A proposed redevelopment in Pinelands has sparked growing concern among South Africa’s disabled golfing community, with fears that one of the country’s most important centres for inclusive sport could lose the home it has built over decades.
It comes after the South African Disabled Golf Association (SADGA) urged the public to consider the wider impact of the draft development proposal affecting King David Mowbray Golf Club (KDM), where the organisation has run many of its flagship programmes for years.
As highlighted in a media statement issued by the association earlier today, the public participation period on the proposal closes later this week on 7 August, with supporters warning that the consequences would extend well beyond the loss of a golf course.
At the heart of the concern is the role KDM has played in changing lives through golf. From introducing children with disabilities to the sport through the First Swing Programme to supporting deaf golfers through specialised career guidance initiatives, the venue has become far more than a sporting facility.
It has developed into a meeting place where confidence, independence and friendships have grown alongside golfing talent.
The draft proposal would see the site redeveloped into a mixed-use precinct comprising around 6 700 residential units, alongside commercial and industrial developments.
While many supporters acknowledge Cape Town’s pressing housing needs, they argue that relocating SADGA’s operations would be financially prohibitive and logistically complex after years of investment in specialised coaching facilities and accessibility.
Former world number one golfer and SADGA patron Retief Goosen said he was deeply concerned about the possible closure of the club.
‘The partnership has produced results that extend far beyond the golf course,’ Goosen said, adding that golfers had rebuilt their independence following life-changing injuries and gone on to represent South Africa internationally.
Support has also come from across the golfing fraternity, as the Western Province Golf described the partnership between SADGA and King David Mowbray as one of the world’s most successful disability golf development programmes, warning that losing the venue would have consequences far beyond the sport itself.
The Nomads Golf Club of South Africa echoed those concerns, saying King David Mowbray has become the recognised home of disabled golf in the country and cautioning that programmes developed over many years could face significant uncertainty if the club were to close.
The South African Deaf Sports Federation highlighted the club’s role in creating an environment where deaf golfers can compete and train without communication barriers, while schools participating in the First Swing Programme, including Mary Kihn School for Hearing Impaired Children, Dominican School for Deaf Children, Astra School for Physically Disabled Children and Tembaletu School, credited the initiative with helping learners build confidence, communication skills and greater independence.
King David Mowbray has also earned an international reputation as a venue for disability golf.
The course has hosted events including the World Invitational, the Cape Town Disabled Open, several All Abilities Golf Tour tournaments, and is due to welcome the G4D South African Open later this year.
Beyond elite competition, the course has become a familiar gathering place where young golfers, families, volunteers and coaches meet every week.
Mike Flax, who is the chairman of King David Mowbray Golf Club, acknowledged Cape Town’s housing challenges but believes alternative sites should be considered.
‘Everybody recognises the housing need in Cape Town. But there are other much more appropriate sites for housing and commercial development in and around Cape Town, which include unused or vacant pieces of land,’ he stated.
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Also read:
Deadline extended for public input on controversial Pinelands development
Picture: King David Mowbray Golf Club/Facebook
