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Pretoria Country Club

Pretoria - Gauteng

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General manager: Vivian van Wyk
Golf manager: Christiaan Jonck
Golf directors: Athol Dowie & Sybrand van der Spuy
Greenkeeper: Wynand Ferreira (STM)
Club captain: Leroux Fourie
Chairman: Louw Massyn
CRITERIA SUMMARY: Total points 76.5 out of 100
Conditioning15.8 / 20
Playability15.8 / 20
Aesthetics12.8 / 15
Design Variety11.1 / 15
Shot Values10.3 / 15
Memorability10.7 / 15

Course Summary

Three tees / Par 72

White 6398 metres, CR 73.8/136
Blue 5726 metres, CR70.0/134
Red 5253 metres, CR67.3/127
Women’s blue, CR75.6/145
Women’s red, CR73.0/134

Visitor green fee

R610 affiliated weekday
R800 affiliated weekend
R1 100 non-affiliated
Golf carts R480

Course designer

Clarrie Moore 1910
Bob Grimsdell 1950
Fred Hawtree 1968
Gary Player Design 2005

Contact

012 460 6242
www.ptacc.co.za

Previous rankings

24 (2024), 28 (2023), 31 (2022) & 38 (2021)

Pretoria Country Club enjoys a magnificent setting in the upmarket Waterkloof suburb east of the city. Unusually the club still occupies its original site from when the club was founded in 1910, and the main reason for that is the beautiful lake behind the clubhouse. This was the centrepiece of the club in the early 20th century and a particular attraction for members. The club was officially opened on October 8, 1910, just four months after the formation of the Union of South Africa.

The parkland course, however, has always kept its distance from the lake, and there are a relatively modest amount of water hazards in play. The attractive par-3 eighth green though has an island green reached by a bridge. The gently undulating course makes up for that by being strongly bunkered, this happening when the Bob Grimsdell layout was modernised by the Gary Player Group early in the millennium. Some holes have them in abundance. The uphill par-5 18th has a total of 13 bunkers, six of them guarding the green. 

Pretoria CC had all 18 of the greens, plus the practice putting green, restored in 2018 by their golf course maintenance contractor, Southern Turf Management. The bent grass greens had become infested with poa, several had drainage and growing issues, and the resurfacing project has restored the course with quality putting surfaces using Dominator bent. Three greens, 11-13-15, had their slopes and contours softened to provide more pin positions. Each green had a new gravel layer installed to USGA specifications.

Pretoria CC is a true country club with a broad membership of 1800, having two bowling greens, six tennis and six squash courts, a snooker room, and wine fraternity club. There’s a birding club, and over 90 different species have been recorded on the property.

Read: TOP 100 CLUBS WITH THE BEST LOCKER ROOMS

Additional Course Facts

Course Record

61 by Hennie Otto, 2010 Vodacom Championship;
Jacques Blaauw, 2015 Tshwane Open

Feature Holes

The dogleg par-4 15th, 390 metres from the back tee, was christened by Bobby Locke in the 1950s as the club’s signature hole. It usually requires a layup short of a deep bunker on the right and trees on the left, leaving a challenging approach with a medium iron across a water hazard and willow tree to an elongated green sloping from back to front. The 330m 17th is an excellent short par 4, having a well bunkered fairway and narrow green. Pretoria CC has a good range of par 3s, from 125m at No 8 to 206m at No 16. The 443m 10th, a sharp dogleg right, is one of Gauteng’s outstanding par 4s.

Practice Facility

There is a members only 250-metre downhill range for 20-25 players adjoining the 18th, with a high net to protect balls from entering the playing area. Teaching pros Athol Dowie and Henk Alberts.

Club Champions

2024 Aubrey Kok & Maritha de Beer
2023 Marais Vorster & Maritha de Beer
2022 Louis Moolman & Bronwyn Doeg
2021 Christiaan Maas & Bronwyn Doeg
2020 Christiaan Maas & Bronwyn Doeg
2019 Christiaan Maas (15) & Danielle du Toit

Did You Know

1/ Joint golf directors and club professionals Sybrand van der Spuy and Athol Dowie have been together at the club for a combined total of more than 80 years. Van der Spuy joined in 1977 and Dowie in 1980. Earlier club pros were Graham Roebert (1957-1992) and George van Niekerk (1948-57).

2/ South Africans won all three Tshwane Opens at PCC (European Tour): George Coetzee 2015 (266), Charl Schwartzel 2016 (264) and Dean Burmester 2017 (266). Coetzee was a club champion with Richard Sterne and Martin Maritz.

3/ Hennie Otto had a record 72-hole score of 260 when he won the 2010 Vodacom Championship. He had 31 birdies and two eagles, set a course record of 61, and won by 9 shots. Incredibly he had 9 twos at the short holes.

4/ Clarrie Moore was the club’s first professional – General Louis Botha was one of the golfers he taught – and he designed and built the original rudimentary course. Grass greens were only planted in the late 1920s. He was the uncle of champion golfers Jock and Sid Brews, and was the club pro on and off until retiring in 1946.

