Golf Courses For Everyone

In an exclusive interview with FORBES AFRICA, golf legend Gary Player speaks about the greatest community golf course he has worked on, and it’s in Soweto.

- Nick Said

Golf legend Gary Player has thrown his weight behind a project in South Africa’s Soweto township that he believes should be viewed as a game-changer in how to integrate courses into local communities and is perhaps the first step in producing a black golfer capable of winning a Major title for the country.

Player, 83, who was recently honored with the title of World Golf Course Designer of the Year, is best known for the nine Major titles he won in an illustrious playing career that included 165 professional victories.

He has been key in the rejuvenation of the Soweto Country Club, a sea of green among the sprawling township, and says it is so much more than a place to enjoy a round of golf.

“We originally designed this course in the 1970s, but this new course we have been working on for two years now,” Player tells FORBES AFRICA. “It’s a miracle, it’s the greatest community golf course we have done and we’ve done hundreds around the world.

“I have never seen anything to compare to Soweto Country Club. There is a vibe here that is unmatched anywhere in the world.”