I
6 ZIMBALI, KWA-ZULU NATAL NORTH COAST Par 4: 443 Yellow, 415 White, 380 Blue Ranked No 14 in SA Top 100 Course designer Tom Weiskopf, the 1973 Open champion, was one of the best drivers of his era, and he clearly wanted a driver to be the choice of club off the tee for anyone playing this strong and lengthy finishing hole. It is two metres longer than the par-5 17th which precedes it. The hole bends from right to left, with bunkers and rough guarding the corner of the dogleg, and from the back tee it’s a long carry to cut off as much of the dogleg as possible to leave a shorter approach. The green is a long one, so a back pin means it can play longer than the measurements. 7 HOUGHTON, GAUTENG Par 4: 408 Yellow, 400 White, 375 Red Ranked No 29 in SA Top 100 Jack Nicklaus designs feature in three of the 18th holes on this list, and the Golden Bear does prefer a long par 4 conclusion over a par 5. Five of his six SA designs have one. The Houghton clubhouse sits attractively above the 18th green, which is one of the trickiest of many undulating greens on this lay- out. The hole plays downhill through a chute of tall trees, with a large expanse of water left of the green and the ap- proach. A big fairway bunker on the right of the fairway captures many a cautious tee shot. The tiered green is creatively angled to present a small target. 8 GARY PLAYER CC, NORTH WEST PROVINCE Par 4: 473 Champ, 402 Pro, 374 Club Ranked No 15 in SA Top 100 Unusual looking hole made famous by the Nedbank Challenge, and the “Bullring” of grandstands enveloping the green. It’s unusual in that the ap- proach shot to the green is generally played from the same area of fairway.
which can block an approach shot. On top of that the long green slopes steadi- ly from back to front. 10 GEORGE, SOUTHERN CAPE Par 4: 391 Yellow, 372 White, 340 Blue Ranked No 28 in SA Top 100 This popular parkland layout backs up one of the best par 3s in the country (No 17) with an equally superb final hole. The tee shot plays slightly uphill over a ridge in the fairway, and the ideal drive is a slinging draw that takes advantage of a slope running from right to left. Too far left though and a big dam comes into play. It runs alongside the hole to about 50 metres short of a raised green. Right of the green is dense vegetation where stray balls will disappear for good. The green slopes quite steeply from back to front, presenting some challenging putts. 1-2-3-4 at Country Club Durban Country Club celebrated a momentous achievement on their 18th hole on April 21, 1994. Club member Terry Weddell had a hole- in-one to finish his round. Among the rest of his fourball, club professional Hugh Inggs chipped in for an eagle two, Iain McLean holed out for a birdie three, and Alan Auret made his par 4.
No one can get closer to the green due to the large expanse of water that dic- tates what club is required to play from the tee. Today, for elite golfers, that is a driving iron. However, it is important for the second shot to be on the fair- way, because the L-shaped green pres- ents a difficult target, notably the back right portion guarded by a steep-faced bunker. The average golfer will have a longish club for the approach, to ensure carrying the water. It’s a hole which yields few birdies at the NGC and has been the scene of many heart-stopping moments. 9 DE ZALZE, CAPE WINELANDS Par 4: 308 Yellow, 275 White & Blue Ranked No 31 in SA Top 100 A risk-reward closing short 4 by de- signer Peter Matkovich which made for an exciting conclusion to the 2006 World Amateur Team Championships hosted by De Zalze. Joost Luiten drove the green in the final round and bird- ied the hole to land Holland the men’s Eisenhower Trophy for the first time. The back tee is built high among rocks on a hillside. The Blaauwklippen River crosses the fairway about 50 metres short of the green, and the tempta- tion is to see whether it can be carried. Those who lay up must contend with two towering oak trees in the fairway
The short par-4 18th at De Zalze in Stellenbosch.
GOLF DIGEST SOUTH AFRICA 85
JULY/AUGUST 2025
Made with FlippingBook interactive PDF creator