5/ Golfers enjoy The Pavilion overlooking the course, and behind that is the old clubhouse, with all the function rooms. It has been home since 1998 to the Pretoria Club, founded in 1885, and their magnificently decorated club rooms contain an impressive library.

6/ Past club champion Christiaan Maas won the 2021 SA Amateur at Royal J&K, and shot 17-under 271 at PCC to win the 2021 Gauteng North Open.

7/ Otway Hayes in 1939 was the first club member to win SA Amateur. Others: Jean Tindall (1961), Comrie du Toit (1966), George Coetzee (2005). Tindall was club champion 20 times from 1945 to 1972.

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Course Reviews

Pretoria Country Club is a golfing experience that combines demanding holes with timeless elegance. This classic course offers a picturesque setting with tree-lined fairways, a well-maintained layout, and a tranquil atmosphere that belies its proximity to the city. Greens are immaculate – fast, true, and a pleasure to putt on. Clearly cared for with precision and pride - world-class surfaces! The course plays with considerable teeth from the white tees, demanding accuracy and course management. Even seasoned golfers will find themselves tested, particularly on strokes 1 and 2, both difficult par 4s, holes 1 and 10. These are not just tough on the card, but require strategic shot-making to navigate successfully. Another standout hole is the par-3 eighth. Just 128m from white, this superb short has an island green, and is one of those rare holes that manages to be both scenic and intimidating in equal measure. The clubhouse at PCC adds to the overall experience with its timeless charm and welcoming atmosphere. The course is still lush and at its most breathtaking at this time of year. The combination of a challenging layout, pristine conditions and rich history makes PCC a standout gem that deserves a spot on every golfer’s bucket list. If you haven’t played it yet, you’re missing out on one of our finest golfing experiences.

