Located on the south-eastern edge of Pretoria, Wingate Park Country Club is the venue once again for the Sunshine Tour’s SunBet Challenge hosted by Times Square Casino.

This is a well-established course with a history dating back to 1947 when it was founded by members of the Jewish community in Pretoria to establish a sports and recreational club “where everyone was welcome”.

Farmland was purchased through the issue of bonds to members of the community and the club was opened in 1951.

Designed by Englishman Charles Hugh Alison, the championship parkland layout is characterised by narrow, tree-lined fairways and quick greens, coupled with well-placed bunkers and water hazards. Golfers are also treated to a variety of birdlife in this picturesque setting.

The layout is one of four in Gauteng designed by Alison, who worked with Harry Colt and Alister Mackenzie in between the two world wars. The others are Glendower, Bryanston and Riviera.

Feature holes include the par-four ninth where a pond on the right side of the fairway comes into play for the tee shot. The approach shot then has to carry a two-tiered water feature in front of the green. On the back nine, golfers need to navigate large trees on the risk-and-reward par-five 18th, along with water guarding the right side of the green.

The back nine has an unusual finishing stretch which can make for exciting and unpredictable golf. The last five holes include two par-fives and two par-threes, and an outstanding par-four, the stroke one 17th. Big trees are strategic hazards on 17 and 18, so accurate long drives are key. The 503-metre 18th is a classic risk-and-reward par-five curving left around the trees, with water guarding the right hand side of a large green. George Coetzee made seven here on his final hole in the 2005 SA Strokeplay, when a birdie-four would have tied him for the title with Josh Cunliffe, who won with 10-under 278.

DID YOU KNOW

• Course record: 62 by Sammy Daniels in 1993 SA Masters; Hennie Otto in 1996 Transvaal Amateur; 62 by Thriston Lawrence and Jacques Blaauw in 2024 Sunshine Tour’s SunBet Challenge
• The SA Masters was at Wingate in 1993, won by Tony Johnstone on 13-under 275 by one from Roger Wessels. Ernie Els and Retief Goosen were in the top 10
• Wingate Park was only the second Pretoria club to host the men’s SA Amateur, the first having been Zwartkop in 1955. It has since been played at Silver Lakes in 2015