9-HOLE COURSES SOUTH AFRICA'S BEST
Another impressive feature was that the course measured 6 415 metres from the back markers, making it a proper test of golf. Stroke 1 on the card was the 443-metre third, which the second time round played as a 484-metre par 5. Vryheid scored well in each of the six criteria on which 9-holers are assessed. Innovation was its weakest suit. There are nine greens, and the only difference between the two nines is varying tee markers. If you are an affiliated golfer, you can play 18 here for R300, non-af- filiated R350. HELDERBERG HEAVEN Vryheid enters at No 7, behind anoth- er KZN hidden gem, Noodsberg. This Midlands course is a 50-minute drive from Maritzburg and came to my at- tention in 2024. Both are typical tree- lined inland venues, and if you put their two nines together, you would have a very special course. Both pos- sess superb clubhouses, comfortable single-storey structures. Vryheid still has its original 19th hole curved wood- en bar, and two full-sized snooker ta- bles in an adjoining room. A viewing deck has been built on the clubhouse roof overlooking the 18th green. This was not my only “find”; others included the challenging and remote Chrome layout in rugged Limpopo mining terrain; picturesque Stander- ton CC on the Vaal River in Mpuma- langa, two hours south-east of Joburg; and Hartswater and Jan Kemp – neigh- bouring clubs in an agricultural region of the Northern Cape. And there was the embarrassment of discovering a Western Cape course that had been on my doorstep for de- cades, Helderberg Village in Somerset West, which is a luxury lifestyle estate for over 50s. It has been there for 35 years, thus making it one of SA’s ear- liest golf estates. Retirement heaven. Yes, this course was built to suit the capabilities of senior golfers – one set of tees is 5 349 metres, the other 4 668 – but it’s artfully designed and hazard- ous. Again, the greens are impressive with their slopes and good condition- ing. As for the aesthetics, every hole is stunningly beautiful, overlooked by Helderberg mountain.
RINGING THE BELL AT HEIDELBERG An unusual attraction for groups at Heidelberg Golf Club in the Southern Cape is to “Ring the Bell” and win a handsome cash prize. This novel challenge was instituted in 2015 to raise funds for the club. In the middle of the first fairway is an inverted L-shaped wooden sleeper structure, three metres high, from which temporarily hangs a medium-size bell. It’s usually kept in a safe place. A plaque on the frame reveals that it’s the Peter Wiltman Hoffman Bell, in memory of a former club president. Ring the bell with an accurately struck golf ball and you will win R10 000. However, it’s such a difficult target, making a hole-in-one seems an easier accomplishment. The bell has only been rung three times in 10 years, and there have been thousands of attempts. The entry fee is R100 for 10 balls, to be struck from a designated teeing mat in front of the clubhouse. The first time the bell was rung was in December 2016 when the prize was a more lucrative R30 000. Stiaan Herbst (Oubaai) paid R1 000 for 100 balls, and after many attempts he went to a 9-iron and heard the sweet golden chime. The prize was insured, but after that payout the insurance company doubled the cost of the policy. The club now funds the prize, and no longer allows one person to hog the tee. Ten balls maximum. The challenge is monitored by a camera. Hitting an iron from 150 metres means you must perfectly judge the downward trajectory of the ball to make contact with the bell. Many golfers prefer to hit a longer club, often a hybrid, with a lower trajectory that doesn’t lose any height. That worked for a recent winner in 2022. A tour group stopped at the club for a round, and after a few refreshments in the 19th took on the challenge. Jacobus Bailey from Worcester Golf Club delighted his tour mates when a low-struck 3-wood produced the perfect shot. Sunshine Tour pro George Coetzee once stopped at Heidelberg to try his luck, but after a few close calls had to admit defeat.
110 GOLF DIGEST SOUTH AFRICA
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2026
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