King David Mowbray Golf Club (KDM) has unveiled a walking and running trail through its Pinelands fairways. This deepens its role as a community green space.
The trail will transform informal tracks into a safe, landscaped pathway network designed for walkers, runners and dog owners. It will serve people across Pinelands and the surrounding suburbs.
The club offers four route options. This means users of any ability can choose a distance that suits them. The choices are a 1,41 km Bottom Loop, a 1,58 km Top Loop, a 2,99 km Outer Loop, and a 4,05 km Figure 8 Loop. The Figure 8 Loop links the course’s lower and upper sections.
Each route replaces narrow, uneven informal tracks with a consistent 2,0- to 2,4-metre-wide pathway, surfaced for comfortable walking and running. The paths will sit naturally alongside the fairways, tree-lined avenues and water features that already define the course.
First phase opens in early 2027
In early 2027, the club will debut the 1,58 km Top Loop, which sits closest to the proposed pedestrian entrance on Links Drive. As a result, this will ensure a smooth and well-tested foundation for the opening of the remaining loops.
The pathways will be dog-friendly, allowing members to walk their dogs on-leash along the full route network. Furthermore, this adds another recreational dimension to grounds that have served Pinelands and the surrounding suburbs for more than a century.
To ensure the safety of all users and effective management of access, the club will introduce a walking membership category for prospective walkers and joggers. Registration will be required. In addition, a nominal annual subscription will cover the administrative cost of maintaining the system.
A club that gives back
KDM supports local employment through golf tourism. It also hosts youth development programmes. Furthermore, it is home to the South African Disabled Golf Association (SADGA), which regards the course as the recognised base of disabled golf in South Africa.
SADGA has operated from KDM rent-free since the merger of King David and Mowbray Golf Clubs in 2016. It runs coaching workshops, development programmes and accessible facilities for golfers with physical, sensory and intellectual disabilities.
The club draws about 25 000 visitors a year. It has hosted the South African Open, supporting local jobs and tourism in the process.
Trail amid redevelopment cloud
The announcement comes as the City of Cape Town weighs a disruptive future for the site.
The City’s draft concept for the KDM precinct, released for public comment on 28 May, envisages the permanent disposal of the area for a massive, mixed-use precinct. This precinct will have roughly 6 700 residential units alongside commercial and light industrial space.
KDM has argued that the site’s green space, heritage, and accessibility are irreplaceable once lost. The scale of the proposal prompted heritage bodies, environmental groups, transport specialists, and ratepayers to voice their opposition.
Public comment on the draft concept closed on 7 August. The club has previously noted that a petition against the development drew more than 3 320 signatures. People’s Post reported on the development plan in June and again when the comment deadline was extended.
“We hope the city is taking all submissions into account in a rational way,” said KDM chairperson Mike Flax.
A green lung for the community
Against this backdrop, the new trail underscores the wider public value of the site. It also shows how the site forms an integral part of community life.
The precinct serves as an irreplaceable green lung. It is not only the home of a historic golf club, but also the Clyde Pinelands Football Club. The club is the country’s oldest non-amalgamated football club and was founded in 1898.
The trail shows how existing grounds can be opened even further. Thus, it will benefit walkers, runners, dog owners and the community for years to come.
The club hopes to have the majority of the trail complete within the next year.
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