The course at Silver Lakes Golf Estate was built on a flood plain that required the construction of many ponds, dams and streams to manage the water around which most of the holes were created.
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The course at Silver Lakes Golf Estate was built on a flood plain that required the construction of many ponds, dams and streams to manage the water around which most of the holes were created.
Silver Lakes Golf Estate
Back in 1993, Silver Lakes was one of the first courses built by Zimbabwean Peter Matkovich and his business partner Dale Hayes. It’s now one of the largest residential golf projects in the country, becoming the first South African golf course to be awarded golf’s highest sustainability accolade, GEO Certified, in 2016.
Part of a residential estate to the east of Pretoria, Silver Lakes was built on a flood plain that required the construction of many ponds, dams and streams to manage the water around which most of the holes were created. Be prepared to lose a few balls on the way round here as it’s nearly impossible to stay dry all the way round.
The par three 3rd hole is an eye catcher on the front nine, played to a green that is protected by a large bunker dotted with cacti and rocks. On the back nine, the 495-yard, par 5 14th is a real feature hole, with water in play all the way down the right of the narrow fairway from tee to green. Both loops of nine (at the par three 9th and par five 18th) end with holes that are played to an island green so be ready for a watery end to the first or second half of your round here!
The club hosted the South African Amateur championship for the first time in 2015, with Daniel Young becoming the third Scottish winner of the event in a 5-year span after beating Jovan Rebula from Western Cape 8&6 in the final of the competition. Daniel has since turned professional but Jovan – a nephew of Ernie Els – remains an amateur player, becoming only the second South African to win The Amateur when he beat Robin Dawson in the final at Royal Aberdeen in 2018.