SA Kids Golf
SA Kids Golf(SAKG) is one of those names you may hear or see on your google journey to more information about junior golf.
They had a Western Cape local tour before, but right now their current activity appears to be stronger in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng. So if you are looking for events your child can play close by, SA Kids Golf is probably not your go-to.
It is a shame, because their format is actually very useful for beginning junior golfers. Children play in age groups, with shorter distances and number of holes adjusted to their age. That gives younger players a proper tournament experience without expecting them to play the same setup as older juniors.
For now, the main reason to keep SA Kids Golf on your radar is their annual Junior Africa Challenge.
What is SA Kids Golf?
SA Kids Golf is a South African junior golf organisation that runs tournament opportunities for young golfers.
It was founded in 2004 and caters for boys and girls from 5 to 18 years old. Over the years, SAKG has been involved in organising local tours, Order of Merit events, World Qualifiers and the Junior Africa Challenge.
For many children, including our own, it has been a great introduction to competitive golf. The events give juniors a chance to play proper tournament golf from a young age, in a junior-focused environment. SA Kids Golf events also do not require an official handicap to participate.
SAKG is separate from WP Golf, Boland Golf, Southern Cape Golf and GolfRSA. Those bodies are part of the official regional and national amateur golf pathway, SAKG are an additional junior tournament option.
How SA Kids Golf works
SA Kids Golf junior tournaments are age-based. Children play in age groups, and the course setup is linked to that age.
The events are played in medal format, so the full score counts rather than points like Stableford. At the end of every tournament there is prize giving with real medals and/or trophies.
Daddy caddies are allowed – and even encouraged – at SAKG events, but they must follow the SA Kids Golf caddie code of conduct.
One of the strengths of SAKG is that children can learn the basics of tournament golf in a junior-focused setup: keeping score, playing at a reasonable pace, finishing holes and dealing with the messy parts of a round.
Entries are done through the SA Kids Golf website. You register online, enter tournaments online and pay online.
The SA Kids Golf Order of Merit
The SA Kids Golf Order of Merit is their season-long leaderboard system. Players earn points through Order of Merit tournaments that count towards their score.
They require a minimum number of games in an age group to qualify for prize-giving.
The orders of Merit system makes sense for children who play SAKG events regularly. From a Western Cape point of view, though, the Order of Merit is not applicable since there is no local tour here.
Membership and tournament fees
SA Kids Golf works on a membership model.
You register your child with SA Kids Golf and pay an annual membership fee. Once registered and approved, your child can enter SA Kids Golf tournaments.
Each tournament then has its own entry or registration fee.
When SAKG runs regular local tours near you, the membership can make a lot of sense. Those events are usually much more affordable and are easy to manage.
From the Western Cape, the decision is a little different at the moment. If you are mainly looking at joining the Junior Africa Challenge, check the full cost before registering. You will most like likely have to pay the annual membership fee on top of the tournament entry fee, and then travel, accommodation, food and time away from school.
The Junior Africa Challenge
The Junior Africa Challenge is SA Kids Golf’s main three-day event.
It’s always taking place at the beautiful San Lameer Golf Resort. For 2026, tournament dates are from 17 to 21 August.
It is a proper junior golf event, with an official opening ceremony, blazers and ginormous trophies.
During the event, San Lameer is exclusively available to SAKG families. The play areas, pool and clubhouse restaurant are all part of the week, and you are surrounded by other families doing exactly the same thing: golf, kids, scorecards, snacks, swimming and another early tee time the next morning.
The setup is basically the same as local SA Kids Golf tournaments: age groups, age-appropriate distances, 9-hole or 18-hole divisions, medal format and caddies allowed under the SAKG caddie code of conduct. It feels like a bigger occasion, but the format is still very accessible for beginning junior golfers without a handicap.
Practise the tournament basics before the Junior Africa Challenge
If your child is playing the Junior Africa Challenge, use local events as practice beforehand.
Club junior days, school golf, 9-hole events and beginner-friendly tournaments are a good way to get used to the parts of golf that matter in a three-day event: keeping score, managing pace of play, finishing every hole, recovering after bad holes and settling into tournament routines.
The SA Kids format works well for beginners, but a bit of local tournament practice beforehand can make the whole Junior Africa Challenge experience much more comfortable.
Important contact details SAKids Golf
SA Kids Golf
+27 (0)82 255 4433
info@sakidsgolf.co.za
For SA Kids Golf events and registration queries:
info@sakidsgolf.co.za
Bryanston Country Club
63 Bryanston Drive
Bryanston, Sandton, 2191
Quick summary
SA Kids Golf is a bit of a missed opportunity in the Western Cape at the moment. The format is exactly the kind of thing that works well for young juniors: age groups, shorter setups where needed, medal golf, and caddies allowed within a clear code of conduct.
For now, the Junior Africa Challenge is the event to know about. It keeps the same SAKG structure, but turns it into a bigger golf week with travel, an opening ceremony, three days of golf and a resort full of junior golf families.
If your child is playing, use the weeks before it well. A few local events can make a big difference — because scorecards, pace of play, bad holes and tournament routines all feel easier once they have done them a few times.
