Royal Cape Golf Club, established in 1885, is celebrated as South Africa’s oldest golfing society. Initially, members played at Wynberg Military Camp and Rondebosch Common before relocating to Ottery in 1906. The original course, crafted by club professional J.W. Stewart, with assistance from members, underwent significant redesigns over the years. Dr. Charles Murray, who later designed other notable courses, reconfigured the layout in the late 1920s. Influential architects such as S.V. Hotchkin, Bob Grimsdell, Peter Matkovich, and Phil Jacobs contributed to its evolution, with the greens being updated to USGA standards in 2000.
Renowned as a championship course, Royal Cape has hosted numerous prestigious tournaments, including the national Amateur Championship and the South African Open, with the latter held ten times, the most recent being in 1996. The club also regularly hosts the Cape Town Open on the Sunshine Tour.
The course itself is a classic parkland layout, characterised by narrow fairways lined with trees that severely penalise errant shots. Water hazards, including ponds and creeks, come into play on several holes, particularly from the 3rd to the 6th and the 13th to the 16th. Among its challenging features is the 440-yard, par-four 14th hole, known for its difficulty due to a right dogleg and prevailing winds, often resulting in high scores for golfers.
