Yellow 5794 metres, CR71.0/125
White 5469 metres, CR69.3/123
Red 5087 metres, CR67.1/116
Women’s yellow, CR77.2/133
Women’s white, CR74.9/133
Women’s red, CR72.4/126
January to March
R1180 non-affiliated
R650 affiliated
April to September
R510 & R360
October to December
R890 & R470
Charles Molteno Murray 1934,
Bob Grimsdell 1952
021 784 2111
www.clovellygolfclub.co.za
47 (2023), 45 (2022) & 49 (2021)
Clovelly is one of the most scenic courses in the Cape Peninsula, and one of the most welcoming to visitors. Due to its outstanding clubhouse facilities and superb course conditioning It does a roaring trade with international golfers between January and March, the peak season in the region.
The 40-minute drive from Cape Town takes visitors along a choice of two picturesque tourist routes, Boyes Drive on the coast past St James and Kalk Bay, or the Ou Kaapse Weg Pass over the mountain.
The stately double-storey clubhouse sits prominently on the lower slopes of the Silvermine range in the Fish Hoek Valley, and has magnificent vistas of the course and the False Bay coastline.
Like many of the older courses in Cape Town it’s relatively short at under 6 000 metres, but that’s what makes it so popular. It’s fun for everyone. Longer hitters will be tempted to drive the green on a few par 4s, yet the challenge at Clovelly lies more in accuracy than in distance. And the charm of Clovelly lies in its natural beauty, the undulating character of the holes, set in a narrow valley between the rocky mountain slope on one side and sand dunes on the other.
The club was founded on the farm Klein Tuin in 1932 by Gus Ackerman and Mike Pevsner. Raymond Ackerman, son of Gus, is the club president – he celebrated his 90th birthday in March 2021 – and founded the Pick n Pay supermarket empire. Raymond’s passion for golf helped Clovelly develop into the strong club it is today.
62 by Peter Karmis in 2012.
Women: 66 by Iliska Verwey in 2011;
Kaylah Williams in 2020
The opening tee shots on each nine present golfers with an exhilarating downhill start. The first tee sits slightly higher than the pro shop, playing into the valley. This par 4 doglegs right around a stand of trees, while the par-5 tenth makes a sharp turn to the left. You quickly get into the spirit of risk-and-reward golf. The 338m par-4 fourth at the far end of the course is a typical challenge, with a stream and water hazard enclosing the green on two sides, and out of bounds left of the green. Holes 7 to 9 are a fine trio, filled with variation. A beautiful par 4 from an elevated tee to a fairway framed by tall trees; a par 3 with a long two-tier narrow green; and a tough par 5 into the south-easter with an elevated and sloping green.
Excellent range with its own mini-clubhouse (home to the Raymond Ackerman Golf Academy) in a sheltered space close to the first tee, having a variety of bays and target greens, plus a short-game area. Michell Golf have the teaching rights for golfers of varying skills. There is a fun mashie course with 9 greens used for competitions, children’s birthday parties and team building events.
1/ Clovelly is one of the country’s busiest golf clubs, averaging between 53 000 and 58 000 rounds a year. About 25 000 are by visitors.
2/ The clubhouse hosts weddings, functions and conferences, and there is a restaurant. The upstairs deck is a great place to unwind after a round.
3/ In the 1970s, Clovelly was the first golf club in South Africa to open its membership to people of all races, gender, denominations and creeds. This “open door” policy continues today.
4/ Former Sunshine Tour professionals Alan and Mike Michell grew up in Fish Hoek and spent most of their time at the club. They have formed Michell Golf and help run the Clovelly junior teaching programme, working with local schools in the Fish Hoek Valley.
2023 Struan Currie & Gill Briggs
2022 Jan Stals van Rooyen & Gill Briggs
2021 Matthew Cooper & Wendy Warrington
2020 Matthew Cooper & Isabella van Rooyen
2019 Matthew Cooper & Isabella van Rooyen
Once again Clovelly's team accomplish the impossible. The course is in amazing condition, maintained by two rotating teams of 8 course staff each. A testament to good leadership, and friendly and welcoming staff all round. The course and its pristine location is breathtaking. The best place to unwind after a stressful 2020. The only area on the course that needs attention is the updating of hazard lines and reconsidering the many out-of-bounds stakes on the property boundary. Good news is that Clovelly is about to embark on that project.
The clubhouse atmosphere and hospitality at Clovelly is among the best in the country. Always a delight to be there. The bunkers tend to be inconsistent, yet the overall presentation of the course is beautiful.
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