Ceres.
15 SKUKUZA Kruger National Park, Mpumalanga Lowveld SCORE 39.5/60 Clubhouse 8.5 • Aesthetics 7.5 Conditioning 4.5 • Design Variety 7 Innovation 5 • Challenge 7 The most talked-about 9-holer in SA, the only one within the Kruger Park, due to the wildlife sightings on fairways and greens. Hippos are submerged close to the first tee in Lake Panic. The greens were upgraded at the end of 2022, and a new clubhouse built with a restaurant that attracts daily visitors. The course was established in the early 1970s, exclusively for park staff, and only opened to the public in 1999. Large bushveld trees are a feature, and it ends with a par 3 closer over Lake Panic. 16 ZWARTKOP Centurion, Gauteng North SCORE 39.3/60 Clubhouse 8.5 • Aesthetics 5 Conditioning 6 • Design Variety 7.5 Innovation 4.8 • Challenge 7.5 A famous club, owned by the Hayes family, which hosted the 1955 SA Open among many other tournaments and exhibitions. It was an 18-hole Bob Grimsdell layout until earlier in 2023 when regular flooding of Hennops River running through the
course originated in the early 1900s, and an ancient giant tree which resembles a redwood is a striking feature in the middle of the fairway on the downhill par-4 second hole. From the back tee, golfers must either fly their drives over the top of the tree or find a way around it. 12 GRAAFF-REINET Graaff-Reinet, Eastern Cape SCORE 40.5/60 Clubhouse 6 • Aesthetics 8 Conditioning 6 • Design Variety 7.5 Innovation 5.5 • Challenge 7.5 One of South Africa’s oldest clubs, established in 1897. A founding member was Douglas Proudfoot, who was SA Amateur champion in the 1890s. The club has hosted the three-day Proudfoot Trophy every March-April since 1997. The current course is the third in the town, built in the early 1990s, and is a beautiful Karoo bushveld layout situated on a bend of the Sundays River, overlooked by Spandauskop. A dry area of the country but the course is well grassed. 13 KLEINMOND Kleinmond, Western Cape Overberg SCORE 40.2/60 Clubhouse 7.2 • Aesthetics 7 Conditioning 6 • Design Variety 6 Innovation 6.5 • Challenge 7.5
A busy club close to Arabella resort with a 10-hole course set against the mountainside and having ocean views. That extra hole is the opening par 3 which is only played once. Established in 1991-92, and a distinguished fourball at the opening comprised Ernie Els, John Bland and FW de Klerk. No 8 and 9 are unusual finishing holes, a dangerous par 5/4 and the second a sharp dogleg left short par 4 where long hitters can aim directly at the green. 14 LIME ACRES Lime Acres, Northern Cape SCORE 39.8/60 Clubhouse 5.5 • Aesthetics 7 Conditioning 6.3 • Design Variety 7 Innovation 5.5 • Challenge 8.5 Sir Harry Oppenheimer opened the course in 1968 (Anglo-American developed the Finsch diamond mine here), and it’s rumoured that Gary Player flew in earlier that year with Sir Harry to suggest a basic layout. It’s highly likely, as Lime Acres is the longest 9-holer in South Africa at 6 506 metres. It’s one of our remotest courses too, quiet, and unknown outside the Northern Cape, a two-hour drive from Kimberley. Lime Acres is a mining village. The mine is now owned by Petra Diamonds. It is a testing layout, well-grassed and having good putting surfaces.
62 GOLF DIGEST SOUTH AFRICA
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2024
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