Durban (Beachwood)

Since the mid-1990's, at the time it was the time that the Beachwood course was purchased, Durban Country Club members have enjoyed the privilege of playing on two championship courses. In the mid-1990's, Gary Player Design Group and Top Turf remodeled Beachwood, significantly changing the fairways of the 4th and 14th and also installing new bunkers on the course.

It was originally designed around the mangrove swamp of Percy Gilbert Stiebel in the late 1920s. Beachwood is located to the north of Durban approximately five kilometers away from the Country Club, near Virginia airport. With the exception of the par three 2nd hole, the fairways run in a straight line across all along the Indian Ocean coastline. The first 10 holes to the halfway house are a bit tight with trees and bushes that define many fairways. The course is then open and the 9 holes back is a bit more tolerant.

The hole that is most recognizable is the 444-yard par 4 6th, which is also the stroke number 1 of the scorecard. The tee is about fifty feet above the surface of the fairway. From here, golfers must navigate an extremely narrow, dog-legged fairway with the bushes, stream water hazards, and greenside bunkers prior to the hole for an aiming par scoreBest of luck!

In this short edited excerpt from his book that he co-authored together with Jamie Thom entitled South Africa's Greatest Golf Destinations Stuart McLean writes:

"Beachwood is now the second Durban Country Club golf course, with the two clubs combining because of common concerns in 1994. Durban CC had for many years been looking to acquire another 18-hole course and Beachwood couldn't be a better match. It was located close to the CC and both courses are identical in many ways, and are constructed on sandy dunes that are low-lying.

A chic new clubhouse was built, and Gary Player was called in to revamp the Beachwood course. It was a beautiful one was beautiful with its sandy backdrop however, was deteriorating in its quality. Many will have mourned that the course had lost its course's natural beauty and ruggedness, but the revamp modernized the layout and brought it back to the standards that is Durban CC itself."