At the Walker Cup Tournament with Bishops playing Rondebosch, held earlier this year at the Royal Cape Golf Club, the CT Secretary/ODA Paul Murray met up with Derek LLoyd and Dean Cowling.  Paul asked them to send in their stories, each has a compelling golfing background and the purpose of the article is to share it.  ODs wishing to share their stories such as Derek & Dean have done, are welcome to send them to pmurray@bishops.org.za 

Derek Lloyd: 

I was given my first golf club at about age 6 so around 1972 ish and the bug bit. My dad. Keith, was a passionate golfer, which somewhat made up for him being a Rondebosch old boy.  He also had a fair degree of common sense in deciding to send me to Bishops in 1979 for high school.  I officially became a prentice member at Westlake in the same year and have been a member there ever since. 46 years and counting. In 1983 and 1984 I played golf for Bishops and for many years after school have played in the annual Walker Cup matches od’s v RBHS old boys. Golf and Westlake has given me great happiness, friendships, life lessons and opportunities. My father was actively involved in all aspects of Westlake and was captain in 1984/85 and Club President in 2002/03 . He passed his passion for golf and willingness to serve onto me and in 1996/97 at age 31 I was elected onto Committee and served for a couple of years. Possibly the youngest committee member ever. At the same time I was also playing well enough to be selected to play Stephan  – now known as Premier league. This privilege allowed me to experience one of my greatest days in golf ever. That was a magical Sunday in 2002 when we, as total underdogs, beat the mighty Royal Cape 7/5  to win the Stephan Premier League trophy for only the second time in Westlake’s history. I turned 5 down through 9 and managed to nip away at the deficit to be one down standing on the last tee. Then on the last green I rolled in a 12 foot downhill slider to win the hole for an unlikely half. A golfing moment of pure unadulterated joy. A few years later,  I was also privileged enough to be in the Westlake team that won the inaugural WP Mid-Amateur League in 2005.  Another forever golden moment was my winning the Hermanus Club Championship in 1996. Most recently I competed in the Westlake Club Champs after giving it a skip for 25 plus years. The boys were all chirping that it’s not right for the captain of the club not to play. So I stepped up and after the howling winds had settled on the second weekend, I ended up winning the Seniors ( Over 55) trophy and coming 5th in the main champs.

In 2006 I was offered the job as Golf and Operations Director at Randpark Club in Gauteng. It was a great time at a 36 hole facility. During this time I was able to study and obtained an international certification in Golf Club Management through the Club Manager’s Association of South Africa in conjunction with the Club Manager’s Association of America. Our group were the first South African graduates of this international programme.  As much as we loved Joburg my wife, Tammy and I could not see ourselves bringing up or schooling our young daughter in Joburg. So we “semigrated” back to Cape Town in Sept 2015. I slotted back into Westlake life with my mates, leagues , social play and all that Westlake has to offer. A few years ago a couple of my mates approached me and asked me to stand for committee. I initially said no as I’m not a 100 percent believer in committees running clubs after managing one for 6 years. Anyway their persistence won out and in 2021 I was back on Westlake’s committee after a 24 year hiatus. It is not my in my nature to be a wall flower and in my second year an opportunity presented to stand for Vice Captain. I was successful and then 2 years later in November of 2024 I became Captain. It is also quite poignant that I am in this role exactly 40 years after my Dad. It is a huge honour to be able to serve and give back to Westlake.

A bit like the Bells advert. I’ve been playing this game for 50 years, am soon to be 60, manage to hold a 2 handicap, represent my Club in whatever league I’m required to, play golf with my mates and other wonderful members, love and serve my golf Club and still have yet to have a bloody Hole in One.  One day maybe and if not, no bother, I’ll keep teeing it up until I no longer can.

Dean Cowling:

Golf clubs have always felt like home to me. Before we moved to Cape Town, I spent many days at Hullets Country Club in Durban, which later became Mount Edgecombe. My mom, Margie, used to take my sister, Robyne, and me for swims in the club pool before meeting my dad for dinner at the restaurant. I can still recall the buzz of those days when the club hosted its famous skins events, where legends like Vijay Singh and Nick Price played for “big money.”

