| De Zalze Golf Course |
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The De Zalze Golf Course situated within the De Zalze Winelands Golf Estate was designed by Peter Matkovich who has made the most of the stunning setting and created a course that places a premium on accuracy. The course has an excellent mix of parkland holes with its main defences coming from the water features on several of the holes as well as the oak tree lined Blaauwklippen River which winds its way through the golf estate and comes into play at various intervals.
The De Zalze Golf Course [co-developed & managed by Spier] has already hosted a number of championship events and was, together with the Spier resort, the host venue for the 2006 World Amateur Team Championships attracting teams from 80 countries. Many who play the course will forever remember the 13th hole, where from an island tee, a high risk shot over water will allow this par 4 green to be reached in one. However, accuracy is at a premium to avoid a watery grave.
The less risky player will settle for the curving fairway lined with tall pines and sandy hazards. The mountains surrounding this area of the Cape make for the perfect backdrop
| Course details |
| Designed by: | Peter Matkovich |
| Year: | 2000 |
| Holes: | 18 |
| Length: | Men: 5937m
Women: 5138m |
| Rating: | 72 |
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| Erinvale Golf Club |
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The Erinvale Golf Club is a Gary Player designed 18 hole Championship golf course which has fast become renowned throughout the golfing fraternity, both locally and abroad. Erinvale hosted the 1996 World Cup of Golf, where thirty two participating nations competed and found the course both a golfing challenge and visual delight.
It currently hosts the annual SAA Open, showcasing the South African golfing talent. It is situated on the foothills of the Helderberg and Hottentots Holland mountains in Somerset West. Classic vineyards with sublime beaches surround the course. Some of the features of the Erinvale course are the sod layering in the bunker faces, wide gently undulating kikuyu fairways and penn cross greens. There is water on six of the 18 holes and the rough is well kept and playable. This par 72 course is 6294 meters long.
The first nine holes are mostly flatland in the valley of the Lourens River and are comparatively easy to play, although there is a fair amount of water and quite a few bunkers. The back nine traverses the slopes of the majestic Helderberg Mountain. It consists of a challenging selection of par 4 holes with a number of the bunkers having steps leading into them. The greens are huge and well shaped allowing for a wide variety of pin placements.
| Course details |
| Designed by: | Gary Player |
| Year: | 1995 |
| Holes: | 18 |
| Length: | Men: 6294m
Women: 6506m |
| Rating: | 72 |
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| Pearl Valley Golf Estates |
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The masterplan for the design of Pearl Valley was shaped by the vision of Jack Nicklaus. His unique touch is evident at Pearl Valley Golf Estates. This golf legend sees the Pearl Valley course as the sum of his knowledge and his experience. Officially opened at the beginning of November 2003 by Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player, Pearl Valley Golf Estates was named 'best new golf course of the year' by Golf Digest magazine in 2005 and in 2008 is ranked the '5th best course in South Africa' by Golf Digest.
Traversed by roads in only three places, with an ingenious drainage system that allows play to continue just minutes after a severe cloudburst, the Pearl Valley Golf Estates' course is in a league of its own. To meet the 'Golden Bear's' uncompromising standards of golf course design and aesthetic beauty, a combination of the intense colours of the greens and fairways, together with the brilliant white river sand lining the bunkers was carefully planned, to make Pearl Valley Golf Estates the most visually spectacular golf course in the country. The total length of course is 6801 metres, whereas the members' length ranges from 4685 to 5876 metres. Bunkers on Nicklaus' signature courses are renowned for being shallow, long and relatively undaunting.
Every hole is played against the spectacular backdrop of the mountains surrounding the estate and all are challenging due to the bunkers and fast greens. The course has been designed with the area's prevailing winds in mind; the winter northwesterly and the summer southeasterly. All par 3s and par 5s play in different directions, ensuring that the same conditions are not experienced too many times in one round. The 4th is the 'Signature' hole and one of the most scenic of par 3s. The water cuts in on the right and a greenside bunker awaits the cautious tee shot.
| Course details |
| Designed by: | Jack Nicklaus |
| Year: | 2003 |
| Holes: | 18 |
| Length: | Men: 6090m
Women: 4703m |
| Rating: | 72 |
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