Rondebosch

Cape Town - Western Cape

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General manager: Corne Pelser
Golf manager: Philip Esau
Greenkeeper: Beattie West
Club captain: Ken Walker
President: Mike Heath

Course Summary

Three tees / Par 72

Yellow 6000 metres, CR72.2/138
White 5592 metres, CR70.1/128
Red 5136 metres, CR67.9/124
Women’s white, CR76.1/134
Women’s red, CR73.2/126

 Visitor green fees

R350 affiliated
R450 non-affiliated
Seniors R280 & R380

Course designer

Charles Molteno Murray 1937

Contact

021 689 4176
www.rondeboschgolfclub.com

This centrally-situated historic Cape Town club (founded in 1911) has Devil’s Peak as a scenic backdrop, plus a challenging parkland layout that has an interesting mix of different holes, undulating in places. It has been one of the consistently best-conditioned courses in the city for many years, and is popular with local golfers. It’s busy, with over 50 000 annual rounds.

The course has changed its routing over the years, due to a 10-8 split on its nines. The old eighth hole, a strong par 4, recently became the 18th. Curiously, the finishing holes on each nine conclude on each side of the clubhouse, rather than in front of it. An unusual feature is that the tees of three holes – Nos 1, 6 and 11 – are immediately in front of the clubhouse.

Rondebosch has at times lived in the shadow of its neighbour, King David Mowbray, which lies a pitch shot across the busy N2 highway separating the two. Whereas Mowbray has held SA Opens and men’s SA Amateurs, Rondebosch has instead hosted the SA Women’s Open and SA Women’s Amateur, in recognition of the club’s exceptionally strong women’s section. The club uniquely had a female club captain, Erica Lefson, former president of Women’s Golf SA.

The Black River runs through the edge of the course, splitting three holes from the rest. The par-3 second is played across the river, and the par-4 eighth is a wonderful risk-reward short par 4 with the river bank hard up against the left edge of the fairway from tee to green. The par-5 ninth is one of the best golf holes in Cape Town, a big curving dogleg to the left around the boundary fence. There’s a water hazard on the right off the tee, and the second shot has to be played across a deep culvert that runs at an angle across the fairway.

Additional Course Facts

Practice Facility

A 150-metre long range close to the clubhouse with grass tees and a short-game facility. Warm-up nets at first tee.
Craig Lewthwaite is the teaching professional.

Course Record

62, Pieter Moolman, 2022 Cape Town Open
(31-31, 9 birdies, 1 eagle);
Felix Mory, 2022 Cape Town Open
(30-32, 8 birdies, 1 eagle)
63, Alan McLean, 1998 Vodacom Series West Cape;
Brett Liddle, 2001 Western Cape Classic

Club Champions

2021 A B Price & Amanda Ogden
2020 Hilmi Mallick & Gill Tebbutt
2019 Kyran Hawkins & Gill Tebbutt

TOURNAMENTS

Pieter Moolman and Felix Mory (France) set a new course record of 62 within an hour of each other on February 18 when Rondebosch co-hosted the 2022 Cape Town Open. Moolman had nine birdies and an eagle three at 17, Mory eight birdies and an eagle three at 13. Rondebosch has hosted Sunshine Tour events and the SA Women’s Open.

Did You Know

1/ Two prominent club members, Gillian Tebbutt and Ronnie Glennie, are in the SA Golf Hall of Fame.

2/ Tebbutt is the most successful amateur in the history of SA women’s golf. She has numerous international and SA titles, but one of her memorable feats has been to win the Rondebosch club championship 42 times! Her first title was as 19-year-old Gill Whitfield in 1973, and her 40th came in 2018. She and older sister Lynn have won 50 titles in 56 years.

3/ Glennie as an amateur won the 1947 SA Open at Mowbray, and 1949 SA Amateur at Maccauvlei. His 12 club championships at Rondebosch were over a span of 27 years, 1946 to 1973.

4/ The club has one of the country’s longest-serving greenkeepers in Beattie West, who has kept the course to a high standard for more than 20 years.

5/ In the 2002 SA Women’s Amateur, 15-year-old Tanica van As from Port Elizabeth won the strokeplay title against a strong squad of British and Irish international.

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Course Reviews
Great greens, good catering, friendly staff, and daily specials.
Johan Venter
05 October 2023
I'm familiar with Rondebosch having played it while a UCT student. The course (with a 10-8 split) has both a canal and the Black River intersecting on the front nine, coming into play on five holes. It has a wonderful backdrop of Devil's Peak and the back of Table Mountain. The Black River at far end of the course can be an eyesore due to its stench and filthiness. If cleaned up, it would transform the aesthetics. The course's main defence is the summer south-easterly wind but when I played in winter it was more the wet conditions that proved daunting as there was zero runout on tee shots, severely hampering distance. I enjoy the mix of holes, left and right doglegs, carries over water, par 3s of varying length and difficulty. Fun to play and perfect for a relaxed round with mates. The conditioning on my most recent visit was a pleasant surprise. The greens were exceptional.
Jean-Luc Regaud
04 August 2023
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Rondebosch recently co-hosted the Cape Town Open for the first time, resulting in a new course record of 62 by two players. It was revealing that the toughest hole for the tour pros was the 383m par-4 18th which played to an average of 4.39. This is a demanding finishing hole into the south-easter and Rondebosch is blessed with several strong par 4s on this varied layout -- the seventh and 11th being the best of them. The course enjoys interesting undulations on the back nine which provide it with plenty of character. The 15th climbs a steep hill to the green. Par 3s are always rated among the more difficult holes at Sunshine Tour events, and Nos 12 and 16 with their small greens proved the trickiest. Interesting to note that there were five eagle twos on the short par 4 tenth, yet none on the similar length eighth.
Stuart McLean
01 March 2022
Rondebosch might not be in the Top 100 but this is one of Cape Town's most enjoyable courses to play, with excellent clubhouse facilities and consistently good conditioning. It offers beautiful mountain views. An interesting variety of testing parkland holes, and two nines very different in character, the first on flat land alongside the river, and the second nine slightly hilly. Mature trees frame every hole, adding to the attractiveness. What a shame though about all the rubbish contaminating the river, particularly sad to see on the par-3 second where you play over it, and the excellent risk-and-reward short par 4 eighth which has the river on its left. That's followed by a brilliant dogleg par 5. It's one of several quality holes on this layout, and nothing that could be described as weak.
Thomas Souness
19 February 2021
Rondebosch is one of Cape Town's most consistently well-conditioned courses. Following a summer of exceptionally strong winds the course has held up well.
Eve Starke
16 March 2020
Very popular course, busy most days. Clubhouse has been attractively transformed with stacks of space for golfers to relax. It's a course with an infinite variety of well-designed holes, particularly the four par 5s. My only complaint would be the amount of unsightly litter around the Black River and canal.
Stuart McLean
14 February 2020
Attention to detail not good. Major work required to trim and shape trees. Certainly not the course it was some years ago.
Anton Bezuidenhout
13 February 2020
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