Groot Drakenstein Games Club

Groot Drakenstein Games Club 🏛️ Heart of sport & social life in the Valley since 1895. 🏏 Historic Cricket | 🎾 New Padel Hub | 🍻 Social Club 📍 R45, Franschhoek, SA

To make this readable on Facebook (where people tend to skim), I have broken the text into "chapters" using emojis that reflect both the heritage and the new energy of the club. Facebook "About Us" Section
OUR STORY: A Century of Sport & Community 🏏🛡️ The Groot Drakenstein Games Club (GDGC) is more than just a club—it is a storied institution and a beacon of true sportsmanship. Nestled between the majestic mountains of Paarl and Franschhoek, we have served as the heart of the Valley for over a century. 🏔️✨

A Foundation of Sportsmanship 🌱 Our journey began in 1895, with matches played on simple cow paddocks. In 1921, local farmer H.E.V. Pickstone leased 10 acres to the club with one legendary condition: that at least one game of cricket be played on the field each year. That tradition remains the heartbeat of our grounds today. 🏏

A Landmark in South African Sport 🇿🇦 GDGC holds a prestigious place in national history. In 1926, our members laid the first-ever turf wicket in South Africa. officially named "The Pickstone Oval" in 1999, our grounds have hosted legends like Jacques Kallis, Kevin Pietersen, and Jonny Bairstow. 🌟

A NEW CHAPTER: Rejuvenation & Growth 🚀 While we honor our past, we are building for the future. On 1 June 2025, the Franschhoek Sport & Social Club (FSSC) took over management with a vision to rejuvenate the club into a vibrant central hub for generations to come. 🏛️🔨

Expanding Our Horizons 🎾🏃‍♂️ We are evolving! Under our new management, we’ve elevated the historic Pickstone Oval and are completing three state-of-the-art Padel courts, set for a grand public relaunch on 31 January 2026! 🥳

More Than Just a Pitch 🎨🚴 The new GDGC is transforming into a versatile community space. From cycling and running to creative arts workshops and bridge clubs, our goal is to create a space where the entire community can gather, connect, and thrive. 🤝💫

Join us as we honor our unique past while building a dynamic future! 📍 R45, Franschhoek, South Africa 🌐 www.grootdrak.co.za 📞 +27 66 412 6974

🏏 Still thinking about playing cricket this season?There’s still time to get involved.Whether you’re new to the club, re...
01/10/2026

🏏 Still thinking about playing cricket this season?

There’s still time to get involved.

Whether you’re new to the club, returning to the game, or simply looking for a great group of people to play with — we’d love to have you join us.

Swipe through for the season details, then take the next step:

👉 Apply for your club membership at www.grootdrak.co.za/membership

Once you’re signed up and paid up, we’ll get you connected with the cricket group and your captain.

A big thank you to our 2026/27 cricket sponsors for supporting the season and helping us grow the game at Groot Drak:

Investec
Solareff
MSK Irrigations 🙌🏏

Ready to play? We’ll see you at the crease. 💚

ClubCricket

We celebrated a special birthday earlier this week! 🎉💚Happy birthday to our Head of Sport, Coach Matt! 🏏 Matt Hughes And...
30/09/2026

We celebrated a special birthday earlier this week! 🎉💚

Happy birthday to our Head of Sport, Coach Matt! 🏏 Matt Hughes

And no birthday is complete without a delicious carrot cake, baked by our very own Front of House Assistant, Vanesh! 🎂🥳

30/09/2026

Our kids are the future of Groot Drak. 💚

Holiday Sports Club is in full swing! ☀️🏏🎾🏊‍♂️

A little sport, a little swimming, a few laughs — and some indoor quiz time when the heat kicks in. 😅

Just the way school holidays should be.

Five days. Young cricketers from across South Africa. One very special week at Groot Drak. 🏏💚We were proud to host the C...
30/09/2026

Five days. Young cricketers from across South Africa. One very special week at Groot Drak. 🏏💚

We were proud to host the Cricket South Africa National LSEN Cricket Week over the past few days.

The tournament brought together U19 players with special educational needs, giving them the opportunity to compete at a national level, represent their provinces and, most importantly, simply play the game they love.

There was some seriously good cricket on our fields — but watching the confidence, friendships and team spirit grow throughout the week was just as special.

This is exactly the kind of thing we want Groot Drak to be about.

Sport that brings people together. A place where everyone gets to play. And a club that feels like it belongs to the whole community.

Thank you to CSA, the players, coaches, families and everyone involved in making the week happen.

More than a game. Always. 💚

InclusiveSport CommunityThroughSport Paarl Franschhoek

Your lunchtime padel just got cheaper.11:00–14:00 every day.R80 pp for visitors | R64 for members.Same courts. Less peak...
27/09/2026

Your lunchtime padel just got cheaper.

11:00–14:00 every day.
R80 pp for visitors | R64 for members.

Same courts. Less peak-time pressure. More time to play.

Grab your four. Book your court. Get on. 🎾 Bookings via Playtomic

FlashSession

Yesterday we had three very special visitors at Groot Drak — three Blue Cranes, South Africa’s national bird. 🇿🇦What a s...
27/09/2026

Yesterday we had three very special visitors at Groot Drak — three Blue Cranes, South Africa’s national bird. 🇿🇦

What a sight to see, right here at our new dam.

We’re building more than just a sports club. We want Groot Drak to be a place where sport, community and nature come together.

And sometimes, the valley comes to visit us. 💚

📍 Come find us on the R45, Franschhoek.

Community CapeWinelands

🏆 Andiamo Heritage Day — Congratulations to our winners! Andiamo Spritz A big congratulations to everyone who took part ...
26/09/2026

🏆 Andiamo Heritage Day — Congratulations to our winners! Andiamo Spritz

A big congratulations to everyone who took part in our Heritage Day tournament — and especially to our 1st, 2nd and 3rd place finishers across both the Competitive and Social fields. 👏

Some great padel, some serious competition and, most importantly, a lot of fun on the courts.

That’s what we love about padel. You can arrive not knowing anyone, get stuck into a game, have a laugh, get ridiculously competitive for an hour or two… and leave having met a few new people.

To all our players — we hope to see you back on the courts at Groot Drak very soon… Andiamo in hand.

And to our winners: enjoy the bragging rights. 😉

23/09/2026

Two very different events. One very Groot Drak kind of day. 💚

On one side of the club: corporate year-end celebrations, a little padel tournament, braais and plenty of laughs. 🎾

On the other: 40 junior primary kids, jumping castles, a water slide, science fun and a birthday celebration. 🧪💦🎈

Two completely different events, happening side by side — that’s the beauty of Groot Drak.

A space where you can bring your team, your family or your friends — and make the day your own.

“Thank you for being so flexible and accommodating. We had such a wonderful time!” 💚

Looking for a venue for your next birthday party, corporate function or celebration?

📧 [email protected]

Come make it your own. 🌿

Some Tuesdays just feel like this. 🌿Sport. Community. A little sunshine.And the valley we get to call home. 📍
22/09/2026

Some Tuesdays just feel like this. 🌿

Sport. Community. A little sunshine.
And the valley we get to call home. 📍

Address

Franschhoek

Opening Hours

Tuesday 08:00 - 21:00
Wednesday 08:00 - 21:00
Thursday 08:00 - 21:00
Friday 08:00 - 21:00
Saturday 08:00 - 21:00
Sunday 08:00 - 19:00

Telephone

+27824900405

Website

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