FROM SHANTY TO BUILDING OF THE YEAR

The Royal Durban Golf Club, situated within the Greyville Race Course, celebrated its 125th anniversary this week. The picture on the left shows the clubhouse that functioned from 1914 to 1935.

‘(It) shows the casuarina trees that lined the car park, the first tee, the flagpole and the putting green, all then as now but for the casuarinas,’ records the book, The History of Royal Durban Golf

Club. ‘Also apparent are the varying corrugated iron roof-lines and ventilating fleiches – all signs of the earlier needs for expansion. Also quite clear are the large verandah areas with a portion being enclosed with windows – an early concession to the south-westerly wind but also a constant reminder of melding golf and weather. Contrary to contemporary belief, they did know what they were doing in those far-off days – seems it has just taken longer to understand.’

The present building, right, was designed by an architect who was a golfer. ‘It would be a fair bet that he had a very good understanding of what was required for a golf club,’ the book says.

‘Little did members know that, on completion, not only would they have the most striking clubhouse but that it would be awarded the Institute of Architects Merit Award for the Most Outstanding Building of the Year.’ It was officially opened on November 2, 1935. The very first clubhouse is described in the book as a ‘wood and iron shanty’.

‘Very little is known of its actual plans except that it stood 10-foot by 16-foot and had a verandah, a barman called Sam and a locker.’

The Independent on Saturday appeals to readers who have old pictures of Durban to send them to us for consideration. If any readers are featured in the old picture, we will do our best to recreate the scene with them in it again. Readers sending pictures digitally – images should be about 1MB – can address them, with the relevant information, to satmail@inl.co.za If the pictures are in hard copy format, they can be posted to The Editor, Old Pictures, The Independent on Saturday, PO Box 47549, Greyville, 4023.