Wingate Park

Situated in the suburbs of Pretoria, Wingate Park Country Club was established in the late 1940s as a Jewish golf society – as can be discerned from the Star of David incorporated into the club’s logo – though golfers of every race and religion have always been welcome to play here.

Opening in 1951, the Wingate Park course was laid out by a couple of the top national professional players of their day, A.F. Tomsett and A.R. Guthrie, working to the plans of C.H. Alison, the English design partner of Harry Colt. Tomsett posted nine top 10 finishes in the South African Open between 1925 and 1938 and Guthrie was a three-time runner up in the same competition between 1950 and 1957.

The course is named after Major-General Orde Charles Wingate, a British Army officer who helped to train Jewish paramilitaries in Palestine during the 1930s, and the 18-hole layout is a regular venue for provincial and national amateur events (the South African Amateur and Strokeplay competitions were held here in 2005) and the club also hosted the South African Masters competition for professionals in 1994.

The 392-yard, newly renovated 9th is a real feature hole on the course. Water hazards are used sparingly around the layout but not on this hole – a pond threatens the tee shot on the right side of the fairway then the approach shot has to carry a two-tiered water feature (complete with waterfalls) that sits in front of the green.