210 - Royal Johannesburg (West)

Location: Johannesburg, South Africa

Rating: 8.1

After playing the East course in the morning, I settled into the clubhouse for a bit of food and to rest my legs for the early afternoon heat I was about to encounter. The West course is meant to be the second of the two courses but I was still really impressed with it.

The two courses at Royal Johannesburg fan out in two opposite directions and this one as the name suggests heads west which in my opinion offers much more scenic views of the surrounding area, despite still being in the middle of a bustling metropolis.

The course is no less interesting than the East course and I thought it was still in really good condition as well with some really good holes. It is maybe a touch wider and shorter than the East course making a slightly more playable 18 but I would definitely recommend playing this course as well if you’re considering playing at Royal Johannesburg. For R1,200 a round it is great value for money compared to European prices.

I played both courses on a day when there was a corporate day on one course and a Senior’s competition on the other and honestly had very little delay at all, they kept the parties moving and maintained a swift pace of play throughout, it was really impressive to watch and many clubs negate this aspect.

The courses are serviced by a lovely big clubhouse with huge dining area and I honestly thought they may have been a little old school with no sports shoes in the bar but couldn’t have been further from the truth, everyone was super welcoming and friendly.

The courses are also serviced by a driving range and Titleist fitting center although the range is undergoing a renovation so interested to come back and see what that looks like but it is neatly positioned between the two courses. A great day out at Royal Johannesburg and would definitely come back if I had the opportunity!