The Garden Route Golfscape: a Golfing Destination in the Rough
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THE GARDEN ROUTE GOLFSCAPE: A GOLFING DESTINATION IN THE ROUGH LOUISE-MARI VAN ZYL Thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts at the University of Stellenbosch. Supervisor: Mr. BH Schloms December 2006 ii DECLARATION I, the undersigned, hereby declare that the work contained in this thesis is my own original work and that I have not previously, in its entirety or in part, submitted it at any university for a degree. Signature: Date: iii SUMMARY The Garden Route is located along the southern Cape coast of South Africa, between the Outeniqua Mountain Range and the coast, stretching from Gourits River in the west to Bloukranz River in the east. This region is recognised as a holiday destination and the centre of the southern Cape’s tourism industry. It has also gained popularity as a golfing destination set to proliferate in terms of new golf- course developments (Golf Digest 2004; Gould 2004; Granger 2003). No known complete academic or public record is however available for the study area in which all the golf development types, namely short courses, public-municipal golf-courses and residential golf estates, are recorded. This leaves a gap in the understanding of the Garden Route as a golfing destination, as well as opening the floor for public speculation about the status of the Garden Route golfscape. This situation emphasises the need for a description of the Garden Route golfscape in order to achieve a better understanding of it and of the Garden Route as an emerging golfing destination. The research aspires to describe the Garden Route golfscape in terms of the geographic spatial distribution and characteristics of all the golf development types mentioned. It also aims to analyse how the public and developers of golf developments perceive the Garden Route golfscape. The research has shown that amongst the four identified intra-regional golfscapes of the Garden Route, namely the Mossel Bay, George, Knysna and Plettenberg Bay intra-regional golfscapes, the George intra-regional golfscape has been affected the most by golf developments. This intra-regional golfscape has the greatest number of existing golf developments, as well as the highest number of new golf development applications followed by Mossel Bay, Knysna and Plettenberg Bay. It is also clear from the research that the press, through publishing factually incorrect and biased information, plays a significant role in negatively affecting the public’s perception about the Garden Route golfscape. The literature, as well as the results of the public opinion poll, identifies residential private golf estate developments as the development type responsible for controversial golf debates. The survey indicated that there is less concern and objection to public-municipal golf-courses and short courses. The lack of public support for golf developments is as a result of the fact that the public is not convinced that either the natural environment or tourism, will benefit from the Garden Route developing into an international golfing destination. At the time of research, the Garden Route hosted 22 approved golf developments of which nine are short courses, another nine are golf estates and the remaining four are public- iv municipal courses. A total of eight new golf estates are proposed for the Garden Route. There are no proposals for new public-municipal golf-courses or short courses. The research has highlighted that existing challenges associated with Garden Route golf developments must be quantified through future research in order to compare the impacts (economic, social and environmental impacts) with that of other land uses in the study area. Results from such future exercises, combined with future in-depth environmental and human resource audits of the area, will help determine the carrying capacity of the study area for golf developments, which will in turn contribute to an even better understanding of the Garden Route golfscape. Selection of keywords: Destination area lifecycle, developers’ perspectives, Garden Route, golfscape, golf-course, golf estates, golf tourism, public opinion, southern Cape, sport tourism, sustainable development, SWOT analysis. v OPSOMMING Die Tuinroete is geleë langs die Suid-Kaapse kus van Suid-Afrika, tussen die Outenikwabergreeks en die kus en strek vanaf Gouritsrivier in die weste tot by Bloukranzrivier in die ooste. Die streek is alom bekend as ‘n vakansiebestemming en die hartklop van die Suid-Kaapse toerisme industrie. Die area verwerf ook bekendheid as ‘n gholfbestemming wat noemenswaardig groei in terme van nuwe gholfontwikkelings (Golf Digest 2004; Gould 2004; Granger 2003). Sover bekend, ontbreek die studiearea egter aan ‘n behoorlike opname van alle gholfontwikkeling