Wild Coast Sun Country Club played 1 March 2020
The course opened in 1983 and is a part of an estate complex with hotel, casino and beach club. It’s a big complex and I must say that we went wrong a couple of times before we found the golf club.
The service was fine. There was – compared to the very few visiting golfers this Sunday – plenty of people to take care of us.
When you see some of the pictures on this blog, you will get an impression of a very fantastic golf course with elevated tees and views over the ocean and a few lakes. And that is true.
Though the glamour is not as pronounced in reality. To me the course and it’s maintenance doesn’t fit the impression you get from their web site pictures. It looks like they are short of resources to keep up the standard you expect from a “Championship Course”.
In according to their web site info: “Robert Trent Jones Jnr, made every effort to utilize the natural topography and geography of the region to its fullest. The result? A one-of-a-kind course that blends in with its natural surrounds.” We understand that he did re-visit the golf course last year August and was impressed that nothing has been changed to the original design.
I agree with Jones jnr. It is a tricky one-of-a-kind fun course to play. You got 18 holes with all kind of contours, uphill shots and many breath taking downhill tee shots – 3 or 4, par 3 holes over water or canyons.
To make it a really fun experience, I think that you will need to play the course at least 2 or 3 times.
Unfortunately you cannot walk the course. That is, you can, but then you will have to walk 10km up and down plus the length of the 18 fairways. That is some 5000 plus meters. You absolutely need a cart.
Late Seve Ballesteros ones played the course and made this comment.
“Short course – Long walk”.
On 2 fairways there were cows grazing. And on one fairway we ran into a little group of goats. And beware of the monkeys. At the first tee one of the cheeky monkeys stole my energy bar.
Facts about
Par: 70. Length: 5.329m. Designer: Robert Trent Jones Jnr. Opened: 1983.
It’s a golf course that stretches along the expansive Wild Coast in the Eastern Cape, the Wild Coast Sun Country Club forms part of the South African PGA circuit. With its par-70 card rating, the course boasts magnificent ocean views and magnificently curated fairways and greens. The course have 6 par 3 holes explaining the length and the par of 70.
It opened in 1983. In according to their web site info: “Robert Trent Jones Jnr, made every effort to utilize the natural topography and geography of the region to its fullest. The result? A one-of-a-kind course that blends in with its natural surrounds.”
Unfortunately – to me, at least – golf cart hire is compulsory and you must bring your own golf balls if you want to use the driving range to warm up.
Course record
60 made by Jeanne Hugo in 2018. Though not official because it was played with preferred lies. The official is a 62, made in the late 90’s by Brett Little – at that time a Sunshine Tour player
My game
As said; it was fun to play the course, but not a round (or a course) where you concentrate on counting scores. There are too many surprises around the corner. We decided not to record scores and just enjoy the ride.
Evaluation: Wild Coast Sun Country Club played March 01, 2020
Short summary
I was looking forward with excitement to play Wild Cost Sun, mainly because of its’ architect Robert Trent Jnr. But on this course I didn’t see any of his fingerprints. Or maybe I am wrong. He likes long stretches of fairways following the nature, garnished with elongated bunkers left or right and boomerang shaped bunkers to mark doglegs. By here the nature will only allow you to construct fairways like that in a very few places. It’s a very hilly course, you can’t walk but need a golf cart. From many greens to the next tee you wouldn’t have a clue of where to go next, if there wasn’t a signpost. There is absolutely no flow playing the course. And for many holes, if you don’t hit the green or fairway your chances of finding your ball are small and if you find it, playing it will most likely be impossible.
But if you want to have a great day on a golf course full of surprises, placed in a fantastic landscape, here and there with a beautiful view over the ocean and if you are playing just for fun and accept to loose a few balls either in a ravine or to a baboon, then you should go. It is a very unusual golf experience. We actually only played it once, but I think when you get to know the course it would be a better test of you golfing skills.
Comments, questions and suggestions are welcome!
