Courses I’ve Played : Pecanwood : 9.5/10

More often than not most people will only play courses that are close to where they live purely because travelling can be a pain, with traffic, insane drivers, our ever courtoues traffic police and the climbing petrol price, but Pecanwood is always worth the 45 minutes it takes to get there from my house.

Upfront, let me say that the only reason this course did not get 10 out of 10 is due to the fact that it is surrounded by enough mock tuscan/balinese monstrosities to make a grown architect cry, but if you are prepared to forgive the home owners assocations obvious lack of taste in their architectural guidelines (no wonder there are still so many empty stands in the estate nearly 10 years after it opened - even Dainfern with its obvious ego pieces was full up over 2 years ago), you will find a golf course that will challenge you, flatter you and have you coming back for more.

Jack Nicklaus certainly knows how to design a golf course - this was his first completed venture in South Africa (and I doubt he needs my seal of approval), obvoiusly he has had a lot of practice but he put a course in place that never fails to give a golfer a massive amount of enjoyment irrespective of their handicap or ability.

Before we tackle the course, I need to bring to your attention the impact that good service has on the overall experience of a golf club - as you will have seen in previous reviews, a club may have a highly rated course, but if their staff treat you like they are doing a favour by serving you, it definately affects your perception of the course itself. Pecanwood, fortunately doesn't have that problem, every time I have played there (amazingly enough their rates are almost reasonable at R450 + R85 for a half share of cart as a weekend visitor, although this is a bit expensive, it is well within reason for a course of this quality) I have had a world class experience right from entering the estate, to having my clubs taken directly to the starter, through the changeroom and into the pro shop. Well done to Ken Payet and his staff (it is however a bitch not being able to organise rounds at Sun City now that he has left)

The design is very subtle in that the course layout doesn't really dictate how you need to play a hole but provides guidance in the way each fairway is shaped and how the (many) bunkers will come into to play given your shot shape. Almost every hole provides a bail-out route for the higher handicapper and a 'tiger line' for the player who fancies himself as a bit of talent. The course is long, even more so if you are straying off the fairway a lot and having to play out of the kikuyu rough, but most of the time you won't mind being there.

My favourite hole is probably the par 5, 536m (of the club tees), stroke 3 7th. The clubs website
described the hole as follows 'After an intimidating tee shot into a narrow landing zone and a long
lay up shot favouring the left hand side of the fairway, you will have a short iron into a narrow green which is well guarded by bunkers', which doesn't really describe quite how difficult this hole is if you aren't hitting the ball well and the wind is blowing (interestingly the pro tees add another almost 50m to the length of this hole). Off the tee box you are faced with out of bounds (and tall trees) down the right with bunkers short and left of the landing zone which is quite some distance off the tee.

There are very few places on this hole (and on most of the course) where the fairway is flat, so your second shot will most probably be played off an awkward lie. Keep left with your second shot to avoid even more bunkers short and right of the green (don't go to big if you are going for the green though because it is surrounded by pot bunkers and the ones behind are above the putting surface, which slopes away from you toward the front of the green and more bunkers!). The green itself is fairly narrow front to back, but quite wide left to right and has some wicked slopes to it and a bit of a false front to gather shots that fall a bit short. The greens were fairly slow (for Pecanwood) as I played them, but I suspect that the greenkeeper can make them almost unplayable if he wants to.

The other nice thing about this hole is that it is smack in the middle of one of the most challenging combinations of holes on the course, being preceded by a 390m stroke 1 par 4 and followed by a par 3 which is a stroke 5 and can stretch anywhere from 155m to 215m - if you come through these 3 holes, level par or better, then you can certainly feel satisfied with your self (although the 9th is a bit of a damp squib after these 3 holes).

I don't have a hole that doesn't appeal to me as every one seems to perfectly in its place, my only gripe would be that once the greens are full of pitch marks and many bunkers seem to be left unraked, but then I can't really blame that on the course or its management.

The course itself is in excellent condition, but then they are right next to a dam. They have a very nice lockerroom and shower facilities, ample parking, a fairly decent halfway house, a small but well stocked pro shop and a really nice driving range, although the practice green does seem to have been situated as something of an after thought.

For more information, visit
http://www.pecanwoodgolf.co.za/.

Courses I’ve Played : Pinnacle Point : 7.5/10

This is one of those courses that you will either love or hate (and I know families within which this is the case), but you should play if you get the chance (and are prepared to raid the piggy bank), just take lots of balls.

I first played the course just after it opened for public play and it was breathtaking. Some of the facilities weren't finished yet but you let it slide because you feel you had just played one of the most spectacular courses anywhere on the planet.

But as time passes, return visits are made and management changes, decisions get made with financial rewards in mind that detract from the overall experience, for instance you can now only play the course if you are staying on the estate, if you are a platinum member or you are invited by one. Whilst I can see the point (excuse the pun) and the advantages of making the experience more exclusive, the problem is though the cost of playing has gone up 50%, the cost of staying there has gone up 100%+, the cost of drinking has skyrocketed and maintenance standards have slipped; you can’t blame that all on the deteriorating economy (at least not without a smirk on your face) - there is cashing in and then there is ripping you off.

When management crows in its newsletter about being awarded a 5 Star Golf Experience Award and the members beg to differ then you know you have problems.

I have heard a number of opinions, but the one that clinches it for me is from a member (who lives on the estate) who says that no one plays on the course and she battles to find a game because she can’t find someone to play with on a weekend (and a drop in green fees of 40% hasn’t fixed the problem) - something is not right and the management probably need a wakeup call (and to fix the hole in roof with something more than a few sheets of cardboard).

But less of that and more about the golf course. Pinnacle Point is spectacular, breathtaking, stunning and all the other superlatives that come to mind, you can see the sea on every hole, the designer has gone to town with the layout, the service is great (but middling in pockets), the location is spot on, but once you've played once or twice you probably won't feel the pull to play again - let me explain why. I have been lucky enough to play most of the 'big' courses in and around the Knysna/George/Mossel Bay area and the thing is that none of them could hope to hold a professional tournament other than Oubaai (that being said I haven't played any of the courses in Fancourt or George CC but I am working on that), they are a test of your golfing ability but there is something odd about them, like someone was trying to make a non to subtle point. Of all the courses in the area, the one only that looks like it was meant to be there is Ernie Els's Oubaai (much like Gardener Ross, but I'll keep that for another review), the rest just look like someone said 'I have this piece of ground, make a golf course fit onto it'.

The funny thing is though that for all the moaning, I don't just have a favourite hole at Pinnacle Point, I have several, namely the 7th, 8th and 9th combination where you play out over the sea to greens that are tucked up against the edge of a cliff (the effect that the 7th has on you when you first play it, is almost akin to a religious experience - you come over a rise on the cart path from the previous green and are faced with what seems like a 50m plunge from the tee box to the green over the water of an a sea hewn inlet with nothing but the sea and sheer cliffs on three sides of the green).

The 7th looks to be on a par with anything I have seen (on TV) at Pebble Beach, etc. The 8th is a driveable par 4, if you can belt it 280m+ over nothing but water, it’s a brilliant hole and if you are, like me, something of a gorilla on the course, then you will relish the challenge. The 9th is yet another par 3, played over an inlet to a green surrounded on almost all sides by the sea, the trick with this one however is to figure out which way the wind is blowing and figure in how much affect the club house is going to have once the ball gets above it and then pray you have the right club and the right line (the first time we played, my partner was aiming 45 degrees away from the green straight out to sea).

