many of the Club’s gardens were established with shrubs and plants from members own gardens and two bowling greens were built to commence a new activity.
Clovelly Country Club was officially opened and the first committee was established in 1934.
In these early years, members sometimes played golf with red balls to avoid losing them in the sand and often, after their round, would go out onto the course and plant grass. It was also at this time that a large number of members left to form Westlake Golf Course which was nearer geographically and had a different Constitution.
1 December 1934 Judge Gardner opened the new Clubhouse replacing the tiny dwelling that had served the members as a changing room.
Clovelly, among others, has supported the Blind by having a “Trophy of Light” event held annually since 1937. Our long-standing professional Maurice Bodmer, a great friend of the legendary Bobby Locke, played in Post-War events held at Clovelly with great international stars such as Sam Snead of the US and Norman van Nida of Australia.
The 20 Post War years were really difficult with so many members on active service and less golf being played. Gus Ackerman, after being Chairman for years, took on the President’s role (exited by his Founder friend M Pevsner) who died in 1941. Together with many excellent Chairman and Captains, he kept the Club alive.
A disaster hit the Club in 1956 when an electric fault caused a disastrous fire which severely damaged the Club House. However, we overcame that and had a major rebuilding of the Club later in 1989-90 and more in the later years.
Gus Ackerman died in 1966 and his son Raymond Ackerman became Chairman. In the mid 1970’s he was elected President.
In 1976 Raymond Ackerman managed to get the then Prime Minister BJ Vorster to allow all races to join our Club. This was the only South African sports club in any sport to allow the fulfillment of our Founding Principles.
In 1985 it was decided to ask the members to contribute to a massive Water Scheme and this plus the rebuilding was instrumental in setting Clovelly on a continuing growth cycle.
The Club decided to build a Warm Up Range to complete the Golfing Experience after the turn of the Century. This necessitated closing down the Tennis and Bowling facilities – a very sad decision but one that was critical to our success at present.
A major rebuilding of the Club later in 1989-90 and more in the later years.
The establishment of RAGA (Raymond Ackerman Golf Academy) in the early 2000’s has been extremely successful and established Clovelly as an example to many Clubs in SA. This Golf foundation takes boys and girls in and assists them with their school work, giving them Life-skills training and also teaches them Golf. It was started for Clovelly and then developed by Jonathan Ackerman, Raymond’s youngest son, as a Clovelly and Ackerman Family NGO.
Used initially by a group of naval officers stationed at the nearby Simonstown base (who were mainly transitory), and a number of enthusiastic golfers from the area, the Clovelly Golf Links was formed, and was for a start, only a nine hole course. This was around the 1920’s.
It was two years after the Great Depression of the late 1920’s that Clovelly was rescued from closure by two entrepreneurs, Gus Ackerman and Michael Pevsner, who purchased the property.
The property was originally the farm “Klein Tuin”, and was purchased for the sum of 3 000 pounds. Gus Ackerman and Michael Pevsner’s stated purpose was “that the aforesaid land shall only be used for sporting and other activities of the Clovelly Country Club from the membership of which no person shall be debarred by reason of nationality or religion.
By the begining of 1933 an 18 hole golf course and 4 tennis courts had been built. Farmers further up the valley were not keen to release water and already in these early years Clovelly drilled boreholes to ensure a reliable and economically viable source of water. The designer of the course was Dr CM Murray with Mr R Grimsdale, a talented and experienced specialist in this field.
In addition in these early years, many of the Club’s gardens were established with shrubs and plants from members own gardens and two bowling greens were built to commence a new activity.
Clovelly Country Club was officially opened and the first committee was established in 1934.
In these early years, members sometimes played golf with red balls to avoid losing them in the sand and often, after their round, would go out onto the course and plant grass. It was also at this time that a large number of members left to form Westlake Golf Course which was nearer geographically and had a different Constitution.
1 December 1934 Judge Gardner opened the new Clubhouse replacing the tiny dwelling that had served the members as a changing room.
Clovelly, among others, has supported the Blind by having a “Trophy of Light” event held annually since 1937. Our long-standing professional Maurice Bodmer, a great friend of the legendary Bobby Locke, played in Post-War events held at Clovelly with great international stars such as Sam Snead of the US and Norman van Nida of Australia.
