The Maccauvlei saga has not been without its share of drama with many tragic, extraordinary and comical incidents having been recorded at the course over the years. Indeed the legends about the Maccauvlei Golf Course and its members are themselves legend, showing that while the Club took the game very seriously its members were people …
Such was the fanfare at the opening of Maccauvlei, and the general appreciation of the championship qualities of the course, that the Club staged its first South African Open only fifteen months after opening. When the tournament took place in 1927, Maccauvlei was considered one of the best courses in the country, as a report …
The Chairman The first Chairman was “Buck” Buchanan of the Chamber of Mines (who gave his name to the Buchanan Memorial Trophy which is still played for today). He was a remarkable man with a most eloquent turn of phrase. He wrote a weekly article for The Star under the name “Caddie”. On occasion he …
As the course was being shaped, work commenced on the building of a Clubhouse, a “dormy house” for weekend accommodation of golfers, a men’s dressing room, the professional shop, three cottages and a swimming pool. No expense was spared. The buildings, were the work of Mr J.H. Dickinson, a prominent businessman, building contractor and mayor …
The stature of the club can be gauged from the fact that the Governor General of South Africa was its first patron, and the list of members included many leading business and political figures of the day. The widespread popularity of the course at that time has given it connections with many famous people and …
The Maccauvlei Golf Club owes its existence to Sammy Marks’s two sporting sons, Louis and Teddy Marks. They became hooked on golf, while they were on holiday at the coast, and conceived the idea of establishing a top quality golf course near the town of Vereeniging where, thanks to the efforts of their father, they …
Vereeniging Estates’ ambitious farming schemes at Maccauvlei continued with the re-introduction of sheep, which had been the mainstay of Pistorius’s farming operations, when a herd of 5 000 was purchased from Christiaan de Wet, who distinguished himself as a general in the Anglo-Boer war. Curiously another young Afrikaner who became equally famous as a Boer …
In 1893, Sammy Marks appointed a German horticulturist, Otto Brandmuller, to begin the afforestation of Maccauvlei. Brandmuller had ranged over Africa capturing wild animals for zoo’s in Europe, so he was familiar with African flora and fauna. But he got a new perspective on his arrival by coach at Vereeniging. He asked to be directed …
The name Maccauvlei first officially entered the South African lexicon in 1844 when the area on the south bank of the Vaal River was bought from the Free State Republic government by a Voortrekker who rejoiced (or more likely brooded) in the name of Carel “Kwaai Augus” Pistorius. This formidable character had a particular mistrust …
All members of the Maccauvlei Golf Club can take pride in the fact that they belong to a very distinguished and respected institution which has made a significant contribution to the game of golf in South Africa and the development of the Vaal Triangle region. The Club also has a remarkably colourful history which has …
• 016 421 3196
• info@maccauvleigolfclub.co.za
Old Sasolburg Rd
Viljoensdrif
Vereeniging
1939