The next combination I enjoy is 12, 13 and the 14th tee box - 12 is a cracker of a hole, off the back tees you probably start about 200m above the fairway (which looks tiny) with a view over almost the entire course and you are playing straight out towards the sea. If you don't trust your golf cart's brakes however, I would proceed down the hill with caution. The 13th is another par 3 where you play over the sea to a green surrounded by water and cliffs, the thing is here is that the green is the size of a postage stamp and surrounded by long grass, bunkers and rocks, not for the faint hearted when the pin is placed up against the right edge of the green!. The 14th hole is Pinnacle Points stroke 2 and as is the case with any stroke 2 par 4, is long, uphill and bloody tough buts it’s not the hole that does it for me, it’s the tee box - it is on the cliffs edge with the sea thundering 50m below you. Trust me, when you play Pinnacle Point take a half a dozen or so water balls with for nothing more than turning sideways and banging them out to sea!

This course also has some really daft holes, like the 6th for instance - it’s a short par 4, with a tee shot over a ravine that is a forerunner of things to come but the fairway is narrow to the point of nonexistent around the landing zone and the green is about 40m long and feels as narrow as 3 to 4m wide in places – the whole hole feels horribly out of place and gives you the feeling that it was an afterthought that was shoe horned in at the last minute or as a compromise.

The par 4 stroke 1 4th is really bland, to the point that it really just looks like a landing strip. I can only guess that it gets its rating because I can see it being unplayable in the wind with it being one of the highest points on the course (then again maybe it just suffers from being between 2 brilliant par 5's that look and feel really intimidating off the tee box, even for a big hitter).

The 15th suffers not from being a terrible golf hole, but by just being a little too bland after all the sights and sounds you have just played through, but my vote for the worst hole goes to the 18th, a par 5 with a hard dogleg left with 175m to go, after you have had to hit it 275m+ (at the coast) to an area of probably no more than 10 square metres, which would be challenge on pretty much any other golf course, except here there isn't a flat or even sloping lie to be had anywhere on the fairway, everything feels like you are about to fall over and the only place you can hope to hit the ball from a reasonably flat lie is covered in deep, clawing grass. Make no mistake, it is a spectacular looking hole to finish on, but to my mind it’s a little over done (and it’s certainly not a stroke 8).

There are a lot of bunkers at Pinnacle Point, but they didn't really seem to come into play (I think I only played from a bunker twice over two rounds, both fairway and greenside), more for decoration than challenge I think, and therein lies the problem with the course, it looks good, it is fun to play (especially when the wind is blowing) but you do feel a little let down after walking off, like something important was missing.

My final verdict - the views where great, the greens were amongst the best I've played and the wow factor you witness when you tell people you have played there is almost worth it - I'd play there again, but I doubt I'd pay, there are just better, more challenging and less contrived courses in that part of the world.

For more details, take a look at www.pinnaclepoint.co.za

Courses I've Played : South Downs : 6/10

After playing Glenvista and writing the review, I thought that I sounded like a little bit of a snob having a slight dig at the courses in the south the way I did, so I arranged a game at South Downs Country Club with the brother and a few mates who barely get to play golf and are by no means picky about the courses they tackle, and I have to say that pleasantly surprised is probably the best way to describe the experience we had - I arrived with very low expectations as the course has previously been known as bit of a dirt track and I wasn't initially surprised to find it that way; the pro shop wasn't open yet when we got there, there are no directions to the
tee boxes and the 10th hole (a par 3) looks horrible (although it will probably look much better once the earth works are finished), although they do have nice new parking lot, new carts and their security is well organised.

The course is a classic parkland layout, with wide fairways, lots of run in winter (I will be returning in summer to compare), it has plenty of water and ditches, etc to catch you out but most holes are wide open and have plenty of room (and trees) for you to get yourself into trouble - for the most part the additional hazards are only found on the harder holes. The course will probably play a lot harder and look a lot better in summer

The greens are really good, for the most part they are consistent on the speed front and easy enough to read - expect the 18th which is all over the place and has slopes and lines I wouldn't even expect to find at Augusta it is so tricky; but thats probably my ego talking given how shocking my golf was

For me the feature hole is the par 4, stroke 5, 7th - its relatively short at only 313m but it deserves its rating - you play over a stream, between two wooded areas to a fairway that turns to the right; the stream and trees run down the entire right side of the whole and there is a strategically placed bunker on the left to catch those that don't get the line just right. Getting your drive in the fairway is only
half the fun, if you don't get it in the right place, you limit your opens going in for your second as the approach to the green is guarded by trees (again) on either side of the green, a stream across the front, a bunker down the right and a raised green that pretty much runs everything off it that is not perfectly place. If you add a nasty pin position on the crest of green, you have a nasty little hole that leaves you satisfied if you walk off with a par (and not to unhappy with a bogey if you have
bounced off the back of the green and faced a somewhat tricky recovery shot).

The halfway house is somewhat rustic but the food and service where great and the meal was reasonably priced - a trend carried through the club as a round is cheap and the bar is not at all overpriced, even if a cart cost same as clubs in the north.

Overall then the course is tough but fair, probably very enjoyable if you are a beginner - you can get a big score on a hole, but you won't loose many balls and you won't hold the experience against the course; go and play South Downs Country Club you will be pleasantly surprised; given how the parking lot was packed when we left (AND the number of very expensive vehicles) it contained, I was surprised we got a round at all!

Courses I've Played : Glenvista : 7/10

Glenvista is not one of the courses I normally rush to play, but I am generally impressed every time I do, and with the changes that have already taken place (impressive new pro-shop and half-way house, additions to the bar) and the those that are in progress (new tees) I'll probably make more effort to squeeze in a round down south.

It has always been my feeling that this course has been constrained by its location,
both because it has to make do with the space it has being in a valley and the fact that it is in the south of Johannesburg, it has suffered by the compromises required to shoe horn the course in i.e. a couple of quirky, short par fours (10 & 14) and the fact that it is not located in a glamorous part of town, although by the look of some of the monster houses that surround the course that is probably changing. Growing up in the south (Alberton), you aspired to play in the north, at Wanderers, Parkview, River Club, etc but you ended playing Reading, South Downs and Glenvista.

I have to admit though that my favourite thing about this course are its greens, they are fast but not slick, hold an approach well, are easy enough to read and true once you have a feel for them - they just feel fair. Not so good however are bunkers and tee boxes - the bunkers could do with more sand in them (and golfers with better manners) and the tee grounds need leveling, a bit more attention to detail and not quite so much water.

For me the feature hole is the par 4, stroke 1, 12th - it starts up high, almost in one of the boundary residents back gardens and played off the back tees is a mighty long way. A good drive will get you within mid iron range and if you shape your shot from left to right and start it on the right line then you will have no more than a wedge into an elevated green, that slopes from back to front and right to left, but put your shot too far right and you're out of bounds and on the left you are in the trees or the river and you are probably going to walk away frustrated.

The green has two almost pot bunkers in front of it, but its greater defense is its putting surface - its not wickedly sloped, but has a subtle shape that has you looking for (and finding) lines that are not there and if the greenkeeper is feeling nasty and puts the pin on the harshest part of the slope about two thirds of the way up the green then you will probably walk off without a smile on your face.

