Founded as Van Ryn Golf Club in 1906, like most clubs on the East Rand, Benoni Country Club came into existence due to the discovery of gold,
and it was originally a facility established for the employees of the Van Ryn mine. This club’s history predates most of the golfing facilities in the
greater Johannesburg area and, although it began its life as a nine-holer, no time was wasted in extending the layout to 18 holes. Even before
golf had taken root at the likes of ERPM, Crown Mines, CMR, Houghton, Observatory, Modderfontein and State Mines, the golf club at
Benoni was up and running and it has shown no sign of slowing down since.
It is unfortunate that records of the club’s earliest history have been lost, and it is not known who actually laid out the original course,
but whoever it was certainly knew what they were doing. Various changes have been made over the years, at one point Bob Grimsdell had
a hand in a revamp, and later the greens complexes and bunkers were modernised by Rob O’Friel. The basic character of the course still
remains ‘old-school parkland’ – rather flat and well wooded, but set up for championship play, the layout has stood the test of time.
Most pleasing is the strong country character of the course, which may be surrounded by suburbia, but it is no way cramped, and sensible
routing has allowed for the holes to be well separated. There was certainly no shortage of land in this area when the course was first laid out,
and fortunately the original designers made good use of it. Unfortunately, the management of the mine, with the best of intentions at the
time, planted a forest of gum trees, presumably believing that they could add character to their new course and have a stock of valuable
wood on hand to shore up their subterranean tunnels. The course has lived with these thirsty aliens ever since, and quite recently it
was discovered that the roots had travelled under some of the greens causing something of a headache. The suburb of Benoni has
produced an impressive list of sportsmen and women over the years, and besides being the birthplace of Oscar-winning actress
Charlize Theron, the city has also been home to two world champion boxers (Vic Toweel, South Africa’s firsthand later Brian Mitchell).
The great wicketkeeper/batsman Dennis Lindsay came from Benoni, as did many renowned soccer players and athletic stars, and of
course a long list of great golfers played their golf here – many of whom called Benoni Country Club home.
The honours boards at the club certainly make for interesting reading – and it is impossible to miss the name of AD ‘Bobby’ Locke,
who won the Club Championship here in 1935.Among the lists of illustrious names is that of James Ramsay Boyd, one of South Africa’s
greatest-ever amateur golfers. Jimmy Boyd’s exploits on the course are legendary – he was a member of ERPM, Middelburg
and Benoni Country Club, and was for many years an automatic choice for international honours.
As a 15-year-old he won the Middelburg Club Champs for the first time, and he won the event the following two years as well.
Boyd won the ERPM Club Championship no less than 13 times; in fact, every time he entered. In between these victories, he
was also the champion at Benoni Country Club in1938, ’39 and ’57. Since then there has been a steady stream of excellent golfers
at the club – the likes of Des Webster, Glen Carter, Wayne Westner, Ashley Roestoff, Ian Hutchings, and Mark Murless. At one
time there were more than half-a-dozen Sunshine Tour professionals based at the club, including Des Terblanche and Nico van Rensburg.
Bryan Prytz, another former club champion who has been a member here for 32 years, turned professional and he plied his trade on
the tour before being appointed as head pro/director of golf, a position he has held for 15 years. Naturally proud of his club’s rich history,
which involves hosting multiple amateur championships and other important events, Bryan stresses the fact that it is the membership,
an enthusiastic and diverse group, which really makes Benoni Country Club what it is.“We are really one big group of friends,” he
says, and any visitor to this club is likely to feel that they are part of this group. There is a good mix of holes on this course and,
for a player hoping to score well, the ability to place one’s tee shots in the correct position on the fairways is critical. Importantly,
the handicap player is likely to find sufficient room to get away with a few less than-perfect shots, and will be able to enjoy
the experience without hunting for balls in penal rough. The greens are well contoured and there are more than enough interesting pin
positions available. Interestingly, both nines begin and end with par fives, the pick of which is the finishing hole. “Our 18th is one of the
best finishing holes in the country,” says Bryan. “With water all the way down the left of the fairway and a thickly wooded area to the right,
there is no bale-out – and if the approach to the two-tiered green finds the wrong area, players can easily find themselves three-putting.”
The club decided to introduce wildlife to the course and, although one could question the wisdom of this, there is something rather special
about seeing springbok and blesbok strolling about the place. With a strong tennis, bowls and squash section, this is indeed a ‘proper’ country club,
yet without the snobbery associated with others of its kind. With more than enough room for entertaining in separate areas of the large clubhouse,
reasonable prices and are potation for excellent cuisine, it is little wonder that a large percentage of this club’s revenue comes from private functions.
General manager Clive Taylor has paid his dues in the hospitality industry (a former executive chef) and he runs a smooth operation.
Benoni Country Club is a dyed-in-the-wool classic – and if you have never played this course, a trip to the ‘Far East Rand’ is highly recommended.
Besides the golf course, if you can find better value than the ‘lights out’ bar menu, let us know. For my money, just seeing those famous names
on the honours boards is well worth the green fee.
Likes...
■ The club’s history of great players. This club could assemble an ‘all-time’ team that could beat most.
■ The pro shop – friendly, helpful staff in a traditional store that charges reasonable prices.
■ The 19th hole has a great atmosphere and is frequented by unpretentious members.
■ The ‘lights out’ menu – superb food at a bargain price.
... and dislikes
■ The alien trees – a problem that is being rectified.
■ Distance from where I live. This is the sort of club I would like to join.
(Golf Digest Magazine Club of the Month article, October 2009) |
