Jeffreys Bay residents have voiced strong opposition to the Kouga Municipality’s apparent intention to sell the Jeffreys Bay Golf Club, with local business owner Cheron Kraak leading calls to preserve what she describes as a vital sporting and social asset for the community.
Despite the municipality hosting at least two public meetings in 2023 to discuss the future of the facility, Kraak said that the suggestion to sell the golf course was not well received by residents in attendance.
“Jeffreys Bay residents need to fight for a golf course,” said Kraak.
She believes that the recent “planning and developing” notice placed by the municipality is a “sale in disguise”.
Kraak said that the controversy began in 2023 when the municipality first indicated an intention to sell the property, prompting residents to sign a petition against the closure.
While the municipality temporarily halted those plans, she said that during a municipal council meeting in 2024, the topic was discussed, but no official notice was given.
Recently, a new notice was published stating that the municipality hopes to appoint a professional service provider to conduct a feasibility study and develop a business plan with conceptual designs.
Kraak said that the erfs mentioned in the notice refer to the Jeffreys Bay Golf Club and the surrounding land.
She fears the golf course and surrounding land will be used for the construction of medium-cost housing, raising concerns about infrastructure capacity.
“This specific area’s infrastructure, electricity, sewage, water and traffic are not suitable for additional residents,” said Kraak.
She emphasised that her opposition is specific to the golf club issue, not a criticism of the municipality.
“I want to be clear that I’m not against the municipality. Their overall work throughout the area has been fantastic. My concern is specifically about this decision regarding our golf course,” said Kraak.
She believes the nine-hole course has significant potential for improvement and could be updated to an 18-hole course.
Kraak suggested that the municipality should register the club as a non-profit organisation and link with local businesses willing to support upgrades.
“It has the potential to be upgraded to a country club. It is also important for the town’s social element to have a golf club,” said Kraak.
She further expressed scepticism about municipal plans to potentially build a new golf course elsewhere, citing the strict restrictions on new golf course construction and the significant costs involved.
“It is a very expensive process to construct a new golf course, which could cost up to R100 million,” said Kraak.
She highlighted that younger golfers often travel to the Hankey Golf Course; however, senior citizens are unable to travel to the surrounding golf courses in Hankey and St Francis Bay.
“We are trying to upgrade the town, not downgrade it. We can make Jeffreys Bay beautiful with the golf course in place,” said Kraak.
She described the municipality’s approach as “short-sighted” and said that Jeffreys Bay deserves recognition as a “Wonder of the World” given its world-class surf spots that attract tourists.
“The golf course is beneficial for our town,” said Kraak.
In a statement released on May 8, the Kouga Local Municipality said that it is not in the process of selling or developing the Jeffreys Bay Golf Club.
The statement further said that recent public concern and speculation regarding the future of the golf club are unfounded.
“At a recent Council meeting, it was resolved that Erf 873 in Jeffreys Bay, which measures approximately 82.908 hectares, be subdivided to designate a portion of the land for sporting facilities, while the remainder of the property will be earmarked for the Jeffreys Bay Golf Club,” the statement said.
The municipality has said that it has appointed a professional service provider to conduct a feasibility study to determine the best possible uses to inform municipal spatial plans.
“This step forms part of a broader initiative to ensure that Council makes informed decisions and assigns appropriate uses on several municipal properties for the benefit of the community,” the statement said.