The front nine at Glenvista is fairly open even and doesn't present to many hidden challenges even if the holes run right next to each other and the course designer has made great use of the elevation changes on one or two of the holes such the 3rd and the 4th, but the entire feel of the course changes once you walk off the 10th green (which has never been one of my favourite holes, with its quirky long iron off the tee on a par 4 requirement, followed by another long iron) and onto the 11th tee box - the entire course closes in around you and feels almost claustrophobic as you wrestle with the out of bounds and river on either side of most holes with the valley walls and mansions towering above you.

On the bright side, it is nice to see that the Pro is now operating out of decently sized and well appointed shop after being stuck in a poky broom closet for many years, but he still does not have enough golf carts and if you take a caddie be prepared to be irritated, in fact on the day I was there they had to bring caddies in from another course and one of my fellow players caddie pitched up with a hangover to sink a battleship.

If you are looking for a challenge, don't mind navigating around the south of Johannesburg (and a lack of signposts to the club) and are looking for a nice relaxed atmosphere (the new bar is great) then I would heartily recommend Glenvista.

Courses I've Played : Oubaai : 9/10

Oubaai is an Ernie Els signature course and the benchmark (according to their advertising) so I will separate the review into a discussion about the golf course and the overall experience

First to the course itself - its brilliant, Ernie has gone for a links layout here and he succeeds brilliantly, the course almost looks like it was meant to be built into the landscape provided by mother nature. It flows with the landscape and is sympathetic to the existing terrain.

Best of all though is that it is not contrived i.e. it doesn't force you to play tough shots and dictate how you should approach the layout, the designer realised that a wide variety of players need to enjoy the course without being punished for playing it, notwithstanding the weather. Nearly all of the holes, including the low strokes have a bail out area or a safety line and a high risk/reward line for the
better player - how you then choose to play it is up to you - bravo Ernie it makes the game that much more enjoyable and I can wait to play more of your designs.

The course also reacts to the weather as you would expect a links to - it is seemingly benign when the wind is not really there, relying on the uneven lies and the slopes of the greens to keep the golfer in check, but when the wind blows it is an entirely different creature with the valleys and elevation changes creating all new challenges for the golfer as they move their way around the course.

Having played only 4 days after the greens where hollow-tined I didn't really get a good feel for them, but that being said they where better than most courses normal greens with the attention to detail of the ground staff getting them playable so soon afterwards

My favourite hole interestingly enough is not the par 3 17th toward the sea that you see in all the promotional gear, but the par 5 4th, a 490m monster (stroke 4) that looks fairly innocuous and doesn't hide anything from you off the tee, but tempts you take on a set of bunkers on both sides of the landing area for you drive and another set short of the green for those that want to go for the green in two, add that to a green that you can bump and run the ball into in true links fashion with some great big slopes from back to front and left to right with enough slope to let the ball run right back off the green on a downhill putt and you have a great links par 5, requiring you to think your way down the course of the hole, but not overly punishing you if you just want to enjoy the course and take in the spectacle of the feature holes.

Another nice feature is the fact that the course has 9's of 35 & 37, something you don't often see in newer courses

There is a bit of a downside to Oubaai though, the course may be finished and in excellent condition but the rest of the playing facilities are very much a work in progress when I played (I had to take a detour through the driving range just to get to and from the 10th tee/9th green) and the multitude of building sites (and the accompanying shouting, screaming, drilling, grinding, etc) certainly detract from the round - for the moment it is probably better to play this course over the weekend.

Even more curious is the fact that the members have their own club house that visitors can't get to but end up having their half-way at anyway, in addition it doesn't seem like there are any extra facilities that guests don't have access to
in fact it seems like there are less - maintaining two separate pro-shops must be costing someone a fortune, although the restaurant in the visitors club house makes a damn fine breakfast.

My final verdict - if I had the money for a house or just plain old corporate membership (a bit dear at R200k entry & R20k per year) I would probably spend it - this is one course I doubt I would get tired of playing, and if I was invited back I would accept at the drop of a hat.

Also, due to time of year I visited, the course was empty and I got to play entire round by myself - one of life's little pleasures.

Courses I've played : Glendower Golf Club : 6.5/10

Almost every person I know who has played Glendower has raved about it, how stunning its looks are, how well designed it is, how much of a test of golf it is, how much it forces you to think your way around the course - quite frankly I was bored. This was not the first time I have played the course, so it wasn't like I had any built up expectations that where not being met, its just that I would be bored to tears (or purposely aiming for the trees) if this was my home course and it was all I had to look forward to every weekend.

More often than not it is the design and the conditioning of the course that gets talked about. The course is in very good condition, although I thought the greens where a bit patchy and battered, but they weren't all that hard to read and the pace was consistent throughout (not to fast or to slow). The design however is not all that exciting: Glendower is a parkland course and I suppose Parkview would be the nearest type of course I could compare it to - Parkview is far more interesting and keeps you thinking and trying to place and shape your shots a lot more than Glendower does where it is a case of knock it somewhere down the or near the fairway, avoid the bunkers (which can mostly be carried off the club tees) and aim for the middle of the green. There is not a lot of complexity to this course. The par 5's aren't overly long, the stroke 1, the par 4 4th, relies on distance rather than guile and most of the rest of the par 4's play quite short i.e. a driver and no more than say an 8 iron (off the club tees).

All you need to do is play to your game and stay on or near the fairways and away from the trees and you will do OK, not a lot of complexity there then.

I have read a review that describes the start of each nine as being really difficult, with the end of each being fairly disappointing, I would have to say I agree with the latter (kind of routine straight up par 4's), but not necessarily the former. Both the 1st and the 10th are easily reachable even if you have a bad drive and tend to drift off to the right like most golfers.

The course does have a lot of water hazards, but most of them are carries off the tee box rather than coming into play around the green (5 holes in total, 2 of which are par 3's).

The one thing I did like about this course was the bunkers, the green side ones have sand that is soft, fluffy and easy to get your club through and the fairway bunkers are just hard enough to make a shot out of them not to difficult. Even though there are a lot of bunkers on this course, it didn't feel like the amount was overly punitive.

The course surroundings are quite pleasant with all the established trees hiding most of the housing that adjoins the course, but no more so than any other Johannesburg parkland course though. However the holes that play near the N3 are really noisy (and prone to the occasional honking idiot when you are on the tee box).

Choosing a signature hole was fairly easy though as Glendower has one or two of the prettiest par 3's of the courses I have played, chief of which is the 6th. This is hole is about 160 off the club tees, playing over a small dam in front of the green, to a putting surface which slopes quite sharply from back to front - I can imagine hitting a great shot here and seeing it spinning back off the green into the water. The green itself is raised up from its surrounds such that the ball feeds off the green if you don't get your distance just right, it also has a fairly nasty bunker at its back right that is going to make any shot back down the green towards the water somewhat scary - the putting surface is fairly narrow, but quite wide and makes for some interesting, swinging lines. The hole may only be a stroke 11, but walking off with a par should be quite satisfying.

I'll play Glendower again if I was to receive an invite, but its not the type of course I would make a special effort to play again.

