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The Club at Steyn City

Fourways - Gauteng

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General manager: Pierre van Vuuren
COO: Oloff van Niekerk
Head superintendent: Jerry Steyn (Golf Data)
Greenkeeper: Oden Chabalala
CRITERIA SUMMARY: Total points 78.3 out of 100
Conditioning15.7 / 20
Playability15.9 / 20
Aesthetics13.0 / 15
Design Variety11.5 / 15
Shot Values10.8 / 15
Memorability11.4 / 15

Course Summary

Four tees / Par 72

Black 7054 metres, CR76.3/153
White 6570 metres, CR73.7/149
Blue 5973 metres, CR70.5/138
Red 5225 metres, CR66.8/128
Women’s blue, CR77.2/150
Women’s red, CR72.5/140

Visitor green fee

R1 750 includes golf cart
Course closed Mondays

Course designer

Nicklaus Design 2014

Contact

010 597 1030
www.steyncity.co.za
golf@steyncity.co.za

Previous rankings

14 (2024), 17 (2023), 23 (2022) & 26 (2021)

Steyn City is the most expansive property in Africa, six times the size of Sandton City, four times the size of Monaco, and two-and-a-half times larger than New York’s Central Park. Developed by insurance magnate Douw Steyn, it is South Africa’s largest playground for adults and children alike, centrally situated between Johannesburg and Pretoria.

The opulence of the clubhouse and its facilities is matched on the 18 holes by a distinctive level of conditioning that illustrates the priority given to the course in the overall image of the estate. Bent grass greens and tees, and kikuyu fairways enable the course to stay green throughout the year.

In keeping with the grandeur and breadth of Steyn City is a world-class modern golf course by Nicklaus Design which was nearly six years in the making by course construction experts Golf Data, who continue to maintain it. Its undulating setting over an area of 90 hectares has resulted in a succession of fabulously creative holes. At 7 054 metres off the black tees it’s a big challenge for the longest hitters, yet wide fairways make for a player-friendly layout.

The golf course is not the only attraction. One of the impressive aspects of The Club at Steyn City is the way the elegant award-winning clubhouse blends so perfectly into the golfing landscape around it. A spacious deck flows beautifully around the buildings and opens up the golfing vistas. The first tee is right in front of you, teetering high above the Jukskei River which flows through the property. 

The opulence of the clubhouse and its facilities is matched on the 18 holes by a distinctive level of conditioning that illustrates the priority given to the course in the overall image of the estate. Bent grass greens and cool season grass on the fairways enable the course to stay green throughout the year.

As with many of today’s modern layouts, this is a cart course. Water hazards have to be carried on several approaches, notably at the challenging par-4 18th (443m off the club tees). Softly undulating greens leave golfers with mostly straightforward putts. Thousands of trees have been planted between holes, and as they mature the course will benefit aesthetically.

Additional Course Facts

Course Record

62 by Shaun Norris in 2022 Steyn City Championship second round (32-30) with 8 birdies, 1 eagle.

Feature Holes

The first tee shot is an exciting experience on what ranks as one of the most scenic and challenging opening holes in South Africa. A 377-metre par 4 off the club tee, you play across the wide Jukskei River to a fairway that moves diagonally left to the line of play following the river. The green sits below the ridge of what used to be an old quarry. Another unique par 4 is the 359m seventh which plunges steeply downhill and entices golfers to have a crack at driving the green. The front nine ends with a 168m par-3 back across the Jukskei to an elevated green.

Practice Facility

Long and spacious 300-metre range behind the clubhouse with target greens, plus a short-game area, and practice putting green at clubhouse. At the far end of the range is the new Element Golf Academy, headed by teaching professional Greg Bentley. The entrance is via a cart path close to the 18th green.

MEN'S CLUB CHAMPION

2024 Kaiden Chetty/2023 Jonathan Butt
2022 Justin Mackenzie/2021 Stephen van Rhyn

Did You Know

1/ Golf is just one of many activities at this 2000-hectare lifestyle resort. There is an equestrian centre; recreation and leisure activities placed strategically along open green belts and the Jukskei River; plus a skate park, soccer pitches, nature trails, tennis and padel courts (alongside a 300-metre long lagoon), gym equipment, and a kids wonderland.

2/ Developer Douw Steyn died in 2025 and his palatial home sits on a ridge overlooking the course and clubhouse, towering over golfers on the tenth tee.

