Golf Collage – November 2015
PRETORIA TO CAPE TOWN
The African Golf Collage from Pretoria to Cape Town was a very special one. Our 18 golfers really got to know each other and we had a great time playing some of the top golf courses in South Africa. We had great weather and the courses were in very good condition, even considering the dry season South Africa was experiencing.
We were lucky to be able to play Leopard Creek just one week before Charl Schwartzel went around the difficult course in 273 shots (winning by 4 strokes) in the Alfred Dunhill hosted annually at Leopard Creek. The course looked great as always!
Leopard Creek Clubhouse
After a bit of downtime on the train and a visit to the Hluhluwe Game Reserve, we made our way to Durban Country Club. It is a real test of your golf with tight tee shots and tight lies around the green. The group of golfers handled the course well, but some scorecards had just a little bit more wind than the others. The Durban Country Club course is a difficult course to describe, but it would probably be best to say the the front nine is a links style and the back nine is a parkland design. The 17th however is one of the best holes you’ll play with a deep ditch in the fairway right in front of the green. It’s a short hole, but you can make a big number very easily.
HluHluwe
After Durban Country Club it was a long and beautiful meander on the train to Port Elizabeth, home of the Humewood Links. It’s a real links course. The day started with our pro doing a short clinic on shaping the golf ball.
Humewood Golf Links
Our non-golfers enjoyed a great day at the Addo Elephant Park, picked up in true safari style right next to the train. The golfers missed out on some great wildlife sightings, or so we heard, but Humewood lived up to its name.
To the Addo Park
The train then took the journey through the desolate Karoo to Oudtshoorn for a visit to two fantastic courses in George, Fancourt and Ernie Els Oubaai.
Route between PE and Oudtshoorn
The Outeniqua course is SO pretty! The gardens, the greens, the bunkers, the lakes…everything!
The next day we played Oubaai. It is such a picturesque course with breathtaking ocean views where you’ll even spot Springbok. It is the final game on the Pretoria to Cape Town leg and what a way to finish!
We were then off to Cape Town on the last day. As we made our way through the stunning Western Cape, we looked back at another amazing golf-safari experience here in the heart of Africa.
Route to Mosselbay
On the way to Cape Town
Hope to see you on Rovos Rail soon!