For more info, contact details, etc you can visit www.glendower.co.za

Courses I've played : Randpark Golf Club (Windsor Park): 6/10

Windsor Park shares the same relationship with its next door neighbour Randpark, as the Lost City does with Gary Player Country Club - its the resort course to its bigger, bolder and somewhat nastier brother. Its a compromise course that the players who aren't quite as serious are gently nudged towards, the course the ladies, the mixed pairs, the hackers and the pensioners are encouraged play so they don't snarl up the tee boxes on 'real' golf course.

Don't get me wrong, its not a bad golf course, but you do get the sense that, when you are playing it, that you are a somewhat lesser mortal in the eyes of the staff and the members - why else would they put what course your playing on the piece of paper that they slip into the window of the cart? To make sure the good carts go onto the other course, to make sure the 'good' players don't mix with the rabble, I dont't know.

It probably is a prejudice on my behalf, but I never did like the way Randpark Golf Club is run, and how they treat those that aren't in the in crowd (and how they cling to some of the archaic rules regarding ladies and members guests on the weekend).

The biggest problem I have in sitting and writing this review is that there is not a lot that I found memorable about the Windsor Park course; yes, it is a pretty looking course but by the same token there are a bunch holes that run near Republic Road and it is gets really noisy. It has ample fairways, but when the stroke holes are not difficult, just long, you get a sense that the club had the idea in their heads that they had the land and too many members (or hackers) so perhaps they should build a course for those golfers snarling up their showpiece.

In any other location and with a bit of work to toughen it up (narrowing the fairways, growing up the rough, speeding up the greens, maybe making them a little smaller in places and the addition/moving of the bunkers) this would be a great golf course, probably in the top 25 in the country.

Please don't read this as a negative review of the course, its a great place to play if you are just getting going with the game (but don't expect the management or staff to help - what kind of narrow minded fool doesn't allow slops on an outside terrace at the high of summer in Africa) or don't really want to concern yourself with thinking your way round a golf course, it is forgiving in most places and just a little mean in others, it is a straight forward, honest and open layout but I suspect it could get very discouraging due for the higher handicap golfer due to the length of some of the holes and the sheer number of shots required to get onto the green on them.

From the first to the last the course is in immaculate condition and hardly a fault can be found with it, the bunkers are great with nice, soft, stone free sand (and decent looking drainage given all the rain we have had of late) that give you a chance to get your ball close to the hole, the greens are even (if a little slow and pock-marked, seems this club also has players with a phobia for fixing pitch marks) and easy enough to read albeit a little on the slow side. The trees don't get in the way all that much and if you stray of the fairway by a metre or two you won't find yourself to severely punished.

There are a couple of eye-sores on the course, the caddies and groundstaff that assault you out of the undergrowth between the first green and the second tee with offers of lost balls, the intersection of Judges and Republic next the the 5th, 6th, 12th and 13th holes and the dirty, great, grey, banking bunker that is visible from nearly all of the holes on the course despite its abundant covering of trees.

I came off the course without any sense of accomplishment, excitement or even disappointment for that matter - I kind of just hit the ball around, eventually getting it into the hole and then moved onto the next tee box; there was nothing that made me stand still, take a look around and admire a specific feature or aspect of the layout. I walked off the course not really having felt that I had had the usual challenge I enjoy so much from a game of golf, if I made a mistake it was of my own doing rather than having been forced into a difficult position or having made a risky shot selection. Other than a few blind or round the corner tee shots, there is not much in the way of exciting choice to work with.

If anything the only hole that really stood out for me was the par 4, stroke 3, 7th and that was primarily because of the tee shot - it requires the ability to shape the ball (draw) off the tee with a long iron or wood, around a collection of oak (I think) trees down the left of and overhanging the fairway 200m or so from the tee. You have a narrow gap to aim for between the edge of the trees and a bunker down the right in the landing area. Once you have successfully negotiated your tee shot, you are left with a fairly easy pitch into a deepish green with no real danger other than water off the back left (which forms a hazard for the next hole).

In faint praise, I think the best way to describe the Windsor Park experience is nice. The course is nice, the greens are nice, the fairways are nice, the toilets are nice and clean, the starter and the staff in the halfway house where nice (if somewhat indifferent) - a nice experience, but not one that I would necessarily be excited about repeating.

So then, not much to report, but then not that much bad to say either - I will probably play the course again, but will probably always prefer to test my game against Randpark.

For more info, contact details, etc you can visit www.randpark.co.za

Courses I've played : Lost City Country Club : 4 (7)/10

I don't know why I do it to myself, every time I find myself looking forward to a round at one of the courses at Sun City (Gary Player CC and Lost City CC) I find myself hoping, wishing almost that I won't have a bad experience and every time I find myself disappointed the instant I arrive at the complex gates.

I am going to separate this review into two sections: one about the course and one about the way Sun International (SI) makes you feel when you play their courses.

I don't know if it is just me but every time I go through to Sun City to play golf, I feel like I am not wanted.

If I am expected to drive for an hour and a half and pay over R500 for a round of golf I don't expect to have to pay to get into the complex (a little 'welcome sir, enjoy your round, please go through' would make the world of difference in starting off the experience on the right footing and perhaps might make you ignore any of the other indifference you may experience) and I also don't expect attitude from the staff. I expect to be treated damn well (perhaps SI should look to Pinnacle Point for 'pointers').

I don't expect the guy behind the pro-shop counter to argue with me about the cost of the round (that I got off the SI website) and call his own staff stupid for charging a different rate the day before and then refuse to take the 'voucher' that is foisted on you at the gate and which says that it will be accepted anywhere within the complex on it.

At least the shop is reasonably priced - I would assume that a lot of golfers at least buy a shirt to commemorate their visit, but what I don't get is the overwhelming selection of black socks - is there some emerging fashion trend that I am not aware of?

I also don't expect anyone talk to me like I am an idiot, when I make a comment about the course guides costing R10 at the Lost City when they are supported by advertising and are free elsewhere - I don't care if they have GPS in their carts (his comment), I am paying for it.

For R500+ for a round of golf (and a third of tank of petrol) I also expect the staff in the restaurant to at least smile and not to demand my half way ticket before taking an order and to have a little civility, but then I suppose when they see what we are paying to play and what guests pay to stay at the resort and compare it to what they earn, they probably do as little as they have to, to keep their jobs.

Perhaps SI should invest some effort and funds into training their staff and getting them to realise that being nice doesn't cost a thing, but not doing so can cost you your livelihood. The glum faces behind the refreshment counters on the course, paint a very vivid picture of the SI working experience.

BTW, from the SI site (I guess it needs an update)

Green Fees

18 Holes:
Residents of Sun City and non-residents can utilise the facilities and green fees include golf cart sharing (carts are compulsory), halfway house lunch and strokesaver book.

Individual Hotel Residents R420.00
Individual Non Residents R495.00
PGA Member Proof of membership required R350.00
Junior Under 18 years of age R250.00

Group Hotel resident (20+ golfers) R375.00
Group Day Visitor (20+ golfers) R420.00

Club Hire Fee Cleveland Classic R350.00

I also expect SI to make sure they get their booking system right - two friends could not play today, because SI booked the same set of names into 4 fourballs without checking and we ended having to play as a two ball. Its the little things that matter when you want to be one of the top courses in the country.

I also expect the maintenance staff on the course to be aware of the fact that there are golfers on a golf course and not mow, weed-eat and blow leaves at full tilt when they are trying to play a shot less than 10m from them.

