Major golf powers join together to support Soweto rebirth

07 December 2017

 

The rebirth of Soweto Country Club took another major step forward on Wednesday, 6 December 2017, when the City of Johannesburg, the PGA Tour, European Tour, Sunshine Tour and the R&A all came together to officially break ground on the rebuilding of the golf course in South Africa’s most iconic township.

 

The PGA Tour is the latest to lend its considerable support towards the rehabilitation of Soweto Country Club through a significant financial contribution for the rebuilding of the golf course and other golf development initiatives at the club.

The Executive Mayor of the City of Johannesburg, Cllr Herman Mashaba, expressed his gratitude for the global support of this project.

“We are extremely grateful to the PGA Tour, Sunshine Tour, R&A and the European Tour in particular for sharing our passion to create a facility that South Africa’s next generation of golfers can be proud of. To have the support of the international golf community is a strong statement of the power of golf to make a real difference in the lives of the people of Soweto.”

PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan said it was delighted to grow its relationship with the Sunshine Tour through a collaboration on this significant project.

“The PGA Tour’s global reach has been enhanced by the significant contributions of South Africa and its players. World Golf Hall of Famers Gary Player, Bobby Locke, Nick Price, Ernie Els and many more from South Africa have all played important roles in the growth of the PGA Tour and in golf in general,” said Monahan.

The golf course was designed by South African Sports Hall of Fame and World Golf Hall of Fame legend Gary Player, and the Black Knight design team will lead the redesign of the golf course at no cost as part of the overall upgrade of this historic club.

New fairways, bunkers, tee boxes, greens and an irrigation system are all planned. Officials are currently in the process of finalizing the golf course construction service provider, with Player’s guidance and approval. The golf course redesign is the next step in the refurbishment of Soweto Country Club.

The new clubhouse has already been completed, as well as a new practice facility including putting green and bunker practice area, a conference centre to ensure greater financial sustainability for the club beyond its golf course, a new halfway house, and a fence along two boundaries of the golf course for security purposes. A wall has been built along the south boundary of the golf course, and a fully operational pro shop is in the process of being constructed.

The development drive, in partnership with GolfRSA and the South African Golf Development Board (SAGDB) as the official golf development bodies in South Africa, will be given further impetus by the building of a golf academy at the club and the opening of a new SAGDB chapter under the name of the Dr Andrew Mlangeni Chapter in honour of the legendary anti-apartheid activist and longest standing member of Soweto Country Club.

“It is thanks to the PGA Tour and the resounding support of all of our other major partners in world golf, the City of Johannesburg and our leading sponsors that we can today take another important step in the vision of turning Soweto Country Club into a true beacon of hope for the young golfers of this area,” said Selwyn Nathan, the Executive Director of the Sunshine Tour.

Soweto Country Club’s Vice Chairman Roger Skidow said the start of the golf course refurbishment was a major step forward in the overall rehabilitation of the club.

“The faith shown in us as a community is helping us build a future for the youth of Soweto.”