‘Big’ and ‘large’ are not terms that necessarily fit well
when associated with a top class golf club and would,
in most instances, be the type of descriptions that
most clubs would want to steer well away from.
However they describe perfectly Bob Grimsdell carrying out the construction work.
the big influence that Royal It was also Grimsdell, in 1933, who designed a
Johannesburg & Kensington Golf built the second layout – the East Course 1939 – to
Club has and continues to have extend the club to 36 holes.
on golf in South Africa, especially
in Gauteng, and how its shadow
looms large across the history of
game in the region as a whole.
The club received its ‘Royal’ moniker following a
visit by the then Prince of Wales (the future and
somewhat ill-fated Edward VIII) who played a game
on the West course and became the club’s patron,
Royal was formed in 1890 (making it the second subsequent to which King George V added the title
oldest Royal club in the country), but only settled in Royal to the club’s name.
its current location in 1909, where the original West
course was designed by Laurie Waters.
The club has hosted a number of the most
important tournaments on the golf calendar
In 1929 the British designer Hotchin then effected from the SA Open and PGA Championships to
an extensive re-design with the club professional the Joburg Open (co-sanctioned event on the
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