SUN CITY RETURNS TO TOP 10
TWO OF THE MOST NOTABLE moves this year are Durban Country Club moving to No 4 in the rankings, and the Gary Player Country Club re- turning to the Top 10 for the first time since 2021. It slots in at No 10. Golf Data’s major upgrade of Dur- ban CC has been a huge success. In just over two years since its completion, the course continues to improve exponen- tially. The general presentation of the layout, the superior bent grass greens, the clubhouse, each element conjures up a 5-star vision. Exclusivity in terms of membership and visitor access has done wonders for DCC’s appearance and status. It's a major asset for KwaZulu-Natal golf, and the "old lady" deserves to feature prom- inently when Golf Digest announce their biennial World Top 100 Rankings (outside the United States) this year. Anyone who hasn't played here in recent years will be astonished at the way new vistas have opened inside the course with the removal of much of the dense coastal bush which used to iso- late holes. Standing on many of the tees today there is much more width to be seen, although trouble still lurks every- where if you stray offline. The sinuous new burn has become a feature of the holes furthest from the clubhouse, par- ticularly around the tenth green, 11th tee, plus 13 and 14. The burn is wider than expected in places, and its pres- ence means the aesthetics of DCC have never looked better. As many as 10 pumps and drains were installed on various holes this summer to deal with any storm water flooding, such as occurred during the
PEARL VALLEY The 16th is a well-bunkered short par 4.
58 GOLF DIGEST SOUTH AFRICA
MAY 2026
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