YSTERS OP DIE PLATTELAND
ing hasn’t deteriorated. All the courses listed have merit to them. Many of the 25 courses that weren’t included in 2024 are newly “discov- ered” on my part these past two years. Like an unflagging prospector panning for gold, I keep believing there are more “finds” out there, as long as I persevere. My “Eureka” moment last year came after visiting Eshowe Hills estate in Northern KZN, with its attractive old Bob Grimsdell design that is always worth a round. The next morning, I set off for Gauteng on a road not previously trav- elled, the R66 through the Zululand hills towards Ulundi. It’s a picturesque drive, as many are in this part of KZN, with its share of hair-raising bends, and after an hour you divert on to the R34 towards Vryheid. Empty roads, tranquil scenery, infinitely more relax- ing than the N3 between Durban and Johannesburg. No one had ever suggested my visit- ing Vryheid Country Club but being a fair-sized town, I thought it had to be home to a reasonable golf course. In fact, Vryheid was a revelation. An im- maculately maintained, creatively de- signed layout on a spacious flat tract of land among the outer suburbs. A large pine forest separated the early holes from the finishing stretch. What caught my attention and excited me was the size and shaping of the greens. Plus, healthy conditioning. A weakness of many 9-holers is the greens, which can often be rudimentary in design. These were stylish. And the bunkers were good looking and properly built. Several 9-hole golf clubs featured on DSTV in the recent third series of kykNET’s programme Ysters Op Die Platteland. The presenting team visited 13 courses, providing an insight into the benefits these golf clubs bring to their respective communities. Among clubs getting their 30 minutes of publicity were Ceres, Mooinooi, Hartswater, Heidelberg, Montagu, Jacobsdal, Hoopstad, Graaff- Reinet and Swellendam.
RETIREMENT HEAVEN The 18th green at Helderberg Village lifestyle estate in Somerset West. A new entry at No 22 in the rankings.
tours are lengthier ones, so they have become expeditions. To my never-end- ing surprise I am still discovering new courses that delight me. At the same time, I’m baffled at how they have es- caped not only my attention, but that of most South African golfers. NEW DISCOVERIES These Golf Digest Nine-Hole rankings have doubled in size from the initial Top 25 two years ago, to a Top 50 in this issue. Several of my early “hidden gems” have been supplanted by others. But the quality of courses in this rank-
playing surfaces. They recall another era in golf, before the arrival of our modern Fancourts and Steenbergs, when greens weren’t smooth and true, nor a variety of bent grass. But that didn’t spoil anyone’s enjoyment of the game. And when you’re playing at 9-hole courses where the maintenance budget isn’t half-a-million rand every month, the green fees are appreciably lower, less than a round of drinks at many high-end clubs. My journey of exploration continues to this day. I’m at a point where the de-
GOLF DIGEST SOUTH AFRICA 109
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2026
Made with FlippingBook interactive PDF creator