A classic that just got better

Visitors to Glendower Golf Club, at least those who wonder about these things, could be forgiven for believing that the club was named after a very fine single-malt whisky, and perhaps it was. More likely this name comes from William Shakespeare’s play Henry IV, a work which featured the first Anglicisation of Owain Glyndwr to Owen Glendower, whose only real claim to fame was that he was the last Welshman to hold the title of Prince of Wales. It doesn’t really matter. What does matter is this golf course’s credentials, and as far as true championship parkland layouts go, they don’t come much better.

Classic layout

It could be said that this course has all the attributes that one looks for in a great golf course – an interesting mix of holes, it is well routed and manages to strike the balance between demanding a high degree of skill for a player to beat par, yet allows those of more modest ability to have fun.

But it is even more than this – it is a classic that has managed to move with the times, yet retain its soul, and it is little wonder that Compleat Golfer currently ranks Glendower as the second-best classic layout in the country.

It doesn’t matter that it is not as fierce a test as say, The Links at Fancourt, nor can it hope to be as well conditioned as Leopard Creek or Gary Player Country Club when that course is groomed for its year-end extravaganza. The truth is, it doesn’t need the pampering and meticulous preparation to impress – it is a beauty or, as certain members of the club might say, a belter.

It is obvious that this club has benefited from strong leadership. It is run as a successful business and the committee didn’t baulk at spending a lot of money making changes that were necessary. It is well positioned, close to the city of Johannesburg, yet far enough away to avoid the frenetic traffic and accompanying noise (with the exception of one corner of the back nine).

It is little wonder that this is a preferred venue for corporate days, and some 50 000 rounds a year are played here. It is also not surprising that visitors keep coming back for more. The quality of service and cuisine is top-notch and, although it may lack the bells and whistles of certain modern establishments, it is still a traditional club that manages to make every visitor feel welcome.

Many would describe Glendower as being a national golfing treasure and, as such, the responsibility of making any changes last year weighed heavily on the shoulders of those who made this decision, as well as those who carried out the work.

“Obviously, the decision to go ahead with what was a major project was not taken lightly,” says Paul Leishman, Glendower’s general manager. “There were discussions for about four years before work started.”

Once it was decided to go ahead, the question of who would be entrusted with the design and construction was dealt with, and after various options were considered, Golf Data was awarded the contract. “Our relationship with Golf Data has a long history and the element of trust was an important factor. The company’s reputation in the industry has never been in doubt, and we are confident that the work has been done to highest possible standards. Importantly, our members were involved with the whole process and at a special meeting course architect Sean Quinn explained what was to be done in a two-hour presentation. Every member was given the opportunity to put forward any ideas or reservations over the next few weeks. The members were overwhelmingly in favour of the decided changes.”

“Originally we were approached to simply replace the greens, which were made up of 90 percent poa,” says Quinn. “This involved taking GPS readings which revealed some interesting slopes and shapes that would have been unplayable with the modern strains of bent used today (the popular A1/A4 variety of bent was planted). I managed to convince the committee that subtle changes would increase playability and offer an increased amount of pin positions.”

It was also agreed to do away with certain old retaining walls of greens which were simply dated and artificial-looking. The edges of lakes, notably on the 2nd, 3rd and 13th, have also been reshaped to improve visibility. But perhaps most importantly, the fairway bunkering, as on many older courses, needed repositioning. “We looked at landing areas in the 280-metre range on all the par fours and fives and we have made adjustments where necessary,” says Quinn.

Besides the inconvenience of having the golf course chopped up for the better part of last year, this was an expensive exercise. The cost of the course’s revamp exceeded the R10-million mark. Glendower operates on a surplus of about R2 million a year, and factoring in the loss of revenue last year of about R3 million, this constituted a R5-million deficit – a considerable sum in anyone’s language. But the end result proves that the financial pain was well worthwhile.

Golf Data’s Robbie Marshall makes no secret of the fact that he considers Glendower to be one of his favourite courses, and his association with the club goes back 18 years. “This was the first major project we undertook all those years ago, when we reconstructed the greens,” he says. “We never built them to USGA specifications then, they were ‘push-up’ surfaces which we shaped.

Our brief this time was to modernise the greens complexes, which was definitely needed, without changing their basic character – still retaining the subtle slopes, but with different bunkering. We have also made other changes which will move the course into the 21st century. Quite honestly, we would never have wanted to make any radical changes to the overall design – true classics like this are rare, and should be treated with the upmost respect.”

The most noticeable change has been made to the 5th hole, which has been lengthened and converted into a dogleg which swings to the left. The 10th, always considered to be one of the finest par fours in the country, has had its teeing ground moved to the right, which has further improved the hole. The 18th green has also been lowered and repositioned.

While work was in progress, a mere 500 rounds a month were played here – a frustrating time for the energetic manager Leishman, but he used this quieter time constructively. “We used this lull to focus on areas such as staff training, and several employees completed computer courses,” he says.

This club can never be accused of lacking commitment to its mission statement – to provide a world-class facility to its members and visitors, and the spirit among the members deserves a mention. “In order to help with our cash-flow during the period of disruption we encouraged our members to ‘buy’ a dozen rounds in advance to be used during the revamp. The members responded positively to this, although by the time the ‘new’ course had opened in February this year, few had actually used their pre-paid rounds.“

The clubhouse has also undergone some major changes, and for any golfer wanting a special treat, the advice is to arrange a game at this magnificent course without delay.
It was during the late 1930s that Charles Hugh Alison designed this great course, and he would surely approve of the changes.

Picture 1

The 3rd, the first of the par threes, epitomises what this course is all about – a great championship test that still allows the player of more modest abilities to enjoy it.

Picture 2

As with all the holes on this parkland classic, good bunkering and well-shaped greens on the 158-metre, par-three 14th allows for some great pin positions.

Picture 3

The 6th hole may seem to be a benign par three, but the subtly contoured green and some interesting pin positions make this hole tougher than it appears.

Picture 4

The 7th is one of the finest par fours on the course. It measures 444 metres and, like many of the two-shotters here, requires a well-struck tee shot that is also perfectly positioned.

Likes...

• The interesting mix of holes and the new greens that offer several good pin positions.
• The friendly bar staff and helpful waitrons.
• The changes to the clubhouse.

... and dislikes

• The palm trees that stick out like sore thumbs.
• The major waterway through the course that would benefit from a rehabilitation programme.

Fact File

Getting there: From the N3 highway, take Linksfield turnoff. Turn right over the highway towards Linksfield, then left into Civin Road. Turn left at the second set of traffic lights, go through the tunnel, turn right into Boeing Avenue and then left into Marais Road.

Course: Classic parkland, kikuyu tees and fairways, A1/A4 bent greens, par 72, 6 914 metres.

Designer: Charles Alison (1938), revamp by Golf Data (2008)

General manager: Paul Leishman

Club Professional: Rudi Whitfield

Club Captain: Larry Bredenkamp

Golf Director: Andy Truluck

Teaching Professional: Gavan Levenson

Greenfees: Mornings: R220 Afternoons: R290 Sundays: R300

Contact: Tel: 011 453 1013 E-mail: glengolf@mweb.co.za

Website: www.glendower.co.za