Coincidentally, another course re- turning to the Top 10 this year is one that was built in the same era of the late 1970s, but with far less fanfare at the time than Sun City. It was one of Bob Grimsdell’s last designs, and un- deniably one of his best. Sishen Golf Club in the Northern Cape first entered the Top 10 in 2024 and is back again at No 9. For Golf Digest’s raters, Sishen’s remoteness is a challenge, unless you have your own aircraft. Otherwise, it’s a lengthy drive, and a trip there involves possibly two days of travel and two days of playing the course. To put its local- ity in perspective, the nearest Top 100 course is in Bloemfontein, 460 kilome- tres away. However, at least three raters played Sishen for the first time this past sum- mer, and all walked away more than suitably impressed, even though their expectations had been high in the first place. It must qualify as one of the more unique locations for golf, 18 holes in an oasis, which is a kameeldoring forest in a semi-desert environment. Falling out of the Top 10 are East London Golf Club, which has endured drought conditions this summer, and Pinnacle Point. Good news for ELGC though came in
COURSES 21-30
31 PRINCE’S GRANT 75.6 POINTS KZN North Coast 6158 metres Peter Matkovich Down 1 place from No 30 32 DE ZALZE 75.4 POINTS Stellenbosch, Western Cape 6324 metres Peter Matkovich Down 1 place from No 31 33 VICTORIA 75.2 POINTS Maritzburg, KZN Midlands 6183 metres Bob Grimsdell / Golf Data Up 4 places from No 37 34 CCJ ROCKLANDS 75.0 POINTS Sandton, Central Gauteng 6831 metres Martin Hawtree / Golf Data Down 2 places from No 32 35 HERMANUS (EAST) 74.7 POINTS Hermanus, Western Cape 6066 metres Peter Matkovich Up 1 place from No 36 36 KYALAMI 74.5 POINTS Sandton, Central Gauteng 6631 metres Arthur Tomsett & Koos de Beer Down 1 place from No 35 37 EYE OF AFRICA 74.3 POINTS Johannesburg, Gauteng South 7210 metres Greg Norman Up 3 places from No 40 38 PECANWOOD 74.1 POINTS Hartbeespoort Dam, North West Province 7040 metres Jack Nicklaus Signature Down 4 places from No 34 39 MACCAUVLEI 73.9 POINTS Vereeniging, Gauteng South 6631 metres Peck / Hotchkin / Matkovich COURSES 31-40
21 HIGHLAND GATE 77.6 POINTS Dullstroom, Mpumalanga 6710 metres Ernie Els Signature No change from 2025 22 PRETORIA COUNTRY CLUB 77.5 POINTS Pretoria, Gauteng North 6398 metres Clarrie Moore / Bob Grimsdell Up 2 places from No 24 23 SIMOLA 77.4 POINTS Knysna, Southern Cape 6401 metres Jack Nicklaus Signature Down 1 place from No 22 24 ERINVALE 77.2 POINTS Somerset West, Western Cape 6440 metres Gary Player Design Up 1 place from No 25 25 ROYAL JOHANNESBURG WEST 77.0 POINTS Johannesburg, Central Gauteng 6586 metres Laurie Waters / Col SV Hotchkin / Bob Grimsdell Up 2 places from No 27 26 FANCOURT OUTENIQUA 76.8 POINTS George, Southern Cape 6301 metres Gary Player Design Down 3 places from No 23 27 CCJ WOODMEAD 76.6 POINTS Sandton, Central Gauteng 6803 metres Fred Hawtree / Golf Data Down 1 place from No 26 28 HOUGHTON 76.5 POINTS Johannesburg, Central Gauteng 29 GEORGE 75.7 POINTS George, Southern Cape 6166 metres Charles Molteno Murray Down 1 place from No 28 30 PARKVIEW 75.9 POINTS Johannesburg, Central Gauteng 6656 metres Jack Nicklaus Up 1 place from No 29
Up 2 places from No 41 40 EBOTSE LINKS 73.7 POINTS Benoni, Ekurhuleni 6879 metres Peter Matkovich Down 1 place from No 39
6603 metres Laurie Waters Up 3 places from No 33
GOLF DIGEST SOUTH AFRICA 61
MAY 2026
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