In 1994, our family moved to Cape Town, settling first in Llandudno and later Hout Bay. I went to Llandudno Primary, where surfing quickly became my new obsession. On days without school sport, a group of us would carry our surfboards down to the beach straight after class, staying in the waves until sunset.

Then my folks had what I considered a wild idea at the time, sending me to Bishops for high school. Surfing made way for more traditional school sports, and it wasn’t until Standard 6 or 7 that golf re-entered the picture. My dad and I applied to join Westlake Golf Club, and I still remember the nerves before that interview with the captain and committee, rehearsing my reasons for wanting to become a member.

Westlake became a huge part of my life. My dad and I shared countless rounds and joined a regular Saturday fourball of wonderfully patient members who encouraged me through my erratic early days. Those rounds, and the Sunday 9-holers with my dad and my mom walking alongside remain some of my fondest memories. Westlake was also incredibly welcoming to young golfers, and before long, a bunch of varsity mates joined too. Our student fourballs became legendary, complete with a pink cap for the worst performer and fines for what felt like anything.

Eventually, adult life crept in. When I qualified as a Chartered Accountant, the student discount disappeared, and golf had to take a back seat for a while. But I didn’t stay away for long.

Through my now-wife, Shelley (née Robertson), I began playing more often at Royal Cape Golf Club, where her brother Stephen and his friends, all ODs, were members. Those Saturday morning games were my early auditions for future brother-in-law approval, and luckily, I must have passed. I officially joined Royal Cape in July 2014, shortly before Shelley and I were married that November.

Fast forward a few years, and my involvement deepened when a few of us started reviving Wednesday afternoon golf at Royal Cape. What began as two fourballs has grown into one of the largest and most diverse golf “schools” at the club, a community within a community. That sense of camaraderie and inclusion was something I recognised immediately, it reminded me of Bishops.

I remember, when my folks gave me the opportunity to go to Bishops, how lucky I felt to be part of an organisation with so much history, legacy, and tradition. Being a member, and now a custodian, of Royal Cape gives me that same feeling. There’s a deep sense of belonging, of being connected to something bigger than yourself. And much like at Bishops, it’s the people, not just the place, that make it special.

In early 2023, then–Vice Captain Christie Cloete approached me (strategically, after a few Wednesday beers) to serve as his Vice Captain. I tried to laugh it off, but his persistence and genuine love for the club won me over. After serving from March 2023 to February 2025, I was honoured to be elected as Club Captain earlier this year. My Vice Captain, James Leach, is an Old Andrean, and together we’re proud to represent a younger generation of leadership at one of South Africa’s most historic clubs.

Royal Cape, founded in 1885, is the home of golf in South Africa and recently celebrated its 140th anniversary. Few realise the club originally stood on the Rondebosch Common — the same ground where the first Bishops–SACS rugby match was played. It feels fitting that so many Bishops connections have woven their way into the club’s long and storied history.

There’s an amazing vibe at the club these days, a balance of tradition, community, and fun, and I’d like to think I’ve had a small part to play in that. Watching members from all backgrounds enjoying the course, the clubhouse, and the friendships formed here has been one of the most rewarding parts of the job.

On that note, it’s been particularly special to share this moment in Western Province golf with another OD, Derek Lloyd, who serves as Captain of Westlake Golf Club, the place where my own golfing story began. Two ODs, two great Cape Town clubs, and one shared heritage of sport, friendship, and community.

As if I didn’t already have enough to keep me busy, I’ve also taken over organising the Walker Cup, the annual Bishops ODs vs Rondebosch OBs match. After many years at Rondebosch, we brought it “home” to Royal Cape this year, and perhaps thanks to that home-course advantage, the ODs secured a convincing 22–11 victory over our old rivals.

Balancing this role with work and family life sometimes feels like having three jobs, but I wouldn’t trade it. Leading a club like Royal Cape is a privilege, and in many ways, it feels like coming full circle. From club kid to club captain, from Bishops boy to OD organiser, it’s been a journey shaped by great people, shared traditions, and a lifelong love for the game.