Royal Durban Golf Course.

Now this is an interesting Course, set in the middle of the Greyville Racecourse. Can you imagine playing Golf on a Saturday and having the horses racing past next to you, or the crowds screaming for their favourite horse?

A view of the Main Grandstand of the Greyville Racecourse looking across the practice green.

A view of the back straight of the racecourse.. imagine the vehicle charging down that dirt road next to the horses…

From the Courses own website I impart a little history of the Club.

Royal Durban Golf Club was first established in 1892 as the Durban Golf Club, after Mr John Watt (a local bank manager) approached the town council about creating a golf club in Durban and was granted permission to lay out a links design course on the grounds within Greyville Racecourse.

One of the proudest moments in the history of the club was on April 8, 1932 when (following a visit from Edward VIII, the then Prince of Wales, in 1925) Durban Golf Club was granted permission to use the prefix “Royal” by King George V, making it one of only four golf clubs in southern Africa to obtain this honour.

Royal Durban is not only unique in its setting and character, but is one of South Africa’s most demanding championship courses. The length of 6115 metres could be considered a short course by modern day standards, however in Durban’s humid sub tropical atmosphere it plays more like 6500 metres with little run on its lush fairways. (This according to their Website)

With its absence of trees, and a deceptively easy flat layout, one could be forgiven for thinking that this course presents very few challenges. However, the eighteen hole course, with its narrow fairways, thick, notorious rough and profile greenside bunkers well placed to catch any wayward shot, Royal Durban has only allowed a few players to break 280 strokes over 72 holes. (Again copied from their Website)

Royal Durban is one of the very few golf courses to be sited in the middle of a horse racing track and has hosted some renowned golfing tournaments in the last 100 years, including (most notably) the South African Championships in 1911 and the Commonwealth Tournament in 1975 which saw Nick Faldo playing at the tender age of eighteen. (Copied from their Website)

I say it is one of the “gems” of the South African Golf Clubs, presently in the “Gold Digest” Magazine’s top 100 rated courses, ably looked after by a top Green Keeper or “Garden boy” as he likes to be called. The course is a Gem and should you find yourself in Durban contact them and play 18 holes, you won’t be sorry..

A GREAT COURSE TO PLAY….. The Bulldog..