About KDMGC
Introduction
King David Mowbray is a charming and compact golf course situated just a short distance from Cape Town’s city center. Once a regular host of the South African Open, having held the prestigious tournament seven times in the past, the course offers easy access from the N2 highway, which runs between King David Mowbray and Rondebosch Golf Club.
Established in 1910, Mowbray is one of the oldest golf clubs in Cape Town. In 2016, it merged with King David Golf Club, which closed its course near Cape Town International Airport. This merger has given the course a unique legacy while still maintaining its own distinct character.
Though considered shorter by today’s standards, King David Mowbray remains a challenging and captivating layout. Its tree-lined fairways, which are often affected by crosswinds, and its small, well-bunkered greens make it an interesting test for golfers. The course is relatively flat and walkable, even in strong winds. Over recent years, the course’s greens have been significantly improved, earning it a reputation as one of the most consistently well-maintained courses in the Cape Peninsula.
Although the South African Open was last held here in 1987, the club continues to host major events, including the 2020 Cape Town Ladies Open and the 2019 South African Men’s Amateur Championship, the latter being the seventh time the event has been held at Mowbray, with Wilco Nienaber emerging as the winner.
From the 1930s to the 1990s, Mowbray was one of Cape Town’s premier golfing venues, alongside Royal Cape, attracting top-tier players. Legendary golfers such as Gary Player, Mark McNulty, Vijay Singh, and David Feherty have all won tournaments here, cementing Mowbray’s place in South African golfing history.
Club & Guest Information
General Information
Course Record
62 by Justin Turner in 2012 Western Province Championship.
Feature Holes
The back nine at KDM boasts signature holes with stunning views of Devil’s Peak, highlighted by the iconic 375-metre par-4 15th, regarded as one of the finest holes in the Western Cape. The round culminates in a challenging finish at the 412-metre par-4 18th, where a narrow green is fiercely protected by a water hazard. KDM’s par-3s are particularly formidable, ranking among the toughest in Top 100 layouts. Notably, during the 2018 Cape Town Open, Sunshine Tour professionals found the 165-metre eighth hole to be the second most difficult on the course.
Accommodation
City Lodge on former club property adjoining the first hole.
Practice Facility
Limited space warm-up range with mats close to first tee, plus a short-game area.
Major Tournaments
SA Open Champions:
Charles McIlvenny (1932)
Ronnie Glennie (1947)
Gary Player (1960, 1975)
Simon Hobday (1971)
Hugh Baiocchi (1978)
Mark McNulty (1987)
SA Amateur Championships:
Hosted 14 events (7 men’s and 7 women’s).
Other Prestigious Events:
Western Province Open
SA Masters
Bell’s Cup
2018 Cape Town Open
Acceptable attire
On the course: standard golfing attire, i.e. shirts with collars, tailored shorts or trousers and closed shoes with hard or soft spikes. Men may wear shorts with long stockings or short predominantly white socks.
Our Constitution
Club Champions
2024 – Anthony Hobson & Zoey Rhoda
2023 – Daniel Davidson & Jaden Visagie
2022 – Cameron Johnston & Amy Laird
2021 – Roux Burger & Lorraine Smit
2020 – Cameron Johnston & June Watson
2019 – Cameron Johnston & Lorraine Smit
Interesting Club Facts
- Renowned golf course architect Robert Grimsdell worked as the club professional at Mowbray until 1926 when he moved to Royal Johannesburg. He returned in the 1950s to make design changes to the original layout.
- A main suburban railway line splits the course in two, but there is no longer a station at the clubhouse as there was in earlier years.
- Peter Todt, a Springbok golfer of the 1970s, won seven club titles at Mowbray. Known for his exceptional distance off the tee, albeit not always straight, he is reputed to hold a unique record of birdieing every hole at Mowbray by hitting his approach shots from the wrong fairway!
- Hugh Baiocchi achieved a remarkable double by winning both the South African Amateur (1970) and the South African Open (1978) at Mowbray. He is the only player since Bobby Locke to win both trophies at the same course.
- Former member Bern Triblehorn and her daughter Lorraine Smit have together claimed 35 women’s club championship titles from 1960 to the present day.
- Sunshine Tour professional Ben Fouchee famously won 1,000 cases of whisky for acing the 16th hole during the 1990 Bell’s Cup.
- In 2017, Mowbray hosted the World Cup of Disabled Golf and is now the home of the South African Disabled Golf Association (SADGA).
The South African Disabled Golf Association (SADGA)
Is privileged to have King David Mowbray Golf Course as their home in the Western Province.