Introduction
The Elsieskraal Power Walk Series of geocaches has been prepared as an educational initiative to introduce young people to two things: types of geocache hides that they will encounter in an urban environment as they start geocache activity; and to some interesting facets of Pineland history encountered along the walk. It may assist Scouts in obtaining their geocaching badge and may be suitable as a small-group youth activity: either school of faith based.
The Power Walk is a circular trail of just under 6 km along the walkway that goes along both sides of the canal. For its entire length the walk is in a proclaimed green recreational zone.
The walk can be started at any point and the caches don't need to be found in any particular order. There are many convenient parking spots on the roads that run adjacent to the canal.
This cache will take you away from the canal path towards the Mowbray golf course. You will return to the path to continue the Power Walk.
Golf in South Africa was started by Lt General Henry Torrens who was sent here in 1885 to head up the British forces in the Cape Colony. Only nine days after his arrival he set up a meeting at which the formation of the Cape Golf Club was put in motion.
The first course was built in Wynberg where play began in 1886 when golf was a more widely-enjoyed sport and rugby and soccer had not established themselves as the country's most recognised sports. The Cape Golf Club relocated to the Rondebosch Common in 1891 and became the Rondebosch Golf Club. Some members, dissatisfied with conditions on the Rondebosch course opened a new course in 1906 on a property in Ottery, this became the Royal Cape Golf Club. The course on the Common was kept going until play stopped in 1911. The move from the Common was partially due to a number of hazards not normally found on a golf course. For example, rugby matches were played across the first hole on Saturdays, the second fairway was alongside a Malay cemetery, and the fourth hole was situated on what had been the Rondebosch municipal rubbish dump. Being a Common, members of the public were also allowed to ride their horses and even graze their cows on the golf course.
It was from this background that in 1910 the Mowbray Golf Club was developed on a property adjacent to Uitvlugt by players who didn't want to travel to Ottery and a new course in Sybrand Park, on the flood-plain of the Black River, was developed on land leased by the Rondebosch Golf Club.