Kem Westdyk

Being a links fan, Humewood is probably one of my five favourite courses in South Africa (and I have played them all!) The greens were recently redone, but the course is generally in very good nick. The last 6 holes (from the beautiful 13th) roll and tumble over some great dunes, and 2 or 3 of these holes are quite <A href="/golf-course/machrie" target=_self>Machrie</A>-like in the severity of the slopes. Bobby Locke, who won 4 British Opens on either side of the 2nd World War, rated Humewood the best links course outside the British Isles, and I belive that Retief Goosen rates the short 6th his favourite par 3 in the world. Humewood is situated in Port Elizabeth, a lovely town to use as base for a golf trip in the Eastern Cape, one of SA’s best golfing regions. In addition to Humewood, you can play the great Jack Nicklaus Signature Course of <A href="/golf-course/st-francis-links" target=_self>St Francis Links</A> (best course in SA in my opinion) as well as <A href="/golf-course/east-london" target=_self>East London</A>, <A href="/golf-course/fish-river" target=_self>Fish River Sun</A> and Royal Port Alfred. All 5 courses will set you back about 250 Euros in total – a bargain! Kem Westdyk, Johannesburg, South Africa 

Sishen.  Sweet, sweet Sishen.  This must be the best value golf course in the world.  It is rated in the top 30 courses in SA, and costs all of 15 Euros to play.  This of course, excludes you caddy fee of another 7 Euros or so… It is unfortunately located in the middle of nowhere (about 5 hours’ drive from Johannesburg) but is worth the drive.  The course is absolutely stunning, with lush green fairways and perfect greens rolling trough massive thorn trees, and between blood red sand dunes – beautiful.  Accommodation is easy to find, and there is nothing to do in the town but play golf – and that is all you would want to do.  It is the last golf course that Bob Grimsdell designed in South Africa (he designed about 30 in total I think).  The course is quite difficult for the high handicapper, but that is irrelevant given the beauty of the course and its surroundings.  Kem Westdyk, Johannesburg, South Africa

St Francis Links is no Gem.  In my opinion, this is the best golf course in South Africa.  And I am not alone in my opinion.  When asked whether it was the best course he ever designed, Jack Nicklaus stated that it is the best course that he has ever seen!  Enough said.  As to the course, it is as true a links course as the great ones in Britain, and the conditioning is marvelous.  A beast in any kind of wind, it is always a pleasure to play, regardless of the conditions.  As far as hospitality is concerned, the Director of Operations, Jeff (Santa) Claus may well be the best golfing host in the world, and he always makes sure that touring parties are well looked after.  Great selection of par threes, fours and fives – play it a few times if you can!  Kem Westdyk, Johannesburg, South Africa

I am very happy to be the first to submit a review on this great course, having had the opportunity to play it twice in April 2010. The course is very, very good, was in immaculate condition (being played on quite seldom) and offers an experience second to none (from being welcomed at the entrance, bumping into Jack Nicklaus himself in the club house, to drinking an ice cold draft on the club house deck after a jaccuzi session in the changing rooms!) The course presents a great variety of holes, and perfectly manicured tee boxes and greens. I have to assume that the only reason it is rated so low in Florida is because so few people play the course! The practice facilities are world class, as is the par 3 course, which we unfortunately only played once. The holes are beteen 90 and 170 yards, and about 6 or 7 of them are as good a par 3 as you would hope to find on any top course around te world. Another outstandig feature is the houses - they are not too close to the course, but are are absolutely massive, including the houses fronting the par 3 course, with large, rolling lawns, and beautiful swimming pools. Truly a fitting home for the Bear! Kem Westdyk, South Africa 

This is a very good Nicklaus Signature course, although not quite of the same quality as the <A href="/golf-course/bears-club" target=_self>Bear's Club</A> down the road. But there are some beautiful holes around the lakes and streams, plus some fantastic houses! I also found the members very friendly. Kem Westdyk, South Africa 

This is without a doubt one of the best courses in South Africa, and, along with <A href="/golf-course/sishen" target=_self>Sishen</A>, the best value for money. A round of golf will set you back about 35 Euros, and the quality of the layout and conditioning of the couse make that a bargain! The best holes are probably te 12th and 13th. The 12th is a scary par 5, with the tee box sitting about 50 metres above the fairway, and your tee shot has to cross te ravine below. But once you can get the ball on the fairway, it becomes a fairly straightforward par 5. The views on this hole are absolutely magnificent! The 13th is probably the best of the 6 par 3's. About 160 yards, which can play as an 8 iron or 3 wood, depending on the wind. Speaking of which, if it really blows, the course becomes extremely difficult, and best is then to buy 10 extra balls from the locals (at about a Euro for a Pro V1) and play match play off the tips! My friend and I did that a while ago, halved the first hole in eights, and proceeded to have a ball! The Wild Coast course is one of about 6 very good courses to the south of Durban, one of the many areas in South Africa that absolutely HAS to be visited on a golf trip! Kem Westdyk, South Africa 

