Chapman Golf Club, a jewel nestled near Harare, the capital of Zimbabwe, boasts a rich history and exceptional facilities, making it a premier golfing destination in Southern Africa. The club is located near Harare, the capital of Zimbabwe.
From Harare’s center, the Chapman Golf Club is 15 minutes away via Herbert Chitepo Avenue and the A5. The Chapman Golf Club passes along an area covered with trees, which a tributary of the Mukuvisi River flows through.
A Historical Overview
Chapman Golf Club can trace its roots back to 1928 when the Salisbury Raylton Athletic Club played over nine rudimentary sand greens and across a patch of rough scrub bush. Courses had already begun to spring up alongside the newly built Rhodesian railway line and it seemed fitting that the General Manager of the Rhodesia Railways, Lieutenant-Colonel Birney, opened the original course in 1928.
The club continued to work hard on the development of the golf course over the next decade. By 1929 the Working Committee had planted 2 000 trees; the first portion of 7 500. The tees and sand greens had been constructed and what few bunkers needed had been made; the difficulties of the hard baked soil and coarse grass still had to be overcome, but the natural golfing terrain of the whole course solved many of their problems.
It was 1933/34 before the fairways were finally planted with grass, an extraordinary effort considering that the club had little or nothing in the way of implements, and the labour saving machinery which we take for granted these days, did not then exist. At least the club was fortunate in that the dairy farmers, who farmed adjacent to course, were always willing to mow the fairways in exchange for grass. It may be of interest to mention that the playing length of the course in those days was 6 790 yards.
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During the interim period there was no club house, grass shelters had to suffice, but in anticipation of the Administration providing one, the layout of the course was altered to bring Nos. 1 and 10 to the centre which divided the ground between east and west. After the removal of the narrow gauge railway to Eldorado, the Club received a gift of a wood and iron dwelling from that station, which served as the club house until 1954.
Around the time of the Second World War, the club received financial help from the railway company via Sir Henry Chapman, who was then the General Manager of Rhodesia Railway. As a mark of appreciation, the name of the club was changed from ‘Salisbury Raylton Golf Club’ to the ‘Henry Chapman Golf Club’. Salisbury Raylton Athletic Club was subsequently renamed the Henry Chapman Golf Club in his honour.
By 1936 three grass greens had been completed, the men’s tees were under turf, 700 additional trees had been planted, the Club was allocated its first Mashonaland Championship, and the Rhodesian Golf Union placed it on their rotation list for the Rhodesian Championships. In 1941 Salisbury began its period of expansion; the new suburb of Eastlea was rapidly becoming a residential area and the Council made a request for the 11th, 12th, and 13th holes which were then sited at the easterly extremity of the course; thus the present 10th, 11th and 12th holes came into the picture. The Greens and Fairways Committee introduced contour ridging and a long term policy for replanting the fairways.
By the early 1970s the membership of the Club had again outgrown the facilities of the club house, particularly as far as the changing room facilities were concerned. By the early nineties the greens had not changed for 20 years.
Modernization and Redesign
It was already founded in 1928, but was renovated and modernized by the famous South African golf course architect Peter Matkovich in 1995. It was decided at a Special General Meeting that the greens and fairways should be redesigned and bent grass planted on the new greens. The major changes to the course were undertaken by one of Southern Africa’s leading golf course architects, Peter Matkovich. Redesigned in 1995 by one of Southern Africa’s leading golf course architects, Peter Matkovich, Chapman has emerged as one of Africa’s most prestigious golf courses.
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It also happened in 1995 that a chip pan left on overnight in the clubhouse kitchen ignited and the resultant fire caused considerable damage to the kitchen and surrounding area. The board then took a decision to use the opportunity to redesign and rebuild the clubhouse to allow for the current membership and the anticipated future growth. The funding was to come mainly from a generous bequest left to the club by a wealthy and dedicated member, the late Freddie Arian, after whom the lounge in the club is named in honour of what at the time was a substantial donation. The new design raised the club from the previous two to three levels, as it is at present, and allowed for bigger and better function rooms, new ablutions for both the men’s and women’s changing rooms, as well as much improved facilities for the staff and caddies. The Pro Shop was also expanded and modernized.
The Championship Course
Today, the 18-hole parkland course with par 72 is a 6,582-meter-long course with mostly long, narrow, wavy fairways that wind along slightly hilly terrain. Playing at 6,521 metres in length the course offers a range of challenging and spectacular holes with the sixth, ninth,11th and 14th holes all structured close to the water hazards, bringing plenty of water into play.
The layout of the Chapman Golf Club is characterized by numerous sand bunkers and water hazards in the form of ponds, streams, and lakes. Golfers encounter water at holes 5, 6, 9, 11, and 14. The par five 14th was completely re-shaped, with two dams combined into one and running the length of the fairway. Hole 14 particularly stands out, at which two ponds must be played across to reach a peninsula green. Bunkers also ensure a high tactical and technical demand on the championship course at Chapman Golf Club. At hole 17, a mighty bunker must be overcome to reach the well protected green. The par three 17th is heavily guarded by 10 metre wide bunkers running almost the full length of the green on both sides.