3/ Limited non-resident memberships available. Membership has grown to 180. Visitors welcome subject to availability.

4/ The clubhouse, a social hub for residents and guests, has won international acclaim for its innovative architectural design. All parking bays are on two covered levels. It includes a gym.

5/ Hosted first DP World Tour event in March 2022, the Steyn City Championship, won by Shaun Norris on 25-under 263 (64-62-67-70). Norris had 26 birdies and 1 eagle, just 3 bogeys. The 2023 event was won on 24-under 264 by Nick Bachem who had 29 birdies.

6/ The first hole-in-one at the downhill par-4 seventh was recorded by Don Wolmarans in June 2022 from 290 metres.

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Course Reviews
Steyn City is an excellent winter course, the fairways still green in late July, and not particularly firm, so tee shots aren't running out of control. Plenty of width off the tee here, but the greens are tricky to hold now that they're firm. Run-off areas accentuate the price of a mis-hit approach. Course is in superb condition and will be a great host venue for the first LIV Golf tournament in South Africa in March next year. The large water feature on the second hole, down the right side of the fairway and extending in front of the green, is being enlarged to become a major storage dam for irrigating the course. Incredible how deep it goes when you see it without water. The club is also about to dam up part of the Jukskei River, between the clubhouse and eighth tee, to create another attractive water feature left of the eighth fairway and in front of the par-3 ninth tees.
Richard O'Dwyer
02 August 2025
Overall very enjoyable. A shame the greens are recovering from earlier issues. They were good but not at their best. Good variety in the design for low handicaps. However, I do wonder how enjoyable it is for mid- to high-handicaps who spend time in the bunkers. They were poor with soft sand that didn’t seem to have been tended to by course staff. Fairways some of the best I’ve played recently and the effort levels of the staff to deliver a great experience can’t be faulted. Some attention to detail here and there would help. Tee markers were set up too narrow, two distance boards on par 3s were incorrect and these should be placed where the carts park, not next to the tee markers. As a course targeting the Top 10 there is room to improve.
Barry Tanner
07 May 2025
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Steyn City is an impressive estate, with a Nicklaus-designed course befitting of the overall setup. The drainage is good with the course playable and open to cart traffic. Steyn City is a long walk, making carts a necessity rather than a luxury. There is an excellent flow to the layout, beginning with a great opening hole over the Jukskei River. Good use has been made of the natural topography. The bunkering looks and feels well placed. Golfers can be challenged by the powdery white sand though, with plugged lies a possibility. Fairways, tees and overall presentation excellent. Great set of 3s (5-9-12-14), the ninth being a special hole over the river towards the impressive clubhouse. The 14th is a brute at 190m off club tees. Design variety very good. You don't feel you are playing the same type of hole at any point. A good mix of risk-reward, elevation changes, and demanding long 4s. Steyn City is both testing and fun, an excellent alternative to Gauteng's traditional parkland courses.