Thank goodness for Peter (our spotter), the guy in the cloakroom and the bloke who cleaned our clubs after the game or the day would have been a complete loss.

I also expect the SI website to work properly with FireFox (or is that just expecting to much?)

On to the golf course, which is actually quite nice. The Lost City is a resort course and it is nowhere near as hard as its sister (championship) course, the Gary Player Country Club. It is also quite a bit more visually appealing, with its elevated tee shots, crocodile infested hazards and impressive surrounds.

The course plays very short off the white tees (at least the way the course was setup today) but that does not detract from the experience at all. If you hit the fairway you will find yourself with a decent shot at par, if you don't you may end up well over it (they grow the kikuyu tall and deep and it is very nasty to have to play out of). The course itself is in excellent condition, if a little dry, but then you cannot hold the weather against the greens keeper.

The greens are also in stunning condition and amongst the best I have played lately, for all the usual reasons: they are true, they are consistent and they hold the ball rather than being unfairly hard. The green shapes and slopes allow for some really interesting pin positions and I can see them being setup to challenge the better player with some decent risk/reward positions.

I don't think that there is an unfair hole on the course in terms of bounces, lies and blind carries, etc, pretty much every hole has a challenging shot for the better golfer and an easily accomplished one for the high handicapper where par is within reach. Throw into the mix the decent use of long and short par 4's and 5's and you have a golf course that you will probably walk off with a smile on your face irrespective of what you shoot (Note to course staff: the white tee markers on the 7th tee are 80m's out - a 385m par 5?)

From an overall golfing experience, it almost feels like the game is over to soon because you have been having so much fun - the course just seems to flow from one hole to the next and if anything the only holes that feel slightly out of place are the short par 4's, the 10th and 12th - they just don't feel like they fit in with the rest of the course for some reason. I can't say how the course feels from a first-timers perspective in determining where the fairways go and that (I have played the course at least 5 or 6 times and know my way around) but finding your way from a green to the next tee is really easy and the cart paths make it almost impossible to get lost.

Most people will probably tell you that the feature hole at the Lost City is the Par 3 13th (with the crocodiles in the hazard in front of the green, played over from an elevated tee) or they will make a case for the par 5 18th, with the water down the right, the long waste bunkers left, the irregularly sloped fairway and the clubhouse sitting majestically behind the green, but I quite fancy the shortish par 4, stroke 5, 14th: it has everything a short and difficult par 4 should have: a risky tee shot if you want to take on the green for 1 or 2, an easy place to put the ball if you are content with a par or 1 over and a raised green with subtle breaks. The hole is played from an elevated tee down onto a wide expanse of fairway which narrows at the 260m mark and falls off into a tree lined donga. Your second shot is uphill, through a gap in the trees over the self same donga, up onto a raised green with a pot bunker front left, thick kikuyu rough behind and some nice semi fairway on either side if you have a tendency to fade or draw the ball a little to much. The green slopes from back to front with a slight lip at the front and the high point towards the back left. The pin was in the middle and at the back today, but I expect that a lot of golfers would fall prey to the bunker if the pin where placed anywhere near the front left or middle of the green. A great hole to play, a fair hole for the high handicapper and a great way to rack up a double if you want to take it on and get it wrong.

The experience is further enhanced by the addition of the GPS screens in the carts (this is a carts only course) - they are brilliant for giving you exact yardages, letting you know how you are doing in keeping up with the field and they also give you a facility to record you score on the cart, rather than having to worry about your scorecard and pencil on every hole (nice to see to, that SI didn't miss a trick with advertising on them). I'd like to see my home course get some of these nifty little toys!

In summary, we had a great time on the course, but a completely forgettable one off it. The course gets a 7, but the overall experience only warrants the awarding of 4 rating.

Courses I've played : Eagle Canyon Country Club : 4/10

The first time I played this course, I came off after 12 holes, beaten into submission by the cold, the rain and the layout. The next time I played I shot one of my best scores ever but I swore I wouldn't come back after seeing how my playing partners struggled and after this visit I suppose I would probably play here again for the test of target golf that it is, but the same problems that formed my first opinions of the course still exist and the overall impression remains that it wants to punish the high handicapper or the better player having an off day) purely because they do not possess the ability to play target golf and may not have the recovery skills required.

To my mind, there is a reason the Eagle Canyon has special offers and reduced fees with carts thrown in and that is because the majority of golfers who play there once, realise that they don't enjoy being made to feel foolish on the golf course and never come back and as is the case with a social game, they tell their friends and playing partners and the pool of people who want to play the course reduces. Case in point being the number of balls our fourball lost or put out of bounds: 15 (5, 10, 15 & 16 handicaps), thats between R300 and R450 worth of balls - I can remember my normal fourball loosing that many over a month, even when we where all playing badly.

For this review, rather than rambling on, I thought I would try to list all of the for and against points I had in my mind, if only to make it easier for the the reader to see how my opinion was formed.

For:

- Spectacular views from clubhouse and up to it from the course and its surrounds.
- Layout is certainly dramatic routing around the quarry and many water features
- Excellent greens - they are in great condition, well looked after, true to their lines and consistent from a speed perspective
- Cheap (R200 for affiliated visitor + a cart)
- I have only ever had good spotters on this course
- Clubhouse is one of the best I have ever seen
- The halfway house is very nice and reasonable priced.
- The pre and post game service from all the course staff was excellent
- The changes that have been made to the course since I last played there have improved some of the more unfair/dangerous areas

Against:

- The course is overly punitive, both in layout and the in designers ignorance of natural flows of water i.e. the 400m stroke 2 lies next to and on a level with the largest water feature of the course with the natural consequence that the fairway is very wet right in the landing zone for a good drive forcing an accurate and (very) long second shot in most cases (given that the green is tucked away between some water and the next tee box)
- There is almost an element of the course trying to hard to 'fit' into quarry layout with too many blind shots that require pinpoint accuracy to ensure a workable next shot.
- Many run-offs and slopes in landing areas are unfair, it almost seems like course designer was determined to make players loose balls.
- Players are punished for good shots/forced to compromise and a there are number of holes with no chance to take a risk
- Good players are punished for being long off the tee (par 5 5th has a sloot right in the driver landing area; high handicappers have more than enough room to play to, but better players are forced to compromise in order for the hole to be able to defend par, and there are two par 4's in a row on the back 9 that do not allow for the use of a driver off the tee)
- You are surrounded by a sea of crowded housing in pretty much any direction you choose to look
- The are areas of the course that look like a building site
- One hole specifically almost looks like the developer thought it was not memorable enough so he stuck a 300m long, winding flower bed down the left side of it, using planting that is totally out of character with the rest of the course.
- The course is still dangerous in some areas - playing to greens over/near tee boxes and blind shots that will put the fourball in front of you at risk if you don't have a spotter.
- Driving up and down some of the cart paths can be interesting
- The elevation changes and tight landing areas can be overly punitive when the wind is blowing and can make club selection a guessing game at best (in all probability the winner of the previous hole will have to sacrifice their tee shot so the rest of the fourball can get an idea of what to do)

My favourite holes on the course are the 475m par 5, 2nd and the 160m+ par 3, 4th, both holes that don't use any smart tricks or compromises because of the quarry layout. The 2nd is a dog-leg left from the 200m in mark, it has an ample fairway and rewards a good drive with a chance to go for the green in two and has opportunities to go offline on every shot. The green on this hole is as good as any on the rest of the course and my opinion is in no way biased by the eagle that I got! The 4th is a great par 3 (after the somewhat inane par 4, stroke 1), with a carry over water to a wide and not very deep green that slows from back to front (so you don't have to worry about holding your shot on the putting surface. It has a bunker on the left and a bank of rough around and the back and to the right (where it is possible to recover from). The reason it is great? Because so many golfers get intimidated carrying the water instead of worrying about their club selection and knowing how to play to their shot shape, it forces the golfer to think about other things than just the shot at hand.

