1 BOSCH HOEK GOLF & LODGE Near Howick, KwaZulu-Natal Midlands SCORE 51/60 Clubhouse 9 • Aesthetics 9 Conditioning 9 • Design Variety 9 Innovation 6.5 • Challenge 8.5 Bosch Hoek is the only 9-holer ranked in SA’s Top 100. It enjoys magnificent Aesthetics in an English parkland setting. Once a private club it is now a destination in the scenic Midlands, offering accommodation in a luxury lodge close to the clubhouse. The original Bob Grimsdell design was given a makeover by Golf Data designer Sean Quinn in 2013, the club’s 50th anniversary. The two par 5s became more exciting and challenging holes. The Bosch Hoek dam has also been utilised as a feature of the layout. 2 KAMBAKU Komatipoort, Mpumalanga Lowveld SCORE 49.5/60 Clubhouse 8 • Aesthetics 8 Conditioning 8 • Design Variety 8 Innovation 9 • Challenge 8.5 On the Mozambique border, Kambaku lies downstream from Leopard Creek on the confluence of the Crocodile and Komati rivers overlooking the Kruger National Park. Opened in 2006 as a raw 9-holer built by local farmers, it has evolved into a superbly conditioned layout where golfers enjoy 14 different holes with 11 separate greens in an attractive bushveld environment. It has a spectacular new short par 4 with an island green on the Crocodile River, and four unique par 3s.
Mooinooi Golf Club.
3 MOOINOOI Near Rustenburg, North West Province SCORE 47.5/60 Clubhouse 7.5 • Aesthetics 7.5 Conditioning 9 • Design Variety 8.5 Innovation 6.5 • Challenge 8.5 The only 9-holer to have hosted a Sunshine Tour event, the Platinum Classic, for 18 years from 1996 to 2013. Louis Oosthuizen was champion in 2007. The course has matured into a parkland beauty, its fairways lined with tall trees. Strong test, with creatively designed greens complexes. The conditioning of Mooinooi’s greens this year was better than the Gary Player CC at nearby Sun City. The original course designer is unknown, and the course will be 50 years old in 2024.
4 METROPOLITAN Cape Town, Western Cape SCORE 47/60 Clubhouse 9 • Aesthetics 6.5 Conditioning 8 • Design Variety 7 Innovation 9 • Challenge 7.5
Adjoining the Waterfront, Metropolitan is Cape Town’s second oldest club (1895). The original layout had 15 greens. That course was lost when South Africa was chosen to host the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Part of the land was needed for the Cape Town Stadium, which towers over the new layout. This modern design by Mark Muller has 14 greens, beautifully constructed modern structures with slick putting surfaces. Five holes have alternate greens, and the other four have two pins in place on the green. The original double-storey clubhouse has been retained.
Metropolitan.
60 GOLF DIGEST SOUTH AFRICA
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2024
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