There are only 2 private golf courses in South Africa, called <A href="/golf-course/blair-atholl" target=_self>BlairAtholl</A> and the River Club (this excludes 2 or 3 courses owned by wealthy individuals for their persnal use). All other courses in the country can be played by anyone, although some need to be booked well in advance. The Rver Club is the original private cub of South Africa, and therein (probably more than the actual quality of the course) lies its appeal. I have played it 3 times and thoroughly enjoyed each experience, but there are quite a few better courses around. The course is, however, always in fantastic condition, the last 5 holes are as tough and well laid out as you would find anywhere, and the very traditional club house is fantastic. The best aspect of the course, in my opinion, is the halfway house, which offers, among many other treats, a peanut butter and crispy bacon sandwich that is out of this world. I would play the course just for this sandwich! Kem Westdyk, Johannesburg, South Africa 

Without a doubt one of the best courses in South Africa, and maybe the best of them all. It is unfortunately one of only a handful of courses in SA that are not easily accessible (you have to be a guest of a member or stay in the hotel to be allowed to play there). The green fee is also quite high by South African standards. That being said, the course and facilities are world class. Gary Player rates it as one of his favourite three golf courses in the world, and he has really created something special. He basically fashioned a man-made links out of an old airstrip, and even though it is a few miles from the coast, it looks and plays like some of the top UK links courses, and the dunes seem completely natural. A slight negative is the difficulty. In any kind of wind it is easily as difficult as <A href="/golf-course/carnoustie-championship" target=_self>Carnoustie</A> (which I have played) or even more so. I played the course on a reasonably calm day, and still managed to lose a few balls. But the experience is fantastic, regardless of your score. The 2nd hole ("Long drop") and 15th ("Roon the Bend") were my favourite holes, but there is not really a weak hole on the course. 

Having played links golf in Scotland I was looking forward to my first links experience in England. Must say that I was a tad dissapointed. This is a good but not a great course, if compared to Scottish gems like <A href="/golf-course/north-berwick-west" target=_self>North Brewick</A>, <A href="/golf-course/machrihanish-championship" target=_self>Machrihanish</A> and the <A href="/golf-course/machrie" target=_self>Machrie</A>. The third to fifth holes at Deal are very good, but the rest are a bit bland, and although the finishing holes are as tough as everyone says, they are all a bit similar. All in all a good day out though! Kem Westdyk, South Africa 

Machrihansih was the first course I played in Scotland, and remains one of the best. The opening hole is great, but the real beuty of the links lies between holes 3 and 16. Number 4 is a fantastic par 3, the green being an almost impossible target, number 8 is one of the best par 4's you will find anywhere, and number 10 one of the best par 5's in the country. Buy a day ticket and play as much as you can, as the course is usually quite empty - I managed 54 holes and wanted more! Kem Westdyk, South Africa 

The Machrie is mystical, magnificent and mad. The most fun I have ever had playing golf. Blind tee shot, blind approach shots, everything but blind putts! Too many great holes to mention, but the 7th is probably my favourite. Get on the ferry and stay over on Islay a few days, and when you don't play golf, go to any or all of the seven distilleries. Just watch out, the roads on Islay can get very narrow! Kem Westdyk, South Africa 

I played Panmure on a windless, cloudless day in September 2006, the day after I played <A href="/golf-course/carnoustie-championship" target=_self>Carnoustie</A>. The first few holes were a bit bland, but then the course suddenly turned into a fantastic links experience. The 6th hole (on which Hogan famously practiced before his open win in 1953) is a gem, the 8th a classic links hole with a blind tee shot and blind approach, the 9th one of the most beautiful par 3's you will find, and 13, 14 and 17 just pure links joy. An interesting aspect of this course is that it does have a very parkland look to it, due to hundreds of beautiful trees around the course, but except for on the 3rd hole they are not really in play at all. Make sure to have lunch in the amazing clubhouse that just oozes class and history! 

It is hard to describe the beauty of the Dornoch experience. I played there on a perfect day in September 2006, and the whole round was just one terrific hole after the other. It is quite frankly the most beautiful course I have ever played. The best holes for me were 3 to 5, 9, and 13 to 18. I know that that covers more than half the course, but leaving out favourite holes is difficult. Compared to the Open venues, the green fee is very good, and while you are in the area, make sure to play a round or two at nearby Brora! Kem Westdyk, South Africa 

I played Carnoustie on a sunny day in September, with just enough wind (wouldn't want to play this one without wind now would we?). It is frankly the best layout I have ever played. There is not one weak hole, and you need to think all the time. However, it is not as tough as everyone makes it out to be, and if you can drive the ball relatively straight and stay out of the deepest bunkers you will be fine. My favourite holes were the 6th, Hogan's Alley, which I managed to birdie, and the fantastic finishing holes from 14 to 18, none of which I parred! All the staff on the course were extremely friendly. I can't wait for next year's open! Kem Westdyk, South Africa 