Wingate Park Country Club

Nestled in the Pretoria suburbs, Wingate Park Country Club was founded in the late 1940s as a golf society rooted in the Jewish community. This is evident from the Star of David emblem incorporated into its logo. However, the club has always welcomed golfers of diverse backgrounds regardless of race or religion.

Opened in 1951, the Wingate Park course was designed by two prominent national professional players of the era, A.F. Tomsett and A.R. Guthrie, following the architectural vision of C.H. Alison, the English partner of Harry Colt. Tomsett achieved remarkable success in the South African Open with nine top-10 finishes from 1925 to 1938, while Guthrie was a three-time runner-up in the same tournament between 1950 and 1957.

Named in honor of Major-General Orde Charles Wingate, a British military figure known for his work training Jewish paramilitaries in Palestine during the 1930s, the 18-hole course at Wingate Park Country Club regularly hosts provincial and national amateur competitions, including the South African Amateur and Strokeplay tournaments in 2005, and the South African Masters for professionals in 1994.

One of the course’s standout features is the recently revamped 9th hole, spanning 392 yards. While water hazards are sparingly used throughout the layout, the 9th stands out with a pond posing a challenge on the right side of the fairway, followed by a two-tiered water feature complete with cascading waterfalls that demand precision on the approach shot to the green.