tipes, soos byvoorbeeld kort gholfbane, publieke-munisipale gholfbane en residensiële gholfoorde. Dit laat ‘n leemte omtrent die begrip van die Tuinroete as ‘n gholfbestemming en dit skep geleentheid vir publieke bespiegeling omtrent die status van die Tuinroete gholflandskap. Hierdie situasie beklemtoon die noodsaaklikheid vir ‘n volledige beskrywing van die gholflandskap ten einde dit en die Tuinroete as ‘n gholfbestemming te ondersoek en beter te verstaan. Die navorsing poog om die Tuinroete gholflandskap te beskryf in terme van die geografiese verspreiding en karaktereienskappe van die verskillende gholfontwikkelingtipes soos genoem. Dit ondersoek ook die publiek en ontwikkelaars se persepsies omtrent die Tuinroete gholflandskap. Die navorsing dui daarop dat die George intra-streek gholflandskap, in vergelyking met die ander drie intra-streke, naamlik die Mosselbaai, George, Knysna en Plettenbergbaai, die meeste geaffekteer word deur gholfontwikkelings. Hierdie intra-streek gholflandskap beskik huidiglik oor die meeste aantal bestaande gholfontwikkelings, sowel as die meeste aansoeke vir nuwe gholfoordontwikkelings. Daarna volg die Mosselbaai, Knysna en Plettenbergbaai intra-streke. Uit die navorsing is dit duidelik dat die pers ‘n beduidende rol speel en invloed het op hoe die publiek die Tuinroete gholflandskap beleef. Deurdat die pers feitlik verkeerde en eensydige inligting publiseer dra dit daartoe by dat die publiek ‘n negatiewe persepsie van die Tuinroete gholflandskap het. Die literatuur, sowel as die bevindinge van die publieke meningsopname, identifiseer residensiële gholfoordontwikkelings as die ontwikkelingstipe wat verantwoordelik is vir die kontroversiële gholfdebat. Dit blyk uit die opname dat die publiek minder bekommerd en beswaard is oor publieke- munisipale gholfbane en kortbane. Die feit dat die publiek nie oortuig is van die moontlike voordele wat gholfontwikkeling inhou vir die natuurlike omgewing en toerisme nie, word weerspieël deur die afwesigheid van publieke ondersteuning vir gholfontwikkeling. vi Die Tuinroete beskik oor 22 gholfontwikkelings waarvan nege kortgholfbane is, ‘n verdere nege gholfoorde en die oorblywende vier publieke-munisipale gholfbane. ‘n Totaal van agt nuwe gholfoord- ontwikkelings word voorgestel vir die Tuinroete. Daar is geen aansoeke vir nuwe publieke-munisipale gholfbane of kort gholfbane binne die studiegebied nie. Verdere navorsing is nodig om veral die bestaande uitdagings wat geassosieer word met Tuinroete gholfontwikkelings te gekwantifiseer ten einde die impakte daarvan (ekonomiese, sosiale en omgewingsimpakte) beter te kan vergelyk met die van ander grondgebruike in die studiegebied. Die resultate van sulke studies, tesame met ‘n indiepte omgewings- en menslikehulpbron opname vir die studiearea, sal bydra om die drakrag van die area te bereken wat betref gholfontwikkelings en sodoende verder bydrae tot ‘n beter begrip van die Tuinroete gholflandskap. Sleutelwoorde: Bestemminglewensiklus, gholfbaan, gholflandskap, gholfoord, gholftoerisme, ontwikkelaarsopinie, publiek meningsopname, sporttoerisme, Suid-Kaap, SWOT-analise, Tuinroete, volhoubare ontwikkeling. vii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I am especially grateful to the following people who contributed in one way or another in completing the research and finalising this thesis: ¾ Adriaan de Waal, who’s support throughout the many trying months of the write-up has meant a great deal to me. ¾ Cathy Avierinos, for being so generous in allowing me time off, when a deadline loomed. ¾ Dale Holder and Jeremy Randall for their assistance and technical support with the GIS mapping. ¾ Dr Pieter de Necker at Stellenbosch University, for his guidance and constructive input and above all, his patience and support when I least expected it. ¾ Linda Nienaber, language editor, whose humor and support came as a wonderful surprise to me. ¾ Mr Ben Schloms at Stellenbosch University, for his time and assistance with the final review of this thesis. ¾ My Father and Mother, whose determination in life and ability to overcome great obstacles, have been examples to me and kept me going every time I considered discontinuing my studies. viii CONTENTS Page DECLARATION ...................................................................................................................................... ii SUMMARY............................................................................................................................................. iii OPSOMMING .......................................................................................................................................... v ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS.................................................................................................................... vii