The 20 Post War years were really difficult with so many members on active service and less golf being played. Gus Ackerman, after being Chairman for years, took on the President’s role (exited by his Founder friend M Pevsner) who died in 1941. Together with many excellent Chairman and Captains, he kept the Club alive.
A disaster hit the Club in 1956 when an electric fault caused a disastrous fire which severely damaged the Club House. However, we overcame that and had a major rebuilding of the Club later in 1989-90 and more in the later years.
Gus Ackerman died in 1966 and his son Raymond Ackerman became Chairman. In the mid 1970’s he was elected President.
In 1976 Raymond Ackerman managed to get the then Prime Minister BJ Vorster to allow all races to join our Club. This was the only South African sports club in any sport to allow the fulfillment of our Founding Principles.
In 1985 it was decided to ask the members to contribute to a massive Water Scheme and this plus the rebuilding was instrumental in setting Clovelly on a continuing growth cycle.
The Club decided to build a Warm Up Range to complete the Golfing Experience after the turn of the Century. This necessitated closing down the Tennis and Bowling facilities – a very sad decision but one that was critical to our success at present.
A major rebuilding of the Club later in 1989-90 and more in the later years.
The establishment of RAGA (Raymond Ackerman Golf Academy) in the early 2000’s has been extremely successful and established Clovelly as an example to many Clubs in SA. This Golf foundation takes boys and girls in and assists them with their school work, giving them Life-skills training and also teaches them Golf. It was started for Clovelly and then developed by Jonathan Ackerman, Raymond’s youngest son, as a Clovelly and Ackerman Family NGO.
Used initially by a group of naval officers stationed at the nearby Simonstown base (who were mainly transitory), and a number of enthusiastic golfers from the area, the Clovelly Golf Links was formed, and was for a start, only a nine hole course. This was around the 1920’s.
It was two years after the Great Depression of the late 1920’s that Clovelly was rescued from closure by two entrepreneurs, Gus Ackerman and Michael Pevsner, who purchased the property.
The property was originally the farm “Klein Tuin”, and was purchased for the sum of 3 000 pounds. Gus Ackerman and Michael Pevsner’s stated purpose was “that the aforesaid land shall only be used for sporting and other activities of the Clovelly Country Club from the membership of which no person shall be debarred by reason of nationality or religion.
By the begining of 1933 an 18 hole golf course and 4 tennis courts had been built. Farmers further up the valley were not keen to release water and already in these early years Clovelly drilled boreholes to ensure a reliable and economically viable source of water. The designer of the course was Dr CM Murray with Mr R Grimsdale, a talented and experienced specialist in this field.
In addition in these early years, many of the Club’s gardens were established with shrubs and plants from members own gardens and two bowling greens were built to commence a new activity.
Clovelly Country Club was officially opened and the first committee was established in 1934.
In these early years, members sometimes played golf with red balls to avoid losing them in the sand and often, after their round, would go out onto the course and plant grass. It was also at this time that a large number of members left to form Westlake Golf Course which was nearer geographically and had a different Constitution.
1 December 1934 Judge Gardner opened the new Clubhouse replacing the tiny dwelling that had served the members as a changing room.
Clovelly, among others, has supported the Blind by having a “Trophy of Light” event held annually since 1937. Our long-standing professional Maurice Bodmer, a great friend of the legendary Bobby Locke, played in Post-War events held at Clovelly with great international stars such as Sam Snead of the US and Norman van Nida of Australia.
The 20 Post War years were really difficult with so many members on active service and less golf being played. Gus Ackerman, after being Chairman for years, took on the President’s role (exited by his Founder friend M Pevsner) who died in 1941. Together with many excellent Chairman and Captains, he kept the Club alive.
A disaster hit the Club in 1956 when an electric fault caused a disastrous fire which severely damaged the Club House. However, we overcame that and had a major rebuilding of the Club later in 1989-90 and more in the later years.
Gus Ackerman died in 1966 and his son Raymond Ackerman became Chairman. In the mid 1970’s he was elected President.
In 1976 Raymond Ackerman managed to get the then Prime Minister BJ Vorster to allow all races to join our Club. This was the only South African sports club in any sport to allow the fulfillment of our Founding Principles.
