KINGSWOOD HOA

Wednesday 26 November marked the end of an era at Kingswood Golf Estate: the last erf had been sold, triggering an amended constitution to take effect – a major milestone for the HOA and original developer.

The BUZZard had the privilege of a lengthy telecon with the visionary behind the development of KGE, Marc Stuyck. But the former director of ASLA commercial projects is adamant that it was all thanks to a team effort from the word go. Planning for the 220-hectare ASLA Group-owned and developed estate started in August 2003. ‘So, Kingswood has been part of my life for the past 22 years,’ he says, adding that, back in the day, he was driving cars across the Cape – to the tune of traversing 55,000km of tamac annually.

‘When I arrived, it was covered in wattle trees, blue gums, patches of kikuyu, and cultivated stands where cattle grazed, so you couldn’t see very far. Even when standing up on the hill, it was impossible to ascertain where rivers flowed or to get a big picture of the landscape.

‘At the stage that we became involved with the project, the environmental application and subdivisional applications had been done by the property’s previous owners, but getting the final approval was still outstanding.

‘With ASLA’s involvement, we obtained the approvals, and they took a majority stake in the development company at the end of 2003.

’ The team, Marc tells of the multiple tons of earth moved over many months to create a clean slate where the golf course could be established. Here is where course designer and builder Danie Obermeyer stepped in, supervising first the construction of the first 10 holes, followed later by the final eight.

Ray Durden was a professional engineer, and much of his work was to be done underneath these mounds of earth, creating the landscape for Danie to design the golf course while also fortifying dams, building pump stations, and ensuring water reticulation for the course.

Ray’s firm Kantey & Templer was responsible for the design and supervision of the installation of civil services on the estate. ‘But when it comes to creating a vision, Janie du Plessis was our “look and feel” person. She also did our marketing and sales in those early days and was involved with the estate for 18 years to follow. We even travelled to Australia for a two-week investigation into how they developed new and old golf courses Down Under.

‘The vision created by Janie is still being reflected in what you see at the estate today. We applied her guidance meticulously – and she was very strict about what should and could be built and planted. Everything had to complement everything else or she would say, ‘Marc, this is really ugly – please make it go away”.’

No Tuscan for us!

Marc reminds us that, during those turn-of-the-century years, ‘Tuscan was the flavour of the month.’ But Janie spent time and energy on researching architectural styles and suggested a Cape Vernacular style that no one was familiar with at the time.

‘This was a huge plus for the look of the estate, and she explained to all involved how it worked. Many architects struggled to get it right in the beginning.’ Marc, who is based in Somerset West, would trek to George for several days every second week.

‘When visiting fortnightly, you see things with different eyes than when you’re on site every day. What doesn’t fit in stands out immediately.

‘Another matter Janie was adamant about was that the gentle architecture and colours should be complemented by whatever we put into the ground. She wanted trees and shrubs with soft leaves that would wave when there was a breeze, all in the name of her envisioned look and feel.’

Ode to The Oval

The Oval was another of Janie’s brainwaves, including the creation of play areas for kids and a space for minicricket.

It was an immediate success because of these recreational attractions and the fact that there was less traffic than elsewhere on the estate. But preparing the ground offered its own challenges.

‘The original George airstrip ran through that part of the property, dating back to WWII days, and we had to chop up slabs of concrete that formed part of the old runway to create a flat piece of earth on that part of the estate. With smaller erven and lower prices, it was especially popular among young families and older couples.

‘I’m especially pleased with what we had achieved there – a legacy project that we’re proud of to this day. Once again, it was a combined effort that was realised by every member of our team,’ says Marc. Braving the fall During those early years, properties at Kingswood sold like hot cakes.

‘It was an incredible sales exercise – buyers stood in line to get their hands on an erf. By 2005, we were doing an average of R16 million worth of sales every month, and that at prices of R400K–500K per erf. ‘Many resales also occurred, with owners selling their properties for a profit, and sometimes twice the buying price in the matter of a few years.

‘In Phase 4, we created bigger erven with a higher price point, some of these being sold for more than R2 million. It’s a clear sign of a successful estate when value and prices continue to rise.

‘Of course, when the world economy tanked in 2008, we suffered its severe effects, and five very trying years followed. But the development company, with backers prepared to financially support its efforts, proved to be strong enough to survive this financial storm – just as the golf course has survived the storms that caused havoc in George during recent years.’

The course

Marc believes that, when it comes to building a good golf course, engineering is key. He again pays tribute to Danie’s design, considering the landscape and the fact that he had to work around existing streams and rivers. In terms of golfing greats involved from the outset, Marc singles out Val Holland.

‘She was our first director of golf, became the number-one ladies coach in the country, and served as manager of SA’s female team. By the time our 18 holes opened, she managed to run golf operations under difficult circumstances.’

Marc chuckles at the thought of ‘stupid questions’ he would ask her in his quest to understand more about the management of a golf estate. Val currently serves as head coach at the Fancourt Academy.

The input of people like herself and the team mentioned above has allowed Kingswood to become, for the time being, second only to Fancourt – arguably the Southern Cape’s most prestigious estate.