Andy Devaney
The Cape Town Open has a funny way of sneaking up on you. You arrive with noble intentions—practice sessions, tidy routines, serious thoughts about swing planes—and within hours Cape Town is dangling distractions like a magician producing rabbits: mountains, markets, ocean drives, and sunsets that make you want to apologise for every time you’ve ever complained about the weather.
This week’s CIRCA Cape Town Open (Sunshine Tour and HotelPlanner Tour) is staged at Royal Cape Golf Club, a place where the fairways look respectable and the wind behaves like it’s been personally offended by your ball flight. But the real headline isn’t just the tournament. It’s what happens in the gaps between tee times—when golfers, those supposed monks of discipline, reveal they’re actually quite normal people who enjoy shopping centres, seafood, and sitting on grass with a cold drink like the rest of us.
Cape Town Open week: where golf ends and Cape Town begins
Cape Town is not a city that politely waits for you to finish work. It crowds the window of your hotel room, taps you on the shoulder at breakfast, and whispers, “Sure, go hit balls… but wouldn’t you rather climb that mountain?”
The temptation is everywhere. Trade the driving range for a mountain range. Swap a couple of fairway drives for some of the most scenic drives you’ll ever take. And still, somehow, show up at Royal Cape the next morning pretending you’re here purely for competitive reasons.
The players will be locked in from Thursday to Sunday—of course they will. But if you think they’re spending the whole week staring at yardage books and living on protein bars, you’ve never met a golfer in a world-class city.
Royal Cape Golf Club: old-school charm, modern temptation
Royal Cape is the kind of club that feels like it’s seen a century of honest golf—real shots, real consequences, and the occasional quiet moment when you realise you’re walking through a postcard. It’s a proper tournament test, and during Cape Town Open week it becomes the beating heart of the city’s sporting calendar.
But even here, with the scorecard in hand, you’re never far from Cape Town’s siren call. Table Mountain hangs around like an ever-present gallery—silent, massive, judging your posture. The ocean breeze sneaks in. And you start to understand why golfers don’t just play Cape Town—they experience it.
The pros’ Cape Town guide: calamari buns, markets and sundowners
If you want the most honest travel recommendations in the city, don’t ask a concierge. Ask someone trying to make a cut line while also figuring out where to eat something memorable for less than the price of a sleeve of premium golf balls.
“I went to the Access Park shopping centre and there is a fish and chips shop there where you can buy a calamari and chips bun for R45. You have to do that in Cape Town. It’s like a Gatbsy (an iconic Cape Town sandwich) but it’s a bun. For R45 – it’s a bargain,” said Jaco Ahlers, a former winner of the CIRCA Cape Town Open.
A calamari-and-chips bun for R45 is the sort of information you don’t get from glossy brochures. It’s the sort of tip shared with the urgency of a man who’s discovered treasure and wants you to enjoy it before someone turns it into a “concept.”
Ahlers also makes the case that Cape Town Open week is not meant to be spent entirely within the comforting confines of the golf course.
“You have to get out there a bit and see the city. It feels like home to me because my sister used to live here. So we’d do Cavendish Square and Canal Walk Shopping Centre.”
Now, I’m not saying shopping centres are the pinnacle of cultural exploration, but there’s something oddly grounding about it. Golfers—despite the titles and trophies—still pop into normal places, eat normal food, and behave like people who enjoy a wander when they’re not trying to flight a wedge into a stiff breeze.
Then there’s George Coetzee, multiple Sunshine Tour and DP World Tour champion, who arrives in Cape Town with the sort of itinerary that makes you suspect he has a second career as a travel editor.
“The Blue Peter restaurant in Bloubergstrand is a must – sitting on the grass for sundowners with a beautiful view of Table Mountain. Then, because I love surfing, I always take in Muizenberg for a little long board session there. And the Oranjezicht Market – straight there for breakfast. Those are all of my favourites in Cape Town,” he said.
Sundowners on the grass with Table Mountain in the distance, a longboard session in Muizenberg, and breakfast at Oranjezicht Market—this is not a man merely visiting Cape Town. This is a man living his best life between tee times and still having the audacity to show up and stripe it.
Gerhard Pepler keeps it classic—two staples that are almost suspiciously wholesome for a professional golfer on tournament week.
“The Red Bus Tour is always fun. And the Two Oceans Aquarium. It’s amazing and an absolute must-do when you’re in Cape Town,” he said.
That’s the beauty of this place: whether your idea of “recovery” is a surf session, a market breakfast, or staring at sharks while pretending you’re not thinking about your putting, Cape Town has you covered.
And Nikhil Rama offers the most relatable truth of all—Cape Town can feel like work until you finally decide to make it a holiday.
“I’ve never been on a holiday here. I’ve always just played the CIRCA Cape Town Open and that’s it. I’ve been up Table Mountain when I was younger, but I’d like to plan a proper holiday here. I love the weather here. The city feels like a mini Europe.”
The “mini Europe” line is spot on—only with better light, bigger scenery, and an ocean that insists on being part of every conversation.
Wellness without trying: mountain air, ocean walks and early nights
Here’s the Sustain Health truth hiding in plain sight: Cape Town is a wellness destination for people who don’t like being told they’re on a wellness trip.
You walk more without noticing. You breathe deeper because the air feels earned. You sleep better because the days are fuller—golf in the morning, movement in the afternoon, and sunsets that politely encourage you to put your phone away and stop doom-scrolling.
During Cape Town Open week, the city offers the perfect counterbalance to competitive tension. Not forced “self-care.” Not performative mindfulness. Just the simple, ancient medicine of being outdoors in a place that makes you want to move.
72 Hours in Cape Town
A Cape Town Open-inspired golf + wellbeing break
Day 1: Tee time + taste of the city
- Morning: Golf at Royal Cape Golf Club (or watch the tournament energy up close)
- Afternoon: Easy city exploring and a proper stretch-your-legs walk
- Evening: Keep it simple—good food, early night, let jet lag do its thing
Day 2: Mountain air + market breakfast
- Morning: A Table Mountain visit (or a gentler hike if you prefer)
- Brunch: Oranjezicht Market-style breakfast energy
- Evening: Bloubergstrand sundowners—sit on the grass, let the view do the talking
Day 3: Ocean vibes + a reset activity
- Morning: Muizenberg atmosphere (even if you just watch the surfers and pretend you could do that)
- Afternoon: Two Oceans Aquarium for a calm, curious reset
- Evening: Pack and promise yourself you’ll come back for a “proper holiday”
Why the Cape Town Open is the best excuse to visit South Africa
Some tournaments live entirely inside the ropes. The Cape Town Open doesn’t. It spills into the city—into markets and beaches and bus tours and bargains you eat with your hands. It turns a competitive week into a travel story, the sort you tell your mates not because you played well, but because you felt something.
Cape Town has always been a world-class destination. The sneaky brilliance of the Cape Town Open is that it gives you permission to go—then dares you to leave without falling a little bit in love with the place.
And if you do manage to leave without planning a return trip, check your pulse. You might be more jet-lagged than you think.
