Pezula - Western Cape - South Africa

The fairways at Pezula – meaning “high up with the gods” – are part and parcel of a sizeable residential estate laid out on a commanding headland at Knysna (pronounced “Niazs-na”), in the heart of the Garden Route, east of George.

The course was formerly owned by the Sparresbosch Country Club but became part of Zimbabwean developer Keith Stewart’s Pezula estate in 2000. Many believe the 18 holes here to be the most visually pleasing on South Africa’s entire coastline, which is a real feather in the golfing cap for American designer Ron Fream and his Golfplan company.

The front nine is routed in an anticlockwise loop a little way back from the cliffs, with water in play only once (at the 2nd) and holes 6 to 9 play on the other side of a service road before returning to the clubhouse. The back nine is also laid out in an anticlockwise direction and includes a lovely sequence of holes from 13 to 15, above the cliffs overlooking The Cove.

The signature hole at Pezula is the short par four 14th, where big hitters might attempt to go for it off the tee – they should be aware that anything short will be captured by a virtual desert of sand and anything sliced will be lost forever in the thick cliff top vegetation.

One word of warning – even with the mandatory use of golf carts (which normally speed play up) the average round here is estimated at a tardy 4 hours and 50 minutes, including a half way break. With such captivating views throughout though, who wants to rush around the course here anyway?

Ron Fream, course architect commented as follows:

“Pezula sits at the end of Africa and does not receive the attention it deserves as a successful luxury resort and prominently European secluded getaway. I find it interesting that our Golfplan team were the designers of the Tabarka Golf Course in Tunisia and Pezula in South Africa. These two courses have been the farthest north and farthest south on the African continent. Not widely known, but a nice in-house point of distinction and pride.

The joy of Pezula is in part due to an awe-inspiring Indian Ocean view and the quaint historic town of Knysna offers very comfortable charm. The Pezula Resort Hotel is indeed luxury in an understated way and a fourth important factor is the nature of the site; wonderful vertical terrain sweeping down to the cliff side is combined with a unique micro-ecological environment.

Sparrebosch is a locally unique mix of tree species. Fynbosch is a mix of shrub type vegetation including heather and protea that is a localized product of soil type and climate. The local native vegetation was used extensively, as were memorable views to the Indian Ocean and Knysna Lagoon. Our Golfplan team, primarily David Dale and I, spent a lot of time working with the project land use planners and hotel architects and getting the right pieces in the right place was a very serious and intense effort.

I am most pleased personally, with the effort to put a hole (now the 14th) parallel to the cliff edge just above the roaring ocean. It was no easy task convincing the developers to give up magical Indian Ocean white water and blue water views for the par four hole but over time, the 14th has emerged as a photographers dream and a signature of Pezula.”