A Rough Diamond in the Goldfields

Oppenheimer Park in Welkom, affectionately known as ‘Oppies’, is one of the many courses that were constructed as a recreational facility for workers in South Africa’s gold mines.

In the halcyon days when mining houses were able to spend vast amounts of money on the whim of the local mine manager, if he or his senior staff happened to play golf it was usual for the mine’s considerable resources to be allocated to the upkeep of these clubs.

Quite naturally, if golf was seen to be the preferred pastime of the ‘bosses’, those lower down the pecking order would enthusiastically take up the game, no doubt reasoning that it couldn’t harm their chances of advancement.

Early days

Named after the famous family that has been so influential in South Africa’s mining industry, Oppen-heimer Park was created with the financial backing of the powerful Anglo American group, and as long as the club had a large membership and a benevolent ‘big brother’ with loose purse strings, all went well with this club.

During its glory years, this club was considered to be one of our ‘hidden gems’, and was deemed worthy of hosting a trio of South African Amateur Championships. In the first, in 1981, David Suddards beat David Frost 2 & 1 to take the title, and in 1988 Neville Clarke beat a lanky, blond-headed youngster from Kempton Park called Ernie Els in the final, although it took him 40 holes to do so.

The last time our national Amateur Championship was played here, in 2001, David Dickson triumphed over Dean Lambert by one hole to lift the trophy. (Lambert’s good friend Richard Sterne was also one of the participants, and was a member of the national team that year.)

The 26th Maccabi Championships were held here in 1986, and the SA Junior Interprovincial tournament was hosted by the club in 1994. The walls of the club are festooned with photographs taken during this ‘Interprov’, and it is interesting to see a fresh-faced Trevor Immelman, a slim Titch Moore and Martin Maritz, and local hero Wayne de Haas, who was Oppenheimer’s club champion in 1997.

Sadly, when Anglo effectively pulled the financial rug out from under Oppenheimer Park, the club was taken over by Harmony Gold; this company presumably couldn’t be seen to be pumping money into the ‘bourgeois’ sport of golf and, although the club now leases its ground from Harmony at a nominal fee, the subsidy from the mines ceased. Also, after the sell-out, the Anglo employees, many of whom were members of the club, were transferred. From having a healthy membership of 1 800 some 10 years ago, this number has now dwindled to 280.

The manager of the club Terry Bevin is quick to point out that although the club is no longer exactly cash-flush, the remaining members have been most helpful and private companies have rallied to assist in keeping the course as playable as they can.

Local businesses have also supported the club in its campaign to ‘brand’ the course with advertising, which unfortunately seems a little over-done.

The course

Greenkeeper Callie Wiesner, with limited resources, has done a sterling job of keeping the greens and surrounds in reasonably good nick, while having his hands full with more serious matters. The municipality of Welkom, in a scandalous example of dereliction of duty, allowed the sewage treatment plant to fall into disrepair, and the result was a disastrous overflow that killed the greater part of the 4th hole, which borders Klippan, a large expanse of water that is the lifeblood of the course.

The club, after seeking legal advice, is now in the process of suing the municipal authorities. Klippan supplies all the course’s water, which is pumped into a lake that forms an integral part of the layout, but one has to query just how suitable this grey water is for irrigation. Welkom was well known for a large flock of flamingos that inhabited Klippan, and if for no other reason than the welfare of these birds, the authorities should be forced to clean up this area.

But for all this, and one must be honest in saying that this course has seen better days, the layout remains as Grimsdell designed it, well at least the routing, which really cannot be faulted. Unfortunately, some later additions, consisting of tacked-on mounding and rather incongruous rockeries and flower beds, have done nothing for the course’s aesthetics.

These ad hoc additions, including some bunkering, were obviously done with the best intentions, but they miss the mark. For example, a cluster of three curious bunkers on the right side of the 18th hole have lips that face 90 degrees right of the line of play – something of an anomaly.

The concrete ponds on some holes have been long considered to be passé on modern courses. They were devoid of water when I visited, but even filled they would do very little for the course. Were they to be converted to natural wetlands, planted with sages and water grasses to form a natural habitat for water birds, etc, they would make a lot more sense.

But is this course worth playing? Of course it is. It is hard to justify a trip to Welkom especially to play the course while it struggles with its conditioning issues, but it can be recommended if you happen to be nearby or passing through.

Grimsdell did use the limited changes in elevation to best effect and the configuration of the layout, which begins with a par four, a par five and then a short hole, is well balanced. The back nine begins with a good par four of 422 metres, and features an interesting collection of holes, but most would benefit from the addition of fairway bunkering that would make the longer hitter think twice before letting rip.

It is clear that this club could do with a financial shot in the arm, as even some of the Oppenheimer Park stalwarts are choosing to make the trip to Sand River Golf Club in Virginia and Whites in Henneman to play their golf.

On the list of famous people that were born in Welkom, which includes rugby Springbok CJ van der Linde and cricketer Brian McMillan, is entrepreneur Mark Shuttleworth, who could surely spare the money needed to spruce up this classic layout, and we could see Oppenheimer Park back on the championship rota where it belongs.

Picture 1

The first par three on the course, the 3rd, measures 184 metres at full stretch, and there is trouble to the left of the green in the form of a water hazard and a thick bank of reeds.

Picture 2

The 2nd hole is a par five of 504 metres. Concrete ponds short of the green add some spice if the player decides to go at the green with the second shot.

Picture 3

The par-four 6th is one of the holes that would benefit from some well-positioned fairway bunkers. It is one of the shorter par fours on the outward loop (369m) and for most players the approach would require little more than a wedge.

Picture 4

On the 381-metre par-four 17th the water hazard is again a factor, but once the tee shot finds the fairway, the approach to the green is relatively straightforward.

Likes...

• The greenfee, a mere R130, constitutes a real bargain.
• The price of the B&B (The Pines) that adjoins the club – R300 per night.

... and dislikes

• Some of the additions such as mounding and bunkering.
• The profusion of alien trees that do not belong on this course.
• The advertising boards behind the greens, and the commercialisation of every available space of the course, including tee-markers and dustbins.

Fact File

Getting there: From Johannesburg, head south on the N1, at Kroonstad take the R34 to Welkom. Entering the town, turn left at the fourth traffic circle, take the second turnoff right.

Course: 18-hole parkland layout, par 72, 6 495 metres. Kikuyu/cynodon mix fairways, bent greens.

Designer: Robert Grimsdell

Manager: Terry Bivens

Course Superintendent: Callie Wiesner

Club Captain: Roland Heiriss

Club Champion: Vickus Myburg

Touring Pro: Omar Sandys

Greenfee: R130 (special rates after 15h00)

Contact: Tel: 057 353 2131 E-mail: opgc@internet.co.za