Royal Johannesburg & Kensington Golf Club

Last updated

Royal Johannesburg & Kensington Golf Club
Royal Johannesburg & Kensington Golf logo.jpeg
The Royal Johannesburg & Kensington logo
Club information
Location Johannesburg, Gauteng,
South Africa
Established1890
TypePublic resort
Total holes36
Events hosted South African PGA Championship
Joburg Open
Website https://www.royaljk.za.com/
East Course
Designed by Robert Grimsdell (1935)
Par 72
Length6,940 yards
Course rating 72
West Course
Designed by Laurie Waters (1909)
Par 72
Length6,563 yards
Course rating 70

The Royal Johannesburg & Kensington Golf Club is a 36-hole golf complex located in Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa.

Contents

The resort opened in 1890 as the Royal Johannesburg Golf Club, and merged with the Kensington Golf Club in 1998. It is part of the PGA Tour network of golf courses. The East Course has hosted the South African PGA Championship since 2005 and both the East and West, the Joburg Open since 2007, the biggest annual professional golf event in Africa; the 2012 field was the largest of the PGA European Tour season, with 210 players. [1] It also has hosted the International Final Qualifier (Africa) for the Open Championship since 2009, the Sanlam Women's Amateur Golf Championships of South Africa in 2008, and the 5 Nations Commonwealth Tournament in 2007. [2]

History

Founded on 6 November 1890, members of the Johannesburg Golf Club first began playing "behind Hospital Hill", in an area that later became known as Clarendon Circle and Empire Road. [3] The club did not settle here, moving four times in the next 19 years, before settling in 1909 on the land it still occupies today. [4]

The Club helped create the Transvaal Golf Union in 1908, and provided the first President of the South African Golf Union in 1910. [5]

In 1930, the Prince of Wales (who later became King Edward VIII), played the West Course. Six months later, he became the club's patron. In July 1931, King George V added the "Royal" prefix to the club's name. [6]

Little is known about the original Kensington Golf Club that went out of business in 1918. The later version of Kensington hosted a number of significant South African tournaments and competitions, particularly in the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s. Kensington merged with Royal Johannesburg in 1998. [7]

West Course

The West Course was designed in 1909 by Laurie Waters. [8] In 1929, British architect Major Hotchkin made considerable changes to the course, with construction being carried out by club professional Robert Grimsdell. [9]

The 4th hole is regarded as the signature hole. A tributary of the Jukskei River sits at the front the green and is in play along the left hand side of the fairway. The hole is set against the scenic backdrop of Linksfield Ridge. [4] [10]

East Course

In 1933, the club owners decided to build a second course, which resulted in the purchase of a farm to the east of the club. Grimsdell began designing the new course. Within two years, Grimsdell had constructed 21 new holes, and both the East and West courses were in play. Grimsdell then began construction on a new clubhouse, placed centrally between the two courses. Construction was completed in March 1939. [6] Golf course architect Mark Muller revamped the original construction in 1998. [11]

The 10th and 11th holes are reputed to be the two longest back-to-back par fours in the world. [4] [12] The South African PGA Championship, Joburg Open, and International Final Qualifier (Africa) for the Open Championship all play on this course.

Holes and Yardages

  1. 463 yards – par 5
  2. 211 yards – par 3
  3. 403 yards – par 4
  4. 411 yards – par 4
  5. 139 yards – par 3
  6. 510 yards – par 5
  7. 355 yards – par 4
  8. 457 yards – par 5
  9. 374 yards – par 4

Out: 3,543 yards – par 37

  1. 450 yards – par 4
  2. 423 yards – par 4
  3. 168 yards – par 3
  4. 361 yards – par 4
  5. 367 yards – par 4
  6. 386 yards – par 4
  7. 152 yards – par 3
  8. 348 yards – par 4
  9. 464 yards – par 5

In: 3,397 yards – par 35

Total: 6,940 yards – par 72 [7]

Awards

The Royal became the first Audubon-certified golf course in South Africa, as it became a "Certified Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary" in 2005. [2] [9] The club also was the first member-owned club in South Africa to receive the Compleat Golfer 5 Star Golfing Experience Award, and has earned that same award three additional times since then. [2]

