Africa’s oldest golf club: flat, windy parkland that has staged ten SA Opens.
Royal Cape Golf Club was founded on 14 November 1885 by Lieutenant General Sir Henry Torrens, days after he arrived at the Cape, which makes it the oldest golf club in Africa. It sits on Ottery Road in Wynberg, a southern suburb of Cape Town, with Table Mountain and Devil’s Peak in view. The club has hosted the South African Open ten times, from 1910 to 1996, and has been home to the Cape Town Open since 2012. It is a members’ club that welcomes visitors and sells tee times online.
Visitors book on the club’s Book Online page, where a visitor tee sheet shows the times the club has released and lets you pay. Visitor times can be sparse, especially close to the date. If the sheet is empty for your dates, email reception@royalcapegolf.co.za or call +27 21 761 6551; the office is open 07h00 to 17h00 on weekdays. The club says to contact it if the booking page shows an error. The rate card separates SAGA-affiliated visitors from non-affiliated visitors, so check which applies to your home-club handicap before you pay. Associate members of partner clubs pay a reduced rate under reciprocal agreements.
Non-affiliated visitor, 18 holes, valid 1 September 2026 to 31 August 2027. Visitors affiliated to the South African Golf Association pay R1,550.
| Non-affiliated visitor, 18 holes | R1,950 |
|---|---|
| Non-affiliated visitor, 9 holes | R1,250 |
| Affiliated visitor (SAGA), 18 holes | R1,550 |
| Affiliated visitor (SAGA), 9 holes | R950 |
| Visitor student (full-time, under 25), 18 holes | R375 |
The first course was a rough nine holes on Waterloo Green at the Wynberg military camp. The present 18 are credited to Charles Murray and play to a par of 72; Wikipedia gives the length as 6,121 metres. The land is flat, so the challenge comes from narrow, tree-lined fairways, ponds and lakes, and the wind. The club’s own summary is three things: a near-constant wind, sweeping mountain views and water features. From September to March the south-easterly Cape Doctor blows across this exposed ground. The greens are built to USGA specification. Past winners here include Gary Player, Ernie Els, Mark McNulty and Trevor Immelman. King George V granted the royal title in 1910.
Royal Cape is in the middle of the southern suburbs, so it fits into a city stay rather than needing its own base. Plan an early start in summer, before the south-easter builds in the afternoon. The pro shop hires out electric carts, pull trolleys and clubs, which is useful if you have flown in without a bag. A nine-hole rate exists for a late-afternoon round. The clubhouse has a bar and catering, so lunch after the round needs no extra planning. The office keeps weekday hours only, so send any weekend request by email before Friday afternoon.
Cape Town International (CPT) is roughly 15 km away, about 20 minutes by car outside peak traffic. The club is at 174 Ottery Road, Wynberg, close to the M5. The city centre and V&A Waterfront are around 20 minutes north on the M3 or M5. Wynberg is on the Southern Line railway, but most visiting golfers drive or take a transfer with their clubs.
Nearby: 1. Steenberg Golf Club (8 km) · 2. De Zalze Golf Club (33 km) · 3. Pearl Valley Jack Nicklaus Signature Golf Course (51 km) · 4. Arabella Golf Club (68 km) · Compare all Cape Town & the Winelands tee times
There is no accommodation at the club. The leafy southern suburbs of Newlands, Claremont and Constantia, all within about 15 minutes, have hotels and guesthouses, including the Steenberg Hotel & Spa on its own course and the Vineyard Hotel in Newlands. A city or Waterfront hotel also works, since Royal Cape is one of the quickest courses to reach from town.
Steenberg is 15 minutes south and contrasts well with Royal Cape: vineyards and dramatic par threes against flat, tree-lined parkland. The Metropolitan Golf Club at Green Point puts you beside the Atlantic near the stadium. A day in the Winelands adds De Zalze or Pearl Valley. Off the course, Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden is nearby on the eastern slopes of Table Mountain, and Maynardville Park in Wynberg hosts open-air theatre in summer.
These packages have a confirmed round at Royal Cape Golf Club in the itinerary, with the other courses, nights and hotels listed so you can compare like with like.
8 nights, 4 rounds plus safari
Rounds: Steenberg · Royal Cape · Pearl Valley · Leopard Creek
Stay: 5 nights B&B at the Queen Victoria Hotel, Cape Town; 3 full board at Jock Safari Lodge, Kruger
Three Cape Town rounds with a hire car, then three nights on safari with daily game drives and a round at Leopard Creek.
10 nights, 5 rounds plus safari
Rounds: Steenberg · Royal Cape · Arabella · Pearl Valley · Leopard Creek
Stay: Queen Victoria Hotel, Arabella Hotel & Spa, Lanzerac Wine Estate and Jock Safari Lodge
Cape Town, Hermanus and the Winelands before Kruger: five rounds, transfers included, and daily game drives at Jock Safari Lodge.
Prices are Golfbreaks’ published per-person guide prices in US dollars, checked November 2026; your quote depends on dates and group size. We may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. How we work
Cape Town’s rain falls mostly from May to August, when the wind is usually lighter and the course softer. From September to March the south-easterly Cape Doctor blows often, and the course is at its firmest. The Cape Town Open is played here, so check the tournament dates before you fix a visit.
Explore golf by monthYes. Royal Cape was founded on 14 November 1885 by Lieutenant General Sir Henry Torrens, and it describes itself as Africa’s oldest golf club. Its first nine holes were on Waterloo Green at the Wynberg military camp, and it received the royal title in 1910.
For 1 September 2026 to 31 August 2027, a non-affiliated visitor pays R1,950 for 18 holes or R1,250 for nine. Visitors affiliated to the South African Golf Association pay R1,550 and R950. Visitor students under 25 pay R375.
The rate card includes a separate weekend rate for members’ guests, and visitor times appear on the online sheet only when the club releases them. If no weekend slot shows for your dates, email reception with your preferred times rather than assuming the day is full.
Royal Cape has hosted the South African Open ten times between 1910 and 1996, and it has been home to the Cape Town Open since 2012. Wikipedia also records the Cape Town Ladies Open here from 2015.
Last checked 10 November 2026. This is an independent planning guide, not a first-hand review or a booking service. Check live availability, access, fees and travel details with the operator before booking. Airport suggestions are starting points for route planning.
How we research our guidesPhoto credits and licencesMountain-framed golf at the heart of a Garden Route escape.
Nicklaus fairways under the Simonsberg, a short hop from Franschhoek.
Matkovich fairways along the Bot River Lagoon, ninety minutes from Cape Town.
Destination imagery