My advice for the first time player: take the reputation that the course has seriously, play within yourself and think your way round the course, play with someone who knows the course, take a spotter, bring a lot of balls and prepare to be frustrated (and drink to your sorrows afterwards and enjoy the view from the clubhouse balcony)

Courses I've played : Parkview Golf Club : 8.5/10

Parkview 7.5/10

The problem with playing a course like Parkview is that if you are not accurate off the tee, you can pretty much kiss a low round goodbye. To say that Parkview is tree lined is an understatement, but that being said in most instances the fairways are generous and if you play to your shot shape you should be able to get round somewhere near your handicap (but don't expect to play under it) - I would suspect that the ringers get sorted out very quickly amongst this clubs members.

To my mind this course typifies great golf course architecture. Each hole has its place and is in its place, one hole seems flow to the next and is where you would logically expect it to be, first a shortish par five, followed by a long, tight low stroke par 4, a relatively easy par 3 with a generously large but subtly sloped green where the base of the pin is hidden, followed by the stroke 1, dogleg left, get it offline and you are screwed par 4 - 4 great opening holes. Other than two par 5's back to back on the back 9 Parkview has a layout that fits is location perfectly. It uses the terrain it is built within to perfection - the fairways are rolling, sloped and surrounded by trees and require you to think about your approach strategy, there are short par fours which invite you to take on the hole at your peril, bunkers which are perfectly placed and should stand up to the new advances in equipment and at least one par3 that looks like it has always been there and the course was merely built around it. Add to this the fact that the strokes on the four finishing holes are 6, 14, 4 and 8 and you have a course that will test the best and leave you with a sense of achievement even if you only get 1 par and shoot a 100.

There are one or two things that don't fit though, the sloot that runs through the course is in play on many holes and makes a great hazard, but the problem is that it is jarring on the eye and doesn't fit the classic look and feel of the course, its also on the right on pretty much every hole it comes in to play on and thats a bit unfair to the high-handicapper, most of whom (and me on a bad day) tend to slice the
ball. I am going to assume too that course takes a lot of rounds, especially from visitors because their greens are covered in un/badly repaired pitch marks and unraked bunkers - I don't know if its just bad manners on the part of the the players or that the caddies not doing their jobs properly, but it does detract from the experience.

The major gripes in our group (handicaps 6,10,15 & 24) where the inconsistency of the greens - they varied between hard and soft and slow and fast each with a combination of subtle and not so subtle breaks and this made it quite hard to figure out what type of shot to select coming into a green (I can only imagine how much more frustrating this would be if you hadn't played the course before), and the difficulty we all had in judging the distances into the pins (if we didn't have a range finder it would have been a long day), although the markers are to the middle, most of the ones on sprinkler heads, etc where damaged or missing and the poles on the fairway give no inkling of how much one should allow for the depth of a green (and some of the greens are quite a lot deeper than they look) - I also didn't see any course guides available, but I might have missed them. I also only saw a course marshall once which didn't help the slow play (we teed off at 13:15 and only finished after 18:00).

Two holes come to mind as the most memorable for me on this course, the par 4, stroke 1, 400m 4th and the par 3, stroke 6, 170m 15th - both holes are not tough because they are long, they are tough because they require a fairly accurate shot off the tee and a keen touch on the greens (the 4th only required a driver and a pitching wedge, but on both holes I was on the wrong side of the green and had knee-knockers back across slopes and elevation changes to claim a decent score), add to this the fact that they both look stunning and you have two holes you will remember for quite some time after you walk off the course.

The 4th is a dog-leg left with a massive tree from the 110m to 150m mark, on the turn, guarding half the fairway, that seems to magnetically attract every ball played anywhere near it. The green is tucked right up against the boundry wall of the course and is surrounded by deep rough and some nasty looking bunkers (and don't go right, the sloot is also in play on this hole). Once you are on the green you have to contend with a surface that has its high point 2/3rd's on and 2/3 across, if hit
your approach a little to far and pitch the green, you may still find yourself playing your next from the rough. Tough, but rewarding if you play it right.

The 15th is a longish par 3, but that is not what will have you worrying about your tee-shot - the green has a sliver of fairway front-right if you move the ball left-to-right and want to bail out, but that leaves you with a tricky pitch up a green that slopes from back to front towards the water (and a bunker) front left. The
rough slopes up around the green (with a another bunker off the right middle thrown in for good measure) ensuring that any shots that aren't on target or the correct length will be severly punished. Add the tall trees at the back left and you have a hole that is worthy of its low rating and will leave you satisfied when you walk off with a par.

As a point of interest, the course also only has 3 par 5's and 3 par 3's and the 9's are 35 & 37.

In summary, let me say that the niggling problems I described shouldn't stop you from playing the course, Parkview is a great test of golf and a beautiful example of classical golf course architecture in a aesthically pleasing and well suited setting (that reminds me, I must play Glendower again soon) and if you keep you wits about you, you should score well and enjoy the pleasant, if not so peaceful surroundings (you are after all smack in the middle of Joburg, as the electric fences and car accident holes in the fences will remind you).

It cost R200 (a little steep if you ask me) to play during the week as an affiliated visitor and the cart cost R175, the halfway house was reasonably priced (R24 for a sandwich and two still waters), clean and the service was quick and effective and the 19th (which has a great location, almost on top of the 18th green) also seemed good value for money (R65 for 1 softdrink, 2 mixers and 3 draughts).

Why am I doing this?

At some point I am sure someone is going to ask me to detail my motivations for doing this, so I thought I would jump in first. Let me say that I am not involved in the golf business in any way (I am in the IT business) and I play purely for the challenge and enjoyment of the game.

I get to play a lot of golf and experience what it is like to play as a member at one of the countries better estate courses and as a visitor on many others and the one thing that I seldom, if ever, see in any of the golfing publications is a review of a golf course and the experience that surrounds the visit from the perspective of the unknown visitor (and it took a visit to Potchefstroom to finally add enough fuel to the fire). It is my opinion that golf courses treat the golfing press far differently from the paying public and this is evident in the fact that almost always the reviews that you see are glowing and in many cases the courses are not easily within reach of the pocket of the majority of the golf playing public.

I have also have a keen interest in golf course architecture (coupled with the analytical mind of a software and systems architect,at least I like to think so) and the challenge that a golfer faces in negotiating their way round the 18 holes. I believe golf is not a series of difficult tasks to be completed, it is a game that should be interesting and fun and that is the perspective from which I judge a course. I don't necessarily want to be a golf course architect, but I do believe my exposure to the game entitles me to an opinion at the very least.

Whilst playing, I try to judge a course by the following set of criteria:

1. Routing – this is the hardest element to measure, but is best described as the holes seem to all work perfectly one after the other.