In 2018 The East Championship Course received Africa's best course of the year and South Africa's best Course of the year by World Golf Awards.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Golf course</span> Series of holes designed for the game of golf

A golf course is the grounds on which the sport of golf is played. It consists of a series of holes, each consisting of a tee box, a fairway, the rough and other hazards, and a green with a cylindrical hole in the ground, known as a "cup". The cup holds a flagstick, known as a "pin". A standard round of golf consists of 18 holes, and as such most courses contain 18 distinct holes; however, there are many 9-hole courses and some that have holes with shared fairways or greens. There are also courses with a non-standard number of holes, such as 12 or 14.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Royal Troon Golf Club</span> Scottish golf club

Royal Troon Golf Club is a links golf course in Scotland, located in Troon, South Ayrshire. The club was established in 1878, and originally only consisted of five holes whereas today, it has increased to a total of 45 holes. Its Old Course is one of the host courses for The Open Championship, one of the major championships on the PGA Tour and European Tour. The Club most recently hosted in 2024 for the eleventh time.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Charl Schwartzel</span> South African professional golfer

Charl Adriaan Schwartzel is a South African professional golfer who currently plays in the LIV Golf Invitational Series and has previously played on the PGA Tour, European Tour and the Sunshine Tour. He has won one major title, the Masters in 2011. Schwartzel's highest world ranking has been number six, after finishing in a tie for fourth at the WGC-Cadillac Championship in 2012.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ángel Cabrera</span> Argentine golfer (born 1969)

Ángel Leopoldo Cabrera is an Argentine professional golfer who has played on both the European Tour and PGA Tour. He is known affectionately as "El Pato" in Spanish ("The Duck") for his waddling gait. He is a two-time major champion, with wins at the U.S. Open in 2007 and the Masters in 2009; he was the first Argentine and South American to win either. He also lost in a sudden death playoff at the Masters in 2013.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Riviera Country Club</span> Private golf and tennis club in California

The Riviera Country Club is a private club with a championship golf course and tennis courts in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of the Westside of Los Angeles, California.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sahalee Country Club</span> Country club in the northwest United States

The Sahalee Country Club is a private golf course and country club in the northwest United States, located in Sammamish, Washington, a suburb east of Seattle. In the Chinookan language, Sahalee means "high heavenly ground." The 27-hole course is located on a heavily forested plateau immediately east of Lake Sammamish.

Hazeltine National Golf Club is a golf club located in Chaska, Minnesota, a suburb southwest of Minneapolis, United States. It is a private club and therefore closed to guests not accompanied by a member. The golf course was designed by Robert Trent Jones and opened in 1962.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Baltusrol Golf Club</span> Golf course in New Jersey, USA

The Baltusrol Golf Club is a private 36-hole golf club in the eastern United States, located in Springfield, New Jersey, about twenty miles (30 km) west of New York City. It was founded 129 years ago in 1895 by Louis Keller.

Aronimink Golf Club is a private country club in the eastern United States, located in Newtown Square, Pennsylvania, a suburb west of Philadelphia. Its championship layout is consistently rated among the nation's top golf courses. Aronimink is currently ranked 78th in Golf Digest's "Greatest Courses," 44th in "Toughest Courses" and 55th in Golfweek's "Classic Courses." In 2010, Aronimink was ranked #4 among the toughest courses on the PGA Tour by Links magazine.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Darren Fichardt</span> South African professional golfer

Darren Clive Fichardt is a South African professional golfer who plays on both the European Tour and the Sunshine Tour.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Congressional Country Club</span> Golf course and country club

Congressional Country Club is a country club and golf course in Bethesda, Maryland, United States. Congressional opened in 1924 and its Blue Course has hosted five major championships, including three U.S. Opens and a PGA Championship. It was a biennial stop on the PGA Tour, with the Quicken Loans National hosted by Tiger Woods until 2020. Previously, Congressional hosted the former Kemper Open until its move to nearby TPC at Avenel in 1987. Congressional hosted its third U.S. Open in 2011. Tournament winners at Congressional have included Rory McIlroy, Ken Venturi, Ernie Els, Justin Rose and Tiger Woods, among many others. Congressional is generally considered one of the most prestigious golf clubs in the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bellerive Country Club</span> Luxury country club

