King David Mowbray Launches Trail Network Amid Cape Town Redevelopment Threat
The trail will transform informal tracks into safe, landscaped pathways for walkers, runners and dog owners, with four route options catering to different abilities.
The club hopes to complete most of the network within a year, with the first 1.58km loop scheduled to open in early 2027.
The proposed network offers four route options so that walkers and runners of any ability can choose a distance that suits them: a 1.41km Bottom Loop, a 1.58km Top Loop, a 2.99km Outer Loop, and a 4.05km Figure 8 Loop that links the course's lower and upper sections.
Each route replaces narrow, uneven informal tracks with a consistent 2 to 2.4m-wide pathway, surfaced for comfortable walking and running and landscaped to sit naturally alongside the fairways, tree-lined avenues and water features that already define the course.
Trail opens new opportunities
In early 2027, the club will debut with the 1.58km top loop, which is closest to the proposed pedestrian entrance on Links Drive, thereby ensuring a smooth and well-tested foundation for the opening of the remaining loops.
The new pathways will also be dog-friendly, allowing members to walk their dogs on-leash along the full route network. This adds a further 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, KDM will introduce a walking membership category for prospective walkers and joggers. Registration will be required, supported by a nominal annual subscription to cover the administrative cost of maintaining this system.
"KDM already supports local employment through golf tourism, hosts youth-development programmes, and is home to the South African Disabled Golf Association, which regards the course as the recognised base of disabled golf in South Africa," said KDM chairperson, Mike Flax.
Green space under threat
The announcement of the track comes as the City of Cape Town weighs the possibility of a draft concept for the KDM precinct. Released for public comment in May 2026, the proposed plan envisages the permanent disposal of the area for a mixed-use precinct of 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 caused heritage bodies, environmental groups, transport specialists, and ratepayers to loudly voice their opposition. Public comment on the draft concept closed on Friday, 7 August 2026. "We hope the City is taking all submissions into account in a rational way," said Flax.
Against this backdrop, KDM’s new trail underscores the wider public value of the site, and how it is an integral part of community life. The precinct serves as an irreplaceable green lung and is not only the home of a historic golf club, but also the Clyde Pinelands Football Club, the country’s oldest non-amalgamated football club.
The trail shows how existing grounds can be opened even further, benefiting walkers, runners, dog owners and the community for years to come, Flax said.
"The club hopes to have the majority of the trail complete within the next year."