There is sometimes confusion between the Country Club Johannesburg’s ‘main’ club and the Woodmead club, but of course they form one establishment that has existed since 1906.
The Auckland Park club is one of Johannesburg’s great landmarks, and for more than a century it has boasted the who’s who of Johannesburg’s society among its membership. There is certainly no shortage of members here – a total of 6 945 individuals. Part of the club’s marketing spin suggests that the club is “dedicated to assuring members, young and old, of a social abode that fosters friendship, good fellowship and social interaction, in an ambience of dignity and comfort”. This may be laying it on a bit thick, but this is a popular club for the well-heeled, established or upwardly mobile young executives of Johannesburg, and the cache attached to being a part of this society cannot be discounted.
The ‘main’ club occupies a beautiful building in a quiet corner of ‘old’ Johannesburg – a mere 15 minutes from downtown, and besides having 18 well-appointed, en-suite bedrooms and various restaurants catering for formal and informal dining, it also has no less than 15 well-supported function rooms.
The club also offers an impressive list of sporting facilities, including squash, (nine singles and four doubles courts), eight tennis courts, a cricket oval, two bowling greens, four croquet lawns, a gym, a snooker room as well as sauna and steam rooms.
There is indeed an interesting dichotomy between the Auckland Park club and the golf section at Woodmead – for all the old world grandeur of the original club, the clubhouse and facilities at Woodmead are modern and more easily fit the mould of an upmarket country club one might find in the United States.
It was the rather far-sighted and astute committee that invested in a large portion of land in the northern suburbs once it was decided to move the rather cramped course from Auckland Park, and as the demand grew, the original 18 holes grew into 27 and finally 36. The first 18 holes, the Woodmead course, was designed by Fred Hawtree in 1970, and what is now the Rocklands course (formerly known as the Woodlands layout), was designed by his son Martin.
It is worth noting that the Hawtree design dynasty, which began in 1912, is the longest continuous golf architecture practice, and has been involved with more than 750 projects worldwide. (Most recently the company has been commissioned to effect changes to two famous Australian Sandbelt courses – Huntingdale and Royal Melbourne.) The only other example of any of the Hawtrees’ work in South Africa is at Plettenberg Bay, a course Martin, the third-generation Hawtree, designed in 1977.
In the club’s golf section, there are 2 528 men and 422 women, and tee times for peak periods are snapped up faster than at any other club. The rule is that visitors are only permitted to play when accompanied by a member, or when invited to play in a corporate day, and the club hosts a fair amount of these.
When the Woodlands course was first opened, is was quite honestly something of a disappointment – not because of its routing or design features, but its bleakness. The fairways were rock-hard, and the saplings that had been planted alongside the playing areas struggled to take root. It was clear that it would be some time before the course would mature, but it did, and the layout today is quite magnificent. Since Hawtree completed his work, Golf Data has done considerable work upgrading mounding and bunkering, and the conditioning of this course, which hosts the Telkom PGA Championship, is beyond reproach.
The Rocklands course was always intended to be quite different, probably best described as a true Highveld layout complete with an area where beautiful rocky outcrops are a major feature. A significant redesign and refurbishment project was recently completed by Golf Data, which not only added much-needed length to the layout, but also improved some of the weaker holes.
This club is clearly one of very few that has no shortage of money – the large, affluent membership helps, as does the club’s disciplined fiscal policy. Selling off some of the unused land at Woodmead for a business park complex a while back brought in a sizeable windfall, money that has been well spent further extending and improving the existing Woodmead facilities and adding a pool and pavilion.
The Country Club golf experience is hard to fault – the drive along the winding road that leads to the clubhouse sets the tone; this is indeed a magnificent property, with a clubhouse and pro shop that befit a truly first-rate club. The views from the spacious veranda of the Woodmead course, now with its mature trees and immaculate fairways and greens, will gladden the heart of any golfer, and once on either of the two courses, the expectations of the most demanding golfer are easily met. All of the holes are good, and some are truly exceptional.
Favourites on the Woodmead layout include the magnificent par-five 3rd, which can be stretched to 540 metres and requires a long, accurate drive that must avoid perfectly positioned fairway bunkers if a player hopes to get home in two. The par-four 12th is a classic risk-and-reward hole – “I often push the tee markers forward on this beauty,” says director of golf Peter Miller. “At about 300 metres, the long hitters are tempted to have a go at the green, but with trees left and a watery grave to the right, many regret their decision,” he says.
The 3rd hole on the Rocklands layout is the longest hole of all 36, and also requires a fair measure of accuracy and power, and the par threes are all excellent tests, particularly the 15th, where hitting the green never guarantees an easy two-putt.
Perhaps best of all, this club, which is deservedly considered the premier facility if not in South Africa, certainly in the greater Johannesburg area, is a friendly place where the members welcome their visitors in the lively 19th hole without a hint of snobbishness. If a member should invite you to play here, do not hesitate to gratefully accept.
Picture 1:
The Rocklands course is Country Club Johannesburg’s second course and has recently undergone an extensive upgrade. The 17th is a lengthy par three of over 200 metres.
Picture 2:
Country Club Johannesburg’s 17th on the Woodmead course, at under 400 metres, may not be longest par four around, but it has ruined many a scorecard come the tail end of the round.
Picture 3:
Rated as the easiest hole on the Woodmead course, the 12th hole is strategic two-shotter of just 338 metres in length off the championship tees.
Picture 4:
The imposing Country Club Johannesburg clubhouse facility looks out over the 18th green.
Likes:
- The modern, functional clubhouse with one of the best-stocked pro shops around.
- Both courses induce a feeling of being in the country, yet the club is close to Sandton.
- The year-round conditioning of both courses – hard to fault.
... and Dislikes
- Service levels, although generally conforming to five-star standards, can be erratic, and when the 19th hole is full, waiter service can be slow.
- Telephoning the club to contact a specific person can be frustrating – something the management is working on.
Fact File
Getting there: From the M1 highway, take the Woodmead turnoff and turn towards the Woodmead shopping complex. Turn left at the traffic lights, and first right into Lincoln Road. The entrance is on the left.
Courses Woodmead: classic parkland, par 72, 6 900 metres. Rocklands: distinctive Highveld parkland, 7 009 metres.
Director of Golf: Peter Miller
Club Captain: Harry Middleton
Superintendents: Rohan Stephenson and Thomas Matloga (Golf Data)
Greenfees: Weekdays – R450, Weekends – R500
Contact 011 202 1600
Website: www.ccj.co.za
