The par-3 sixth hole at the Wild Coast.
WILD COAST AND ST FRANCIS LINKS Toughest for pros
THE SUNSHINE TOUR PROVIDES COURSE statistics at all tournaments, information allowing the public to eval- uate which are SA’s toughest courses. Granted, weather conditions and qual- ity of field must be factored in, yet the outcomes are in line with what we con- sider our most difficult courses. The Wild Coast Sun proved No 1 in 2023, on the strength of scores posted in October’s Vodacom Origins. In a 54-hole event this par 70 layout with six par 3s averaged 73.94 in a windier than usual week. The first day average was 76.89, with a 68 by Jbe Kruger. St Francis Links, host of four 72-hole tournaments in the last three years, is considered the toughest experience for the pros. This year it had two tournaments, in March and September, when this region of the Eastern Cape is prone to poor weather. The average score at the PGA Championship was 75.08, while the SDC Open in March, part of the DP World Tour, was 72.74. Glendower was a testing 73.04 for the Fortress Invitational – which made the winning 19-under score by Robin Williams look quite exceptional – and Euphoria 73.0 for the 54-hole Limpopo Championship. Blair Atholl was 72.90 at the Investec SA Open, and Pezula 72.77 in the Vodacom Origins Final.
The view from the 15th green at Steyn City.
STEYN CITY Why is it an easy course for tour pros? THE CLUB AT STEYN CITY is one of our longest courses, 7 054 metres from the tips, but has proved no match for today’s tour players judging from the glut of low scoring at the two DP World Tour tournaments hosted in 2022 and 2023. Shaun Norris won with 25-under in 2022 and Nic Bachem 24-under in 2023. The 36-hole cut was 5-under in both. The average score in those events was 70.04 and 70.0, meaning only Dainfern played easier of any tournament venue. Yet Steyn City is a formidable test for the club golfer. From the back tees it has a course rating of 76.3 and Slope of 153. But if you hit your tee shots 300 metres then Steyn City is a pushover, because its fairways are wide. And both tournaments were played when the course was soft and vulnerable after rain. The four par 5s were overpowered, yielding 118 eagles and 1822 birdies in two events. Two of
them, No 4 and No 10, could have been played as par 4s. Which is what Houghton successfully did at the Joburg Open, converting No 3 and No 15 into par 4s. Only eight players were in double digits under par, compared to more than 50 at Steyn City. Dainfern, relatively short at 6 682 metres, hosted the Stella Artois Players Championship and, even though this was not co-sanctioned, it averaged 69.89. The winning score was 30-under and 54 players were in double digits under par. Other “easy” venues were Zebula at 70.44 for the SDC Open, White River 70.64 for the Gary & Vivienne Challenge, Centurion 70.80 at the Mediclinic Invitational, and Humewood 70.89 at the Nelson Mandela Bay Invitational.
98 GOLF DIGEST SOUTH AFRICA
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2024
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