2. Architecture/definition – a player should be able to devise a clear strategy for playing a hole without worrying about hidden perils, blind tee shots, etc

3. Setting/aesthetics/conditioning

4. Mixture of hole types and hole lengths/how these are balanced across the 9's

5. Balance of strong and fun holes/playability/degree of difficulty

6. Great par threes

7. A full mixture of par fours from drivable to unmanageable

8. Par fives that are interesting rather than just long

9. A golf course that makes you think – 18 clearly defined holes with one option per shot lacks strategy – the course must invite you to take risk and play smart

10. A course that has continuity – from architectural style through to feel, too many ideas or too many elements ruins a good piece of architecture

This may seem like a lot to keep in mind, but as nearly all of these overlap you do tend to get an overall picture in your mind as you are moving through your round and I find it quite easy to come to a conclusion about a specific course once I have spent some time digesting my round.

[These criteria originally come from Ian Andrews]

Courses I've played : Pebble Rock Golf Club : 6-7/10

If you live in Joburg and don't mind an early start, an hour or so drive and some really warm weather for a round of golf then Pebble Rock should be on your list of courses to visit - if you are worried about the rating I gave, don't be (I'll get to that).

Pebble Rock is already a good course and it will probably get even better over the next few years once they get the fairways sorted out and put up some additional signage to make it easier to find.

The greens are stunning for such a young course (although the breaks are sometimes a little exaggerated), they are grainy but true, slow uphill and like lightning the other way (note to greenskeeper - move the cups around a little more often, its no fun lipping out because the edges of the cups are bevelled). My measure of a good course is if both low and high handicappers enjoy playing it - we had a 7, a 10 and a 15 in our group and everyone walked off without a bad thing to say about the course.

The only faults that really come to mind are the state of the fairways (they are quite patchy and need to grow a full covering of grass), the hole layouts that can be somewhat confusing (in some cases there are long distances to travel between a green and the next tee and then greens and tee's are right on top of each other elsewhere and the holes criss-cross each other in several places), the fact that property size constraints have given rise to some interesting and compromised hole layouts with ill-defined lines and directions off the tee (there are no caddies on the course, so we took carts and each cart had a map of the layout of the course, the map was well used and somewhat beaten up and didn't really help other than to give general direction), that there are no distance markers other than 100m and 150m poles (which didn't look and feel right in some case) and the club could do well to put distances on sprinkler heads, etc and publish a course guide and finally there a places where the houses are far to close to the course, in some places to the degree that I almost felt like I was teeing off in someones back-yard (coupled that with the fact that a particular home owner seems to enjoy watching his dog attacking golfers as they legitimately use the cart path that travels past his house).

I have to admit that once I got going I really enjoyed this course, it rewards accurate play and there is a good risk/reward return when you go for the pins on nearly all of the holes, but you do need to know the green layouts - I'd very much like to play the course again when the wind is not blowing quite so hard to get a feel for how it plays in normal highveld conditions (also knowing where to hit the ball off the tee will make playing that much more enjoyable, especially with the one or two blind shots that are required).

The course has a par of 70 (there are three par 3's on each 9, probably indicative of the space constraints) and even if the low stroking holes are interesting, they did not feel that difficult or particularly memorable - the signature hole for me on this course is the 461m par 5 16th (stroke 15) - you drive from an elevated tee, with a restricted view of the left hand side of the fairway (and water) with a large bunker and out of bounds down the right (a low draw off the bunkers down the right hand side of the fairway worked a treat), once you get down to play your next shot you have to avoid a lot of water in front and to your right and climb up quite a bit to get to the green. If you are a big hitter you will find you have a long carry to get it on without much area to bail out left or right but there is not much to worry about short of the green. The green itself is surrounded by banks covered in deep kikuyu grass and it slopes quite a bit downhill from back to front - you'll be wanting to keep the ball below the hole (I suppose the same could be said for every green on this course, but then again you can afford to give your putts a good thump if you are below the hole).

From an aesthetics perspective, the location of the club itself (it looks like the entire estate is contained within a game reserve) and the interior and design of the clubhouse and facilities will take some beating (one of my playing partners remarked that it looked very similiar to Pezula). To my mind the change rooms are a little spartan, but maybe I have been spoilt by all the locations I have played at recently. The staff where friendly and helpful (if a bit shy) and our breakfast was reasonably priced and generous (the bar did however seem to charge like wounded buffalo), but I suppose the best praise I can give the estate is that driving away I was figuring out how I was going to persuade the wife to move there!

The cost for 18 holes (excluding competition fees, levies, etc) on a Sunday was R150.

For more details you can visit the Pebble Rock website.

Courses I've Played : a definative list

Look out for reviews of some of the following courses over the next few months:

If you would like me to play your course - leave a comment and lets see what we can organise.

Northern Cape, Eastern Cape & Free State : nothing, but I plan to fix that this year

Gauteng:

Benoni Lake
Blue Valley
Bryanston
Centurion
CMR
Country Club, Johannesburg (both courses)
Crown Mines
Dainfern
Eagle Canyon
ERPM
Germiston
Glendower
Glenvista
Houghton
Irene
Kempton Park
Kensington (no longer open)
Krugersdorp
Kyalami
Leeukop
Maccauvlei
Modderfontein
Parkview
Pebble Rock (added 2006.12.31)
Randfontein Estates
Randpark (both courses)
Reading
Riviera
Roodepoort
Royal Jhb & Kensington (both courses)
Silver Lakes
Southdowns
The River Club
Wanderers
Woodhill
Zwartkop

Kwazulu-Natal

Durban Country Club
Mount Edgecombe (both courses)
Wild Coast Sun
Zimbali

Limpopo

Tzaneen

Mpumalanga

Leopard Creek
Malelane
Nelspruit
Sabie River Bungalows

North West

Gary Player
Goldfields West
Lost City
Magaliespark
Pecanwood
Potchefstroom

Western Cape

Bellville
Clovelly
Knysna
Pinnacle Point
Steenberg
Westlake

Courses I've played : Dainfern Country Club : 8/10

HUGE CAVEAT - THIS IS MY HOME COURSE AND AS SUCH YOU CAN EXPECT SOME BIAS!

With that out of the way, the one thing that regularly irritates me about Dainfern is that it never rates as highly as it should in the annual Golf Digest and Compleat Golfer rankings and for the life of me (and those of many, both members and non-members who have played the course) I cannot figure out why.

The course itself is pretty much always in magnificent condition, all of the staff are courteous and helpful, the facilities are in top condition, the atmosphere about the club is generally really relaxed (it is a country club and estate after all) and the layout is one of the more sensible Gary Player designs of late (no cuteness or architectural masturbation like Blue Valley, etc).

I play there at least 3 times a month (12-15 in a holiday season month like December) and always find it to be a challenge to get round with a decent score (I think my best is a 74). I think that the only weakness that course has it that it is a little to manicured and that the rough is not always that punitive - but I suspect that this is to cater for the on-estate members and corporate visitors. That being said though it can be really nasty when setup for club champs, the sunshine tour and various other club competitions throughout the year, but it should be remembered that golf is a game to be enjoyed and if the course is to punitive all the time (are you listening Eagle Canyon) then it is no fun at all.