In 1985 it was decided to ask the members to contribute to a massive Water Scheme and this plus the rebuilding was instrumental in setting Clovelly on a continuing growth cycle.
The Club decided to build a Warm Up Range to complete the Golfing Experience after the turn of the Century. This necessitated closing down the Tennis and Bowling facilities – a very sad decision but one that was critical to our success at present.
A major rebuilding of the Club later in 1989-90 and more in the later years.
The establishment of RAGA (Raymond Ackerman Golf Academy) in the early 2000’s has been extremely successful and established Clovelly as an example to many Clubs in SA. This Golf foundation takes boys and girls in and assists them with their school work, giving them Life-skills training and also teaches them Golf. It was started for Clovelly and then developed by Jonathan Ackerman, Raymond’s youngest son, as a Clovelly and Ackerman Family NGO.
Today...
There’s every chance you’ll think you’ve taken a wrong turn when visiting Clovelly, even if the signage insists there’s a golf course in the vicinity: a small, suburban road beneath a mountain winds through homes that mask the view of the course. But just as you’re considering turning around, it unfolds before you, one of the most delightful courses the Cape has to offer.
Depending on which nine you start from, you’re veering violently left or right off the tee with two of the more pronounced dog-legs in Cape Town, both holes falling away beneath you from tee boxes just in front of the stately clubhouse. But from there you’re onto a relatively flat course, and one that backtracks on itself, which plays off the wind: from the joy of smashing a drive with a strong breeze at your back, to the more sobering experience of taking three good hits just make the green on a par-four on a particularly windy day, Clovelly offers plenty of highs and lows.
It also has some lovely short holes, and with the overall length of the course modest by modern standards, it’s an ideal layout for the holiday golfer not looking to take on a long brute of a course. It also has a terrific finish, an uphill approach to an elevated green that demands some shrewd wedge management. Take advantage of local knowledge here: Clovelly has a strong team of caddies, celebrated for their golf acumen and charisma in equal measure.
As you finish, keep an eye out for talented kids on the range: Clovelly’s home to the Raymond Ackerman Golf Academy, developing not just golf talent, but also academic and life skills amongst some of the less privileged children in the area. It’s a terrific program, and one that’s already seen a number of success stories.
Fish Hoek beach, arguably the best swimming beach in the Cape, is just minutes away, and ten minutes further down the road is Boulders, with its resident colony of penguins. Clovelly’s thus an ideal centre-point for a day of golfing tourism – keep heading down that road until you find the course, and you won’t regret the trip.
Today...
There’s every chance you’ll think you’ve taken a wrong turn when visiting Clovelly, even if the signage insists there’s a golf course in the vicinity: a small, suburban road beneath a mountain winds through homes that mask the view of the course. But just as you’re considering turning around, it unfolds before you, one of the most delightful courses the Cape has to offer.
Depending on which nine you start from, you’re veering violently left or right off the tee with two of the more pronounced dog-legs in Cape Town, both holes falling away beneath you from tee boxes just in front of the stately clubhouse. But from there you’re onto a relatively flat course, and one that backtracks on itself, which plays off the wind: from the joy of smashing a drive with a strong breeze at your back, to the more sobering experience of taking three good hits just make the green on a par-four on a particularly windy day, Clovelly offers plenty of highs and lows.
It also has some lovely short holes, and with the overall length of the course modest by modern standards, it’s an ideal layout for the holiday golfer not looking to take on a long brute of a course. It also has a terrific finish, an uphill approach to an elevated green that demands some shrewd wedge management. Take advantage of local knowledge here: Clovelly has a strong team of caddies, celebrated for their golf acumen and charisma in equal measure.
As you finish, keep an eye out for talented kids on the range: Clovelly’s home to the Raymond Ackerman Golf Academy, developing not just golf talent, but also academic and life skills amongst some of the less privileged children in the area. It’s a terrific program, and one that’s already seen a number of success stories.
Fish Hoek beach, arguably the best swimming beach in the Cape, is just minutes away, and ten minutes further down the road is Boulders, with its resident colony of penguins. Clovelly’s thus an ideal centre-point for a day of golfing tourism – keep heading down that road until you find the course, and you won’t regret the trip.
