a work of art, and they certainly don’t conform to one style, as at Pecanwood or Serengeti. Large and small, they fit naturally into the links landscape, and many will catch golfers unawares because they’re craftily hidden away in rough areas. And you want to find your ball in the sand, not in the thick foliage on their edges. Peter Matkovich embarked on a bunker-building spree at one hole at Cotswold Downs in KZN, the shortish par-4 sixth. There’s a long bunker left of the green, and a good dozen pot bun- kers on a slope to the right of the green. Ernie Els included his fair share of large bunkers at The Els Club Copper- leaf, where they litter many of the fair- ways and surround greens, but even he couldn’t match the total number of bunkers to be found at Gowrie Farm in the KZN Midlands. There are said to be about 160 now that seven new holes have been added by designer Guy Smith to bring it up to an 18-holer. These bunkers are scattered here and there, and they often have eyebrows to give them character. The granddaddy of bunkers though is the one fronting the green on No 17 at Maccauvlei on the Vaal River. A daunting carry over it to the green of this long par 4 with a hybrid or fairway metal way down below in the fairway. It’s one to avoid, South Africa’s version of Hell Bunker, because once in it its sandy grip it’s hard to extricate yourself or your ball. It stretches some 50 metres on an uphill slope, with a high lip short of the green. The sand is uneven and soft, and nothing but perfect contact will see the ball soar on to the green.
Cotswold Downs No 6.
Blair Atholl No 9.
COURSES WITH THE BEST BUNKERS* 1 Arabella 2 The Links at Fancourt 3 Sishen 4 Leopard Creek 5 Pretoria CC 6 Houghton 7 Zimbali 8 Pearl Valley 9 Fancourt Montagu 10 Blair Atholl *From SA Top 100 Courses
Maccauvlei No 17.
GOLF DIGEST SOUTH AFRICA 77
MAY 2024
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