It was a miserable winter’s day in the UK when I received an offer to travel to Cape Town, South Africa to play some golf. Did that really happen? Yes. There it was in black and white – the opportunity to play golf anywhere was amazing.
Due to surgery, it had been a while since I last picked up a golf club, so I made it my mission to make sure I could swing well before the trip; and I also dusted off the old golf travel bag.
The golf vacation was to play four golf courses – four top courses at that: Clovelly, Erinvale, Arabella and Pearl Valley. After 12 hours on the big bird I landed in Cape Town and was met by the tour guides who took me and showed me the sights – of which there were many.
On our way to Cape Point we passed Muizenberg, Fish Hoek Bay, Kale Bay and False Bay. On the way back we stopped at Boulder Beach, a very popular destination as it gives you the chance to get up close and personal with the African Penguin – definitely something you must do. I would highly recommend a tour guide. In fact I would recommend Brian Talbot, a thoroughly nice guy and someone extremely knowledgeable and passionate about the country.
My accommodation for the first two nights was the Table Bay Hotel, where you can choose between sea view rooms or Table Mountain view rooms, the latter of which, unsurprisingly, sell out fairly quickly. The 5-star property also offers access to the city’s shopping mall, gym, spa and pool, and best of all, an all-you-can-eat breakfast. I have to say it was badly needed.
Clovelly Country Club
The first course on the program was Clovelly which is situated in the Silvermine Valley between Fish Hoek and Kalk Bay. Driving in there are fantastic views of the practice facilities and the clubhouse sits above the course for even more breathtaking views. What a place to sit and watch golfers tee off.
If you’re feeling brave you can definitely take the turn with a driver on the short par 4 1; I hit a low piercing 2 iron with a slight fade that came around the corner to leave a short iron. Clovelly rewards accuracy off the tee with tight fairways with curved grass. This type of grass adds a bit of bounce to the fairway, making the approach even more challenging. In other words, it was very easy to catch the racquet and difficult to catch.
The greens use poa annua grass and they received approach shots like you see on tour. If you want the feeling of playing on professional greens, this is the course for you. There’s nothing quite like watching your golf ball race back to the hole as you fire a shot right over the top of the flag. The greens rolled fast and true – every golfer’s dream.
One of my personal highlights of Clovelly was the Halfway House. Here they really do it right. I tucked into a beef and red wine pie with gravy. Honestly it was the best cake I have ever eaten. hands down
Erinvale Country & Golf Estate
On the third day we had to get up early as we were due to leave for the Gary Player designed Erinvale which is 30 minutes from Cape Town on the Somerset West border. I would soon find out why it has hosted some top golf events such as the 1996 Golf World Cup which was won by Ernie Els and Wayne Westner.
Erinvale was in pristine condition with neatly trimmed Kikuyu grass fairways. The greens are a combination of bent and pop grass and it was like putting on glass. The front nine is flat and meanders through the Erinvale estate where accuracy off the tee was crucial. The Back Nine takes you up to the foothills of the Helderberg where you can look out over the False Bay coastline. Just breathtaking.
This was by far the best maintained course I have ever played. If you want to experience golfing in conditions where the pros play, this is another one.
Arabella estate
Arabella is located in Hermanus, 90 minutes from Cape Town. Upon arrival, you step into a huge open-plan reception area, with floor-to-ceiling glass overlooking the golf course and adjacent river – the Bot River Lagoon.
I was asked to leave my racquets at the door and they would be taken to the short game area. This gave me time to stroll through the hotel’s vast concourses and clubhouse before heading to the short game area where I made a few putts on the bentgrass greens. After acknowledging that they were serious, I went to the chipping green and put two chip shots in a row – a good place to leave and go to the 1st tee.
Arabella is the fourth best golf course in South Africa and the best in the Western Cape. You can see why. The layout makes you think. Holes 8, 9, 17 and 18 bring the Bot River Lagoon into play so I would definitely make sure you have enough golf balls. The 7th is a par 3 bordering a nature reserve. Here I ripped a 7 iron with a slight draw – close to a hole-in-one, but unfortunately it didn’t fall.
The 18th hole was voted the best finishing hole in South Africa. The long, meandering par 4 borders the shoreline of the estuary, meaning a slice off the tee will result in a reload here. It’s a really beautiful final hole that plays back to the hotel. I hit a driver off the tee followed by a flush 3-wood to get to the green in two. Between the fairway and the lagoon is a bunker that winds up to the hole. If you’re lucky, your ball may get caught in it before it reaches the water.
I was fortunate that my accommodation for the night was the Arabella Hotel. After I finished my round it was a short walk back to the hotel where I left my racquets in my room and went straight to the spa. There really is no better way to forget about all those bad shots than relaxing in a sauna or relaxing in a plunge pool.
Pearl Valley Golf Club
On the last day I got to play Pearl Valley, a Jack Nicklaus signature golf course – my number one course of the trip. The design is intriguing and makes you think, as traps are constantly lurking in your ideal landing spots – sand and water. South Africa loves water hazards, just like Jack.
The clubhouse is great and the service was top notch. The staff and organization at Pearl Valley is excellent – they stick to a tight schedule and use walkie talkies to communicate so they know exactly where each group is at all times. Very efficient.
The day started out a bit cloudy but as the minutes ticked by and a few holes passed the sun burned away the clouds and we were surrounded by the most spectacular scenery. The 100 Best Golf Courses in South Africa ranked Pearl Valley the third best in the country for 2023. That’s how good he is.
As you approach hole 7, the buggy emerges with a warning: “You are now entering the most difficult section of the course, good luck!” That was exactly what I wanted to hear after already losing a handful of Pro V1s in the drink.
Holes 7 and 8 share what I can only describe as an ocean. If you can find the fairways off those tees, you’ve produced excellent golf shots. On the latter, the next fight is about being able to carry the water running across the green. There’s no room for error.
Pearl Valley is an excellent challenge for any golfer and once you’ve completed your round you can browse a wide range of merchandise at the Pro Shop. I did, and my bank balance proves it.
All the courses I played had one thing in common – fast greens. If South Africa is on your golf bucket list, make sure your putting is up to par because the greens will put you to the test. Whichever course you choose, Cape Town has much to offer golfers of all levels. A golf break in South Africa guarantees memories to cherish for a lifetime – that’s for sure.
Source : sports.yahoo.com