Jon James
05 May 2025
Steyn City's greens have recovered from a bout of pythium disease earlier in the year which entailed drastic and expensive treatment and cost the club their hosting of the Sunshine Tour's season-ending Tour Championship in March. The greens are steadily improving, although they remain soft and receptive to approach shots. It is one of the best allround golf experiences in Gauteng, and a most enjoyable layout to play with its excellent variety of different holes and challenges. It has a stunning opening hole over the Jukskei River, where finding a fairly narrow fairway off the tee makes a big difference, and an equally brilliant and even longer 18th. Two of the most attractive and testing par 4s in Gauteng. The white bunker sand is soft, and yet the ball releases easily. You don't want to be short-sided though. Quality of the tees is remarkable, even on the par 3s. The pace of play is in keeping with the tranquil countryside surroundings, you never feel rushed, and there's no buildup of fourballs. Most of the time the course is empty ahead of you which leaves a pleasurable feeling. Halfway house meals can be ordered on the first tee, and the catering is excellent.
Stuart McLean
04 May 2025
They were busy working on a few bunkers, and the greens were not as good as what you would expect from Steyn City. However, this is a great experience and very much a bucket list club. Personally, I think the drinks at the 19th were expensive.
Ignis van der Merwe
06 January 2025
This is probably the best manicured course I have played in my life, from tees to greens and bunkers. A wonderful next level experience. I recommend other golfers to make the effort to play Steyn City.
David Ungerer
09 October 2024
Excellent reception and professional service from the moment I arrived at the club. Course is in magnificent condition.
George Engelbrecht
19 August 2024
I was surprised that a high-end course such as Steyn City should suffer from the same fate as many other courses around SA, namely the reluctance of entitled golfers since Covid to rake bunkers they have played from. So many unraked it had to be more than one person involved. Not just light footmarks, but deep imprints in the sand. Leaving those to punish the next golfer is more than laziness, it's a middle finger to the etiquette of the game. Is there something especially onerous about raking bunkers or is it uncool for certain age groups? Sad to see on such a pristinely conditioned layout. What also surprised me on my end of July visit was just how green the fairways were despite morning frosts. This was a superb Gauteng winter experience at one of our very best estate layouts.
Stuart McLean
06 August 2024
This is an exceptional facility -- a "must-play" experience -- and one that will only be 10 years old in 2025. The greens complexes are among the best in SA, providing a test of both shot making and lag putting. On such an expansive property you feel quite alone on every fairway. Par 3s are an excellent mix of holes, No 9 over the Jukskei River a strong finisher before halfway, while the uphill 14th (stroke 5) is the most testing at around 200m from white tees. Steyn City provides a great blend of “risk-reward” holes, like the downhill seventh where the green is in range for well-aimed long drives, and brutally long 18th (stroke 1) with water guarding the green of this 4. Excellent design variety with options to shift tee boxes. The quality of the tees is up there with the best in the world. Creatively built too, rather than mundane teeing areas. Bunkers are excellent, and new sand is planned in the next year. Steyn City has top service and a great halfway house to match the course.
Jon James
01 August 2024
Steyn City has a small exclusive membership, yet tee times are available for visitors, notably Saturdays when busier clubs reserve them for members. Steyn City caps the daily number of rounds at 100 though with a one-tee start. As the course is closed on a Monday, that adds up to a maximum of 600 rounds a week played. As a result, even with full-on cart traffic it’s in pristine condition, with the transition to kikuyu grass on the fairways an improvement in playability and conditioning. Steyn City has an outstanding range facility, recently upgraded. A practice bunker and chipping green added, while the hitting bays (mats) have been moved forward to allow golfers to see where their shots are landing. Before, balls disappeared over the brow of a rise. This is a course where you should be hitting every fairway (generously wide), but approach shots to greens are more demanding. A large water hazard is a feature early on in the round at the par-4 second, protecting the green, but they are few and far between (others at 11 and 18) unless you have difficulty getting across the Jukskei River on tee shots at 1 and 9.
Stuart McLean
14 April 2024
A strong addition to the already generous array of good courses in Gauteng. It is young and maturing but provides a very playable experience in excellent condition.
Mark Lynam
06 February 2024
In excellent condition. Well-manicured with bent grass tee boxes which even have a first cut. The course is settling nicely and when the trees mature the design of the course will be even more prominent. Very playable with wide fairways and offering interesting options off the tee. The homes are set back and hardly noticeable. Their visibility will in future fade even more with the growth of newly planted trees.
Lihan van der Merwe
22 January 2024
Steyn City is encouraging the kikuyu grass to take over from the rye that was grown in on the fairways when the course first opened. This is more sustainable in Gauteng and I support this move. The tee boxes and greens are bent grass and in fantastic condition. A varied and fair design, fun to play. My favourite hole is No 4, the third longest par 4 (434 black tee and 395 white) with a stunning green complex. I am sure the course will continue to get even better as the many trees that were planted grow bigger. The fairways are wide and the houses on the course should not come into play, a great feature of this estate course.
Thinus Keller
13 July 2023