Jon James
29 May 2025
PCC was closed for eight consecutive days due to unusually wet conditions, 356mm in a month. It raises the question, How does heavy rain affect our use of courses? PCC greenkeeper Wynand Ferreira explained: "Grass roots grow in air spaces between soil particles. That honeycomb effect allows water to drain through the soil. If we walk or ride on saturated grass, those pockets close up and water can’t disperse as easily. The course takes longer to dry out. At saturation point, if roots have no air, there’s only so much time they can sit in water before they die. That’s why waterlogged grass turns brown. Walking and driving carts in wet conditions results in compaction and pushes the grass into the soil, crushing the roots. Grass dries from the top, but below that it can still be wet. Water has to soak down further. If we do not protect the turf in these circumstances and allow golfers to continue playing, the playing surface will deteriorate, and damage within the soil might take months to recover, requiring more remedial action. We can’t control nature or the weather. But golfers, carts and trolleys are things we have to control to maintain a good quality course."
Stuart McLean
12 February 2025
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One of the most interesting and challenging designs in Gauteng, plus a beautiful walk through leafy parkland terrain. Immaculately groomed and presented, with bothersome rough. I'm not a fan of uphill opening holes, yet I make an exception for the 390m first, one of the trickiest starting holes in SA golf, even for an accomplished golfer. A bend in the fairway means the tee shot must be reined in, leaving a lengthy approach to a raised fortress of a green. Doglegs, either subtle or sharp, are a feature of the layout, and on the straighter 4s you have to favour one side of the fairway. PCC doesn't rely on length to examine your game, an example of that being three shortish 4s (2-7-17) which demand precise tee shots to open up their greens. The front nine is just over 3000 metres, but then comes a magnificent quartet of holes from 10-13 which must trouble every club golfer. At a combined length of 1841 metres they each demand a solid tee shot on the fairway, and then long approaches into exacting greens. The 576m 12th is a colossal hole, even though it plays downhill to an attractive amphitheatre of a green complex. PCC has in their eighth hole one of the few island green 3s in SA, although it is a wide target at 128 from the back.
Stuart McLean
08 February 2025
Great course. It plays tough but in very good condition.
Vukani
12 May 2024
This course is superbly presented from tee to green and in the out-of-play areas. Everything as it should be, neatly mown and tidy, bunkers immaculate. Greens were slow, but I can understand why with the heatwave in Gauteng. The allround experience at PCC is impressive with its range of first-class facilities and the variety of different challenges on the course cannot be emphasised enough. And nothing close to a weak hole among the 18. A busy club and sometimes a challenge to find parking.
Lamprecht de Villiers
28 November 2023
Gauteng North hosted its first ever Seniors Golf Society national tournament at Pretoria CC this week, and what a brilliant venue it was for 200 plus golfers. Visitors were awed by the magnificence, easy accessibility and comfort of the club facilities, while the well-balanced parkland course was presented in pristine condition. It proved an exacting challenge using a combination of white and blue tees. PCC, due to having four shortish par 4s, is not long by Gauteng standards, yet every hole has demanding characteristics that will tax the club golfer. PCC has SA's most formidable combination of starting holes on each nine, rare to experience. They are both strikingly impressive to look at. The fairway of the 390m first (stroke 2) curves left between tall trees and climbs gently to a raised green fronted by two bunkers. Equally daunting is the 434m tenth (it boasts fabulous elevated tees) with a sharp right dogleg, and deep bunker on the corner. I've said it before: the back nine is a masterpiece of course design and beautiful aesthetics.
Stuart McLean
12 May 2023
An outstanding day out at one of our premier sports clubs. PCC has a tremendous atmosphere and intoxicating vibe among its members that visitors can't help but notice and envy. They have five-star facilities in every part of the experience, and a beautiful parkland course that is most challenging if you're not familiar with its twists and turns. Due to the elevation changes and the varied designs of the greens, the approach shots into the pin are extremely tricky, with danger lurking if you're wayward. The front nine had a few average holes after a strong start, but the back nine more than made up for that with the magnificent stretch from 12 to 17.
Lamprecht de Villiers
30 December 2022
Pretoria Country Club should be called Royal Pretoria. A club over 100 years old feels regal from the moment you enter the gates. But once you tee off you realise there's nothing old or outdated about this track. It surely has the best bunkers in Gauteng! The greens are as firm as a cricket pitch and run true. PCC has only a few water hazards but they are placed so cleverly on the front nine. Most of all go to PCC for the breakfast bun at the halfway house as it is fit for a king!
George Raubenheimer
29 January 2022
The overall experience at Pretoria CC is altogether excellent. One of the foremost clubs in South Africa in terms of the course layout, clubhouse facilities, pro shop, range and practice facilities, aesthetics and general ambience. The elegant and spacious locker room caught my eye, one of the best I've seen, and you conveniently walk straight out the door on to the practice putting green. And PCC has two of the best presented tee boxes for the opening holes of each nine. Their structure and substance adds character and stature to the hole you are about to play. You immediately feel stepping on to these tees you are about to play a top course. Some clubs don't appreciate the importance of having well-maintained and designed tees built to leave a lasting impression.
Stuart McLean
25 November 2021
I particularly enjoy the design variety at Pretoria CC and the driving options the course allows off the tee. The eighth is a personal favourite. This Par 3 with water guarding the green demands an accurate tee shot, with no more than a wedge in hand on most occasions, and you err at your peril. The downhill par-5 12th is another good hole (stroke 1), measuring 576m off the club tees. You will need two well struck shots to get close to the green, with bunkers waiting to gobble up a wayward shot. The greens are running true and were fast when we played.  They do tend to run out in the winter. I was impressed with the bunker presentation, maintenance and levelling. Bunkers are plentiful and all consistent. Well done to the PCC ground staff. The halfway house is a favourite and the service there and at the 19th is top notch.
Jon James
30 August 2021
The back nine at Pretoria CC is one of the best 9-holes in South Africa. The undulating holes are varied and challenging, and the parkland aesthetics stunningly beautiful. Every hole is excellent in its own distinct way. The dogleg right tenth is a thrillingly difficult long par 4; the downhill par-5 12th goes on forever (580 metres); the 17th is an excellent risk-and-reward short par 4 for longer hitters; and 18 concludes with an uphill par 5 guarded by a series of bunkers. The par-3s are superb. No 14 reminds me of the famous 12th at Augusta National, from an elevated tee over water to a narrow target, while No 16 is 200 metres from a high back tee to a green guarded by water. Course design at its very best.
Stuart McLean
20 April 2021

The course is currently looking and playing amazing. With all the rain of late it is the greenest it has been in 10 years with well-paced receptive greens. A treat to play at PCC. From the first tee to halfway house to the 19th it’s all well done and well looked after.

Ross Venter
12 February 2021
I enjoyed playing here, the course was in great condition, the greens rolling well. Good layout with strategic bunkers on every hole. Definitely the best course in Pretoria!
Stefan Rudman
01 January 2021
Avoiding the deep bunkers is key to having a good round. Layout tests all aspects of your game. Four very different par 3s, and the par 5s provide an opportunity to make up some shots.
Sandor Kovacs
18 April 2020

Pretoria CC has raised the bar with its new greens. A delight to play this parkland beauty in its current great shape. The property reeks of history and tradition and class. It's a magnificent old members club with loads of activities for everyone including snooker. The pro shop is now in the Pavilion by the putting green, and overlooking the first tee is the smart Blu Saffron restaurant. Opposite is a coffee shop-cum-halfway house. At the back of the main building past the tennis courts is a large and attractive dam with fishing and picnic areas, which visitors never see.

Stuart McLean
24 March 2020
This course is the best it has ever been! The tees are level and in great condition. Some holes play differently from alternative tees. The fairways are superb and no need for placing. The new greens have settled and run true. Bunkers are a feature, in great condition and a joy to play from.
Philip Malan
21 February 2020
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