If you want a signature hole, then you should look no further than the 410m Par 4 16th, voted one of the top 18 holes in the country by Compleat Golfer in 2005 - this monster requires a huge drive from a tee elevated about 100m about the fairway with a carry over the Jukskei river avoiding the same river running down the right hand side of the hole, out of bounds on the left and bunker covering about 40% of the driving line - then you still need to hit a medium iron uphill, round a corner to a green guarded by trees, bunkers, punitive rough and the river (again!). And once you are on then you have to content with the putting surface itself and all the subtle breaks that it contains. Any time I walk off the green on this hole with a par, I know I am playing well.

The last 3 holes on the course (16, 17 & 18) are in my opinion also one of the best set of finishing holes you can play (you have to carry the river twice on the par 5 17th and avoid it and 6 bunkers going up the 18th) and I look forward to playing them every time I tee it up.

Visitors will pay R180 during the week and R250 on weekends for 18 holes excluding competition fees, levies, etc (members only pay R10 to play anytime, which is nice).

Have a look at a Dainfern Golf Map, for more detail on the course itself.

I'll be playing a few new courses and revisiting an old favourite over the next few weeks, so look out for reviews of those as well as a look back at my rounds at Pinnacle Point, a jaw-droppingly gorgeous course near Mossel Bay/George that should be on everyone's to play list.

UPDATE (2007/01/02) I have just played the course again (hey, its a slow week) and I feel I need to take off the rose-tinted glasses (to a certain degree).

Upon closer inspection and taking advantage of being in a two-ball and having the time to play slowly and observe the course closely, there are plenty of clues as to why Dainfern is ranked as it is by the various magazines - cart paths have been installed over the last few months, but prior to that there would be cart tracks everywhere (there still are, so much for that then), the pathways that where in place before the new tracks are in need of repair in quite a few places, there are quite a few tee boxes that need to be leveled, the bunkers are generally crap - the sand is overly hard and rough, not deep enough (to get a club under) and they don't handle rain at all well and the clubhouse is not as grandiose as you might expect it to be (I suppose being an estate course, you don't really need large locker rooms, cart and bag storage, etc). As a member. the one criticism I would level at the club is that we loose to many playing days per year to closed competitions other than the club champs.

In the courses defense, you can't really blame it for some of the design 'masterpieces' that it winds it way through, although many do find the massive sewerage pipe bordering the course to be somewhat of an eyesore and distraction.

That being said, from an architectural perspective the course just feels right, no hole feels out of place, the hole ratings are almost spot on, the course is challenging for the low handicapper and enjoyable to play if you have a high handicap (I have asked) and the it is generally always in immaculate condition and after all Dainfern is a country club in the true sense of the word. I enjoy seeing people taking walks, hearing children play and making use of the rest of the facilities myself, if you don't then maybe joining a golf club is a good idea.

Hell if the course is good enough to host a sunshine tour event then it is good enough for me.

Courses I've played : Potchefstroom Golf Club : 3/10

So after driving for over an hour and dodging various trucks, idiot drivers and speeding cameras I come across Potchefstroom Golf Club and I have to admit it was not love at first sight.

Before I start, there is one thing you must realise about me and that is that I love to play golf (I average at least one round of golf per week, even in the middle of winter) and love to play new courses even more. The problem comes when I never want to return to a course.

Upon entering the club grounds the first thing you notice is that they have seen better days, the place is fairly badly run down and it does not look like anyone has paid any attention to the facilities (other than the course itself) for quite some time. And it goes downhill from there.

Upon entering the "golf shop" (no pro on this course by the look of it) you are hit with a wave of 70's nostalgia: faded posters, a funny, smoky smell, nasty & overpriced used balls and staff who would rather you where not there.

We had booked two carts, but on asking for them where told that only one was left (after someone was allowed to cut in front of us and take one he had not booked), no apology, no we'll make a plan, just a blank stare and a limp, open hand demanding payment. And once we had paid, there was no 'enjoy your round, do you need some balls, etc' just a vacant, slightly aggressive stare. So we took the hint and left.

The course itself is a fairly old, parkland layout that could do with some toughening up, either the rough needs to be grown up substantially, bunkers need to be moved to cope with the advances in new equipment or the generous fairways need to be narrowed - I believe that it has hosted the South African Open on more than one occasion and I can see why - you really need to think your way round the course, with a number of holes having doglegs to deny the use of the driver and bringing trees and water into play on most shots into the green.

There where a number of extra things that didn't count in the courses favour though: firstly, it has been raining like hell here lately and the course was soggy meaning most of the fairways lost the run that would take badly placed shots into the rough and you could go straight for the pin on most greens as the ball was sticking. What's worse though is that the course is mown using agricultural equipment and it shows - the fairways have a ripple effect in the grass, there is little or no first cut and the whole thing looks like the ground staff have just done enough to get by.

The greens however are a different story with the vast majority being in excellent condition, holding almost all short iron shots and reading absolutely true (if a bit slow, but I guess that's the weathers fault) - whoever looks after them should be in charge of the rest of the course!

For me their signature hole is the 16th: a par 4 playing 372m off the club tees that requires a extremely accurate drive if you want to be able to see the green for your second shot. The hole is played straight down a fairway that goes out of bounds at about the 300m mark, whereupon you have to play your second 90 degrees left over a stream, with both sides of the green guarded by some rather large willow trees and an out of bounds area to the right. The green itself is a large tabletop with a premium placed on the accuracy of your second shot to ensure you don't have a monster putt to finish the hole off. This hole is very similiar to the 1st, but has that little something extra that makes it memorable. The 357m par 4 9th would run the 16th a close second as it forces you to think about your distance off the tee and shot placement to give you a line in for your second to a green which uses trees on either side of the 100m marker to give a very narrow gap to thread your shot through.

The halfway house left a lot to be desired; a total a six items on the menu (two of which where a plate of chips) and the orders (and drinks) took ages to arrive. The bar attendant looked like she should would rather have be somewhere else. The halfway house and bar look just as run down as the rest of the club and the members should seriously consider doing something about this - I have seen better plastic patio furniture at second hand sales (in fact the plastic chairs looked like they had been donated/stolen from one of the local schools)

Now back to the "Golf Shop" - on completing the round I returned there to claim my cart deposit. The delightful individual manning the counter didn't say a single word to me as he begrudgingly threw (literally) the R50 note in my general direction before returning to his seat to watch the cricket. I asked where I should enter my score for the day and he uttered that I should go to the club house (not where in the club house, just to the club house). When I got there I found that their NGN computer was out of order and that they didn't have another one but that they should be able to enter my score in at the "Golf Shop", so back I went. When I got there I asked if I could enter my score - the answer was obviously no, delivered with a wonderful 'don't be a stupid idiot' air and a denial of any knowledge of the fact that the other terminal was broken. My question to the 'Golf Shop' is: if your terminal is good enough to swipe my card to take my money, but I need drive 140km to enter the score at my home club because you are to stupid or to lazy to do the job properly?

Lest I forget one highlight of the day, the two caddies we had (as a fourball) where great - they ran left and right all day, not loosing a single ball (not bad when you have 3 24's playing) and giving great advice!

In summary, I think the nicest thing about this club is the new tar they have in their parking lot - at least it treated me with some respect! I doubt I will be playing this venue again (and I hope the 'Golf Shop' enjoys the letter I am going to send to the club chairman and captain).

If you are still interested in playing, it costs R105 (excluding competition fees, levies, etc) to play as an affiliated visitor during the week.