Meet the team

Coinciding with the launch of Kingswood’s clubhouse and community centre on 1 September, a new crew took over from the old guard that used to run the estate’s golf operations for decades.

And in charge of this team is a vastly experienced new broom: golf director Dean le Vieux.

When asked about his French surname (it means ‘the old’, but at 44 he’s in his prime and clearly wise to the world of golf), and if anyone cares about its correct pronunciation, Dean just chuckles that it’s generally pronounced ‘le view’ – most apt when taking into account the spectacular sights surrounding the Kingswood Golf Club (KGC) headquarters at the clubhouse’s main entrance.

‘That’s what is so unique about its position – when gazing out along the mountains, it’s an ever-changing view. We have been constantly aware of its beauty since moving down to George six months ago. It’s my wife’s happy place, as she used to visit family here very regularly over the years.’

Dean and his ‘Afrikaans wife’ Cecile were recently gifted with a baby, Asher – now a bouncy four-month-old – and also share their home with two beloved huskies. A software developer by trade, Cecile can operate from home and has just landed back in the saddle again, ably juggling career and motherhood

When it comes to his recent working history, Dean has served the previous five years at The Country Club Johannesburg, Woodmead (CCJ), the last four years as golf director of this world-famous course. ‘We stayed in a massive house on the property, but when the position opened at Kingswood we needed no convincing to pack up and go,’ he says.

When sometimes missing his many friends among CCJ members, Dean is always acutely aware of the ‘totally different lifestyle’ in George, most significantly in terms of personal health. ‘The stress of running two courses at a club with the biggest membership in the southern hemisphere took its toll,’ he says, albeit enriched by the experience of running a country club with 8,000 members playing between 2,800 and 3,200 rounds per month. Dean is a PGA professional who plays off a one handicap and, once having seen through the season, would love to get back on the Kingswood course once a week.

‘As a boy, I used to visit the golf course with my mom and played junior golf, but when hitting my teens preferred cricket and represented the provincial baseball team. Then, after a golf tour in my matric year, the bug bit again. Other sports have sell-by dates, but golf is timeless.’ In his capacity as golf director, Dean is supported by the able KGC team of assistant golf director Tim Steynberg, golf coordinator Catherine Gericke and her 2IC Corlene du Plooy, both of whom cut their teeth under the previous regime when it was still stationed at the old gatehouse. Tim’s and Dean’s paths had crossed back in Joburg, having worked together at various courses over the years.

‘When Tim left golf operations to pursue a career in recruiting, I told him: “You’ll be back!” He has great operational and excellent admin skills – a combination not often found in this sphere.’ On the clubhouse subject, Dean says it’s been very well received and lauds the efforts made by its resident restaurateurs to cater for the golfing fraternity. ‘What our golfer members want is most important. Of course, there are limitations, and you can’t please everyone, but it is our priority to make the majority happy.’ Dean operates with an open-door policy and invites members to swing past the Kingswood Golf Club office to discuss suggestions and ideas with him and his team, so contributing to further this KGC cause.

Quick Q&A with Finance Department’s brand-new face

When The BUZZard sat down with several interviewees for a chat on 1 December, we also had the good fortune of meeting the KGE team’s latest addition on her first day at the coalface. Anna-Marie Wilson is stationed at the gatehouse management offices, where she will be of excellent assistance to Finance Chief Marina Flear.

BUZZ: What did you do before the KGE opportunity came along?
A-MW: Before accepting the position at Kingswood, I worked as a bookkeeper for a restaurant group in Mossel Bay. I am very excited about this new opportunity and look forward to becoming part of the Kingswood team.

BUZZ: A word about your home and family?
A-MW: I have been living in Reebok for the past four years. My husband Donovan works as an expat on a rotation basis, but Reebok is our home, and we really enjoy the area. We are very family-oriented, so it’s fortunate that our loved ones are spread across the beautiful Garden Route.

We wish Anna-Marie all the best in her new capacity as finance assistant, and many years of contributing to the efficient management of KGE’s coffers.