Not often that one experiences golfing nirvana within Gauteng. Generally, the must play courses are located in other provinces at holiday resorts. Steyn City has changed all that. Not only is the course immaculate, and fun to play, the variety provided doesn’t leave you overwhelmed or exhausted. There is a good mix of different holes. Even from the white tees (6636 metres) you feel that you have a shot at birdie on most holes, thanks to the wide fairways and greens as smooth and slick as table tops. The overall experience at Steyn City, from the range to the locker room to the 19th hole, is of a superior quality.
Sabelo Ndabazandile
25 June 2023
I'm told that a million trees have been planted on the greater Steyn City residential estate, including the golf course. A substantial boost to its green, environmental credentials. And almost another million trees to be planted in areas still to be developed. As the trees mature they continue to shape and define an excellent Nicklaus Design layout, one that I find eminently enjoyable to play. It's a course with many interesting variations from tee to green. No hole appears to be awkwardly fitted in, although with all the land the 18 holes occupy that is no surprise. And the greens complexes have been designed to be challenging, yet mostly fair in terms of slopes. One feature of Steyn City which for me marks it out as a special course is having both a spectacularly presented first hole (teeing off over the Jukskei River) and an equally brilliant 18th. And both of them strong par 4s. You can't say that of too many courses in South Africa.
Stuart McLean
10 June 2023
Even in wet conditions the course was stunning to play.
Sabelo Ndabazandile
20 December 2022
Gauteng boasts a plethora of great golfing facilities with excellent courses and none better in my opinion than Steyn City. Impressive from the moment you enter the estate through the main security gate. The course has matured and developed both in condition and the attention to detail in the maintenance. The presentation of each hole cannot be faulted. First class facilities all round with well trained and helpful staff add to the golfing experience. A round here is highly recommended.
Roy Jones
07 December 2022
An outstanding experience in every respect, comparable to the very best in South Africa. This might not be a Jack Nicklaus Signature design (missing Jack's personal imprint), yet it is an exceptional Nicklaus creation by his appointed SA team, covering a vast area of pleasantly undulating terrain. That means carts, yet the paths are so well constructed that I didn't mind not being able to walk. Conditioning is on another level. The overall presentation and attention to detail is phenomenal. Quite a sensational feeling to step on to pristine and closely mown tees, all prominently raised. There are Top 100 courses whose greens aren't that good. The fairways were surprisingly wet after overnight rain -- soaking to the point that carts weren't allowed on them -- and the course thus played longer than usual. Steyn City's length is not in the Blair Atholl league, but its white club tees measure a formidable 6636 metres. I found it more fun and sporting off the blue (5973). Every hole is memorable; those which stand out for me are the attractive first with its tee overlooking the Jukskei River; the steeply downhill seventh, followed by the equally stunning eighth running parallel to the river, while the back nine finish of 16-17-18 is impressively beautiful and challenging. And the par-3 ninth green makes the most of its riverbank site.
Stuart McLean
06 November 2022
The Club at Steyn City is maturing into one of the best layouts in Gauteng. Conditioning is exceptional for this early in the summer rainfall season. The greens are impeccable and have a true and consistent roll. It is always impressive to see the attention to detail, presentation of the course and level of service provided at this fine club. Design variety is a personal highlight at Steyn City with the finishing holes on both 9s being enjoyable to play. The par-3 ninth is a gem, played over the Jukskei River towards the world class clubhouse, and the par-4 18th one of the most demanding finishing holes you will play. The green fee is not inexpensive, but well worth paying as a treat/special occasion. It is a must play course which will live up to the expectations of most avid golfers.
Jon James
08 October 2021
Forgiving fairways, great condition and first-class presentation.
Owen McDonald
09 April 2021
A wonderful golfing experience. The nicest course I have played in a long time, certainly best in Gauteng.
Graham Berman
16 March 2021

Steyn City is a pleasant high-end experience for golfers at any level. Facilities are world class and the warm welcome along with attention to detail (complimentary water & fruit, course background talk on first tee) make for an enjoyable start to the day. The course is well maintained with barely a blade of grass out of place. It is a forgiving layout with wide landing areas and large greens but from the back tees the length can make it challenging. The greens have good undulations with bunkers well placed to create interesting pin positions. In terms of a Nicklaus design I would not say it is at the same level as Simola or Pecanwood, but where it falls short on design it makes up with meticulous conditioning.

Graham Jones
10 January 2021
Exceptional service, excellent condition and superb layout. Great overall experience.
Craig Gunther
10 December 2020
An absolute stunner to look at. Conditioning is a top priority. Playable by all handicaps, yet a mighty challenge off the back tees.
Sandor Kovacs
16 April 2020
Steyn City is maturing attractively, and houses on the estate are now springing up alongside some holes. It still retains a tranquil countryside feel though, and is a brilliant layout. Interesting that kikuyu is being inter-seeded on the fairways to eventually replace the cool-season grasses which have proved problematic in Gauteng. The fairway conditioning is certainly below par, particularly around the greens. Kikuyu should solve that.
Stuart McLean
20 March 2020
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