Hole-by-Hole Overview
Here's a brief look at some of the challenges each hole presents:
- Hole 1: A dog-leg to the right which spells trouble from the tee.
- Hole 2: An almost straightaway hole, but some are going to need two woods. The water hazard on the left is reachable off the tee.
- Hole 3: A very long hole with a dog-leg to the left.
- Hole 4: A dog-left with trouble on the left off the tee.
- Hole 5: A shortish hole with a dam on the right to collect your second shot and a bunker on the left.
- Hole 6: Zimbabwean, Peter Matkovich, redesigned today’s Chapman Golf Club in 1995 and the course now measures more than 6,500 metres from the back markers. Perhaps the pick of the holes include two long par fours. The 6th features a lake that guards the green for the approach shot.
- Hole 7: A snake-shaped hole not reachable in two.
- Hole 8: This dog-leg left needs your best drive and best iron to reach the green.
- Hole 9: A straightaway hole with a baobab tree to be avoided.
- Hole 10: A dog-leg left reachable in two - downwind!
- Hole 11: Has a fearsome approach to a well-bunkered green which lies across another stretch of water.
- Hole 12: A short hole with many traps.
- Hole 13: A dog-leg to the right.
- Hole 14: A long narrow hole with a water hazard on the right to catch your second shot. Testing, but one of the best holes on the course.
- Hole 15: A dog-leg to the right with an uphill section where you could find yourself amongst a bank of trees.
- Hole 16: A dog-leg right, and a whole heap of trouble off the tee.
- Hole 17: The toughest hole on the course. It calls for an immaculate two or three-iron uphill to a double-tier green.
- Hole 18: This is hardly reachable in two, with a water hazard on the right which could collect your second shot. A really tough hole, and most players will need a wood to get home.
The course benefits from excellent tee to green conditioning in pleasantly undulating parkland topography and there’s also clever use of water hazards.
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Chapman Format Description Part 1
A Hub for Competitive and Social Golf
Host to numerous Zimbabwe Open Golf Championships, with homegrown winners such as Nick Price and Mark McNulty, Chapman Golf Club is still one of Africa’s finest golf courses. Competitive golf is fast developing as one of the most important aspects of the game in Rhodesia.
The amateur competitions include inter-provincial tournaments and national championships for both men and women. Juniors have a comprehensive calendar of their own. Social competitions for amateurs are run at golf clubs throughout the country each week. Manning, one of the country’s top professionals, hopes to include amateurs in the circuit. Gate receipts at exhibition matches and sponsored tournaments are proving the increasing popularity of golf as a spectator sport.
Another championship-rated course is the Chapman Golf Club - a difficult, undulating, well-treed course, with an abundance of water hazards.
Zimbabwe Nomads and Chapman Golf Club
During the time the club was under the control of South Africa, two South African National Tournaments were held in the country one in 1972 at Henry Chapman Golf Club (with a field of 360 players) and the other in !977 at Wingate Park GC.
Other Golfing Venues in Rhodesia
From its humble beginnings in the swamps of the Matsheumhlope valley, where grass once grew over six feet high during much of the year, the Bulawayo Golf Club (par-72 course) can now hold its own with any in Southern Africa. Troutbeck Inn at 2 002 metres offers an undulating, attractively treed nine-hole (par-34) course with imposing water hazards. Another popular golfing venue in the Inyanga area is Brondesbury Park. Golf at Melsetter in the foothills of the Chimanamani Mountains of Rhodesia.
Other notable attractions of the Fort Victoria area are fishing and water sports on Lake Kyle. That some these and other country club courses in Rhodesia exist at all is due largely to to the strong community spirit of local residents. Farmers commonly should the responsibility of a specific hole, importing their own labour to keep the hole in good condition.
The Allure of Rhodesian Golf
Mild, bracing, frost-free winters, warm moderate summers and sunshine and blue skies throughout the year combine to make make Rhodesia an ideal country for outdoor living. Rhodesian golf was born in Bulawayo in November 1894, just 13 months after European settlement of Matabeleland - a mere two years after the completion of of the Chicago Golf Club, the first 18 hole course in the United States.
Because of the high altitude of many of Rhodesia’s courses they tend, in compensation, to be longer than coastal or British courses.
Facilities and Amenities
In addition to the remarkable course, Chapman Golf Club offers top-notch practice facilities to refine your skills before hitting the fairways. Its clubhouse provides exceptional amenities, creating a welcoming space to relax after a round. The new design raised the club from the previous two to three levels, as it is at present, and allowed for bigger and better function rooms, new ablutions for both the men’s and women’s changing rooms, as well as much improved facilities for the staff and caddies. The Pro Shop was also expanded and modernized.
Whether you're a local player or a golf tourist exploring Harare, Chapman Golf Club delivers a memorable blend of challenge, beauty, and hospitality. Book your tee time today at this iconic Zimbabwean golf destination!
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