TOP 10 IN 2000 1 Gary Player 2 Durban CC 3 Montagu 4 Leopard Creek 5 Humewood 6 Wild Coast 7 The River Club 8 East London TOP 10 IN 2005 1 Leopard Creek 2 Gary Player 3 The Links 4 Durban CC 5 Arabella 6 Wild Coast 7 Glendower 8 The River Club 9 George 10 Pecanwood TOP 10 IN 2010 1 Leopard Creek 2 Gary Player 3 The Links 4 Arabella 5 Pearl Valley 6 Durban CC 7 Royal East 8 Montagu 9 St Francis Links 10 Elements 9 George 10 Erinvale
61 UMHLALI 68.9 POINTS Ballito, KZN North Coast 5943 metres Peter Matkovich Up 2 places from No 63 62 ZEBULA 68.8 POINTS Waterberg, Limpopo 6829 metres Peter Matkovich Down 2 places from No 60 63 DAINFERN 68.6 POINTS Fourways, Central Gauteng 6682 metres Gary Player Design Down 7 places from No 56 COURSES 61-70 64 READING 68.5 POINTS Alberton, Gauteng South 6574 metres Sid Brews Up 2 places from No 66 65 WANDERERS 68.4 POINTS Johannesburg, Central Gauteng 6500 metres Bob Grimsdell / Rob O’Friel No change from 2024 66 EAGLE CANYON 68.2 POINTS Honeydew, Central Gauteng 6859 metres Douw van der Merwe Up 3 places from No 69 67 PAARL OLD COURSE 68.0 POINTS Paarl, Western Cape 6214 metres Ken Elkin / Danie Obermeyer No change from 2024 68 GOLDFIELDS WEST 67.6 POINTS Carletonville, Central Gauteng West 6399 metres Bob Grimsdell Up 6 places from No 74 69 WATERKLOOF 67.4 POINTS Pretoria, Gauteng North 6677 metres Unknown / Peter Matkovich Up 9 places from No 78 70 RUIMSIG 67.3 POINTS Roodepoort, Central Gauteng 6820 metres Gary Player Design Up 2 places from No 72
71 KRUGERSDORP 67.1 POINTS Krugersdorp, Central Gauteng West 6761 metres Bob Grimsdell Down 7 places from No 64 72 THE LAKES AT MECC COURSES 71-80
66.9 POINTS Umhlanga, KZN 6241 metres Douw van der Merwe Up 1 place from No 73 73 KNYSNA GC 66.7 POINTS Knysna, Southern Cape 5752 metres
Unknown / Phillip Basson Up 2 places from No 75 74 EUPHORIA 66.6 POINTS Mookgophong, Limpopo 7040 metres Annika Sorenstam Down 3 places from No 71 75 MBOMBELA 66.5 POINTS Mbombela, Mpumalanga 6065 metres Bob Grimsdell / Peter Matkovich Down 13 places from No 62 76 MOSSEL BAY GC 66.3 POINTS Mossel Bay, Southern Cape 5848 metres Bob Grimsdell / Danie Obermeyer Up 1 place from No 77 77 GLENVISTA 66.1 POINTS Johannesburg, Gauteng South 6561 metres Sid Brews Down 1 place from No 76 78 CENTURION 66.0 POINTS Centurion, Gauteng North 6632 metres Peter Matkovich Down 10 places from No 68 79 ST FRANCIS BAY GC 65.8 POINTS St Francis Bay, Eastern Cape 5647 metres Golfscape Up 1 place from No 80 80 OUBAAI 65.6 POINTS Herold’s Bay, Southern Cape 6446 metres Ernie Els Signature Up 5 places from No 85
though both greens have proved inter- esting. However, the missing link at No 15 is not the green but the low teeing ground. It doesn’t correspond with the three other par 3s. At the second and fourth golfers are perched high on tees exposed to the elements, while at 12 the green is built on a dune high above the neighbouring eighth and 11th fairways. At 15 the tees could have been folded into a large man-made dune that would have opened stunning views. FIVE COURSES IN THE TOP 10 WERE first opened for play in the new Millen- nium, and Pinnacle Point is the latest member of that group. It has got there somewhat unexpectedly, because there was a time when this spectacular cliff- top creation by Peter Matkovich was heading in the opposite direction. It had entered the rankings at No 13 in 2010, but within six years had drifted out to No 23. The residential estate was in financial trouble, rounds were down, and the course appeared to have limited appeal to local golfers who, as mentioned before, don’t take kindly to
GOLF DIGEST SOUTH AFRICA 67
MAY 2025
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