The Dream 18

Article from the December 2011 issue of Compleat Golfer magazine.

How exactly does one set about creating a composite course of some of the best golf holes in the country? Compleat Golfer gave it a go and came up with…

Pinnacle Point's risk-and-reward 8th hole makes it into our Dream 18.

As you can imagine, selecting 18 of the finest golf holes in South Africa is not a simple task. There are just so many magical courses and holes to choose from and leaving out some prime examples was not easy.

However, this is by no means a comprehensive list of the 18 best holes in SA. Instead, we’ve put together an imaginary course featuring some of the finest – and most interesting – golf holes in the land.

Essentially, what the brains trust at Compleat Golfer has done is select one hole from each of the 12 BoE Courses of the Month in 2011 and then added another six from around the country.

The result is a rather eclectic and challenging composite golf course that has everything the thinking golfer could possibly want. Reachable par fives, frighteningly long or driveable par fours, tricky par threes and some of the best scenery in all of world golf combine to make our 2011 Dream 18.

At under 6 000 metres, critics may argue that our Dream 18 course is short, especially by modern standards, but with 12 of the holes located at sea level, one would expect the course to play quite long, especially given the coastal wind that can be anticipated. Furthermore, the course is only a par 70, with six par threes and four par fives split evenly between the two nines.

While most of the holes play according to their actual stroke rating, we’ve had to adjust a few strokes in order to ensure that all 18 are represented.

Starting with a par three is never really a great idea, as it often leads to congestion on the first tee, but since this is a fictional course and we make the rules, we’re opening with the slippery par-three 13th at Pearl Valley.

With water down the right, this hole tends to play tougher than its stroke rating of 12 and when played from the back – and our Dream 18 is always played from the tips – there is a lot that can go wrong from 170 metres out.

Our 2nd hole is justifiably rated as one of the toughest finishing holes on the European Tour, although the 18th at Leopard Creek is only given a stroke rating of 11 for the handicapped golfer.

The island green on this 495-metre par five is almost as dangerous as the animals that live in the water surrounding it. Don’t be too greedy here – par is a good result.

Another interesting par three follows, this time the 13th at Pecanwood, meaning that two of the first three holes are one- shotters – and both of these are designed by Jack Nicklaus.

Nicklaus features in four holes of our Dream 18, while Gary Player designed four and Peter Matkovich is responsible for three holes.

The 4th is the first par four, but it and the following hole form the two toughest holes on the course.

At over 400 metres, the 14th at Royal Cape is a very difficult par four, but even this seems like a walk in the park when compared to our 5th hole, the 457-metre stroke-1 hole that ordinarily plays as the 11th hole at Royal Johannesburg & Kensington’s East Course.

“The result is a rather eclectic and challenging composite golf course that has everything the thinking golfer could possibly want.”

It would come as no surprise if you’ve struggled through the opening stretch, but temporary respite comes in the form of our 338-metre 6th hole, more famously known as the 2nd hole at Simola with the elevated tee-box.

Arabella’s par-five 8th hole offers a birdie opportunity for the bold player, as well as another breathtaking vantage point, looking down towards the Bot River beyond the green, some 500 metres away.

It’s back to the Highveld for our 8th hole, arguably one of the best in Gauteng and responsible for wrecking many a scorecard at the tail end of a round.

Another lengthy par four, the 399-metre 17th at Country Club Johannesburg easily earns its stroke rating of 4.

The final hole of the outward nine is the signature hole at Ernie Els’ first design – the par-three 17th at Oubaai.

At only 132 metres from the tips, it’s rated as the easiest hole on our Dream 18 course, but wind coming off the coast makes club selection rather tricky on this stunning one-shotter.

The back nine begins with a lengthy par five, although anyone who has played Humewood knows how the course’s difficulty depends on which way the wind is blowing.

If it’s behind you on Humewood’s 11th hole, it’s reachable in two, but if it’s into you, three good shots will be required.

The 11 th hole of our Dream 18 is the first of three driveable par fours on the course, although sound advice for playing Pezula’s magnificent 14th hole is to lay up with an iron, hit the green with a wedge and leave the rest up to your putter.

Our 12th hole is the stunning 17th at Fancourt’s Montagu course, which is featured in this month’s BoE Course of the Month feature on page 116. Playing 190 metres, it’s a tricky stroke 13 with a long carry over water.

Don’t expect the Dream 18 to ease up at any stage, with Gary Player Country Club’s famed 17th hole up next. Although rated as only the 12th-hardest hole by those at Sun City, we’ve given the 364-metre par four a stroke rating of 3, especially since the’new’semi-island green is near impossible to hit.

St Francis Links plays host to our Dream 18 14th hole, with the short par-four 5th hole one of many holes that could have qualified.

At 324 metres long and from a raised tee-box, the correct wind will give the bigger hitters a shot at the green, while those opting to lay up will need to avoid the numerous bunkers that Nicklaus added to the mix.

Steenberg’s par-three 7th hole is one of the most photographed in Cape Town and forms the start of our closing stretch. The island green may be quite large when you get to it, but from 165 metres away it appears as a particularly small target and the hole plays very much as a par-or-bust par three.

The following hole is another one-shotter, although at over 200 metres it certainly can’t be described as a short hole.

Rated as stroke 6, Blair Atholl’s par-three 6th hole is not only long – it also has a collection of bunkers waiting for your errant tee shot.

Our Dream 18 17th hole is very much a risk-and-reward par four.

While the scorecard measures the 8th at Pinnacle Point at 326 metres, the shortest path to the green is a carry of well over 200 metres over cliffs, ocean and rocks. Bold hitters will get there easily, but sensible players can lay up safely on the fairway to the left.

Our final hole is the par-five 3rd hole at Durban Country Club.

Highly regarded as one of the best holes in the country, it’s also a hole that requires accurate hitting or else you are likely to be hunting among the mambas for your golf ball.

Just 468 metres in length, this hole gives you one final chance at birdie on our 2011 Dream 18.

But then again, when it comes to playing a course such as this, the score doesn’t really matter – it’s about experiencing 18 of the best holes in the country.

How many of our Dream 18 holes have you played?

To watch videos and learn more about the Dream 18 holes, log onto www.compleatgolfer.co.za/page/boe-dream-18.