The charities that will benefit from this donation include non-profit skills development, income generation and enterprise development organisation ENZA in Mbekweni; Franschhoek Resource & Network Co-ordination Organisation (Franco); and The Rock Foundation in Paarl. They will each receive an equal share of the combined total this year.
The Captain's Charity was initiated in 2013 by Peter Richardson, Pearl Valley's men's golf captain, and is an ongoing fundraising initiative designed for players on the golf course to pay a small fine, should they land a ball in the water on the iconic 13th hole.
"When I took on the captaincy, I wanted to make sure we gave something back to the community in which we live," says Richardson. What began last year as a fine payable on 13th hole misses has evolved to a charity day auction and a few smaller activities. In addition to this, Pearl Valley pledged to match all funds raised by the charity.
"Pearl Valley is honoured to support the Captain's Charity, and we realise the importance of giving back and investing in our local community and the charity provides us with the opportunity to do just that," says Pearl Valley's general manager, Gawie Marx.
Opened a decade back by golfing greats Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player, Pearl Valley has gone on to score 'Best Conditioned Gold Course In the Western Cape' for 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014 by Golf Digest magazine, and awarded Compleat Golfer's Five Star Experience Award for six consecutive years. In 2013, the course saw an upgrade of its already superb facilities, increasing the range size from 2,800m2 to 5,200m2.
