Raga
Children in Cape Town

Talented and deserving. The Raymond Ackerman Golf Academy (RAGA) is a unique youth development programme based at Clovelly Country Club in Cape Town.

A unique youth development programme based at Clovelly Country Club in Cape Town. In 2003, Clovelly Country Club launched a golf and caddy development programme to encourage transformation in golf. The original idea was to provide basic golf tuition to previously disadvantaged or poor people as well as uplifting the Club's caddies through basic life-skills coaching, thereby enhancing the esprit de corps within the Club. We soon realised that a more holistic approach was needed in order to determine the programme's goals, its policies and criteria, the funding requirements and the parameters in which to operate and run a successful foundation. In late 2007 Jonathan Ackerman thought it would be in the best interests of the young people to take the programme to another level and consequently founded the Raymond Ackerman Golf Academy as a Trust. He has taken on the responsibility of Chairman and nominated Trustees who share his passion for giving the children in our communities a fairer chance in life. The past few years has seen remarkable advancement within RAGA. Our approach to nurturing and developing young people is clearly paying dividends. In our students we are witnessing substantial improvement in school results as well as growth in self-esteem and leadership skills, in fact growth in all of their social and personal skills. And last but not least; the emergence of some great golfing talent. My father, Raymond Ackerman, has always believed that by investing in talented youngsters, we not only experience the joy that comes with nurturing a young person; we also ensure rich returns for South Africa in the future. It is for this reason that the Raymond Ackerman Golf Academy was established. It is an honour to watch them grow, work hard,enjoy themselves and see them take on all challenges with the utmost enthusiasm.