Bellerive Country Club is a golf country club in the central United States, located in Town and Country, Missouri, a suburb west of St. Louis. With the Old Warson, Westwood, and St. Louis country clubs, it is considered one of the "big four" old-line elite St. Louis clubs. The course has hosted three major championships: the U.S. Open in 1965, and the PGA Championship in 1992 and 2018.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oak Tree National</span> Golf and country club in Oklahoma

Oak Tree National, formerly called Oak Tree Golf Club, is a golf and country club located in the Oklahoma City suburb of Edmond, Oklahoma. The course was designed by Pete Dye, and it opened in 1976. It plays to a par 71.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joburg Open</span> Mens professional golf tournament

The Joburg Open is a men's professional golf tournament that is held in Johannesburg, South Africa. It is an event on the Southern Africa-based Sunshine Tour and co-sanctioned by the European Tour, which attracts a larger prize fund and stronger fields. It is one of several tournaments in South Africa on the European Tour's international schedule, and until 2017 was one of the events where high-finishing players earned entry into The Open Championship if not already exempt.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kiawah Island Golf Resort</span> Resort in South Carolina, U.S.

Kiawah Island Golf Resort is a resort on Kiawah Island, South Carolina, located along a ten-mile (16 km) mix of island and beachfront property approximately thirty miles (48 km) southwest of Charleston.

Old Palm Golf Club is a 650-acre (260 ha) private residential golf community with an equity club located in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, United States. The community was founded in 2004 by WCI, but in September 2010 was purchased by real estate investment group Clarion Partners.

Dean Burmester is a South African professional golfer who plays in the LIV Golf League, as well as having status on the European Tour and Sunshine Tour. He formerly played on the PGA Tour.

The Glendower Golf Club is an 18-hole golf complex located in Edenvale, Gauteng, South Africa. The course has been the home of the South African Open for eight competitions. Englishman Chris Paisley won his first European Tour title winning the 2018 SA Open. Englishman Graeme Storm won the 2017 SA Open beating Rory McIlroy in a play-off while South African golfer Brandon Stone won the 2016 SA Open.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jim Furyk's round of 58</span> Golf round on August 7, 2016

On August 7, 2016, Jim Furyk shot a 58 on the PGA Tour during the final round of the Travelers Championship, held at TPC River Highlands in Cromwell, Connecticut. The round set a new Tour record and was the seventh sub-60 round in the history of the PGA Tour.

Wilco Nienaber is a South African professional golfer. He won the 2021 Dimension Data Pro-Am. He plays on the European Tour and is known for his long distance off the tee.

References

  1. "Did You Know – Joburg Open". PGA European Tour . Retrieved 4 August 2012.
  2. 1 2 3 "Royal Johannesburg & Kensington Golf Club". Pocket Caddi. Archived from the original on 16 June 2013. Retrieved 4 August 2012.
  3. "Review & Betting Guide for the Joburg Open". Planet Golf. Retrieved 4 August 2012.
  4. 1 2 3 "Royal Johannesburg Golf Club, Linksfield North". South Africa Travel News. Retrieved 4 August 2012.
  5. Tom Mackin. "Golf and Royalty". LINKS Magazine. Retrieved 4 August 2012.
  6. 1 2 "Royal Johannesburg & Kensington Golf Club". Golf in South Africa.com. Retrieved 4 August 2012.
  7. 1 2 "Royal Johannesburg & Kensington Golf Club History". Royal Johannesburg & Kensington Golf Club. Archived from the original on 24 November 2012. Retrieved 4 August 2012.
  8. "Johannesburg Country Club (Gauteng, Johannesburg, Woodmead)". The Golfers' Guide. Retrieved 4 August 2012.
  9. 1 2 The Fairway Mole (30 May 2011). "Royal Johannesburg & Kensington". Compleat Golf. Archived from the original on 21 April 2013.
  10. "Royal Johannesburg Golf Course". African Safari & Travel Inc. Retrieved 4 August 2012.
  11. "Royal Johannesburg & Kensington Golf Club". EgoliGolf. Archived from the original on 30 August 2012. Retrieved 4 August 2012.
  12. "Royal Johannesburg & Kensington Country Club". Golf Today UK. Retrieved 4 August 2012.