Kempton Park Golf Club
Par: 72
Lengths:
Club: 6548m (7161 yards)
Ladies: 5286m (5781 yards)
Playing host to the very first round of the SOS Golf Tour in early February 2012, Kempton Park Golf Club is a parklands course on the East Rand that has a deep and rich history. It is a real golfer’s track that rewards all kinds of stroke play and the clever golfer will always prevail above those who try and beat the course. Kempton Park Golf Club is one of Ernie Els’s favourite courses in South Africa.
The course during the rainy month of February was quite badly water-logged, so the lower holes at the back end of the course were not in the best condition, but that did little to take away from the day’s enjoyment. The balance of long and short holes is perfect and when a hole is very short, it requires very clever play, and the longer holes have a more inviting layout to entice the bigger hitters into taking them on. The clubhouse is old, but well looked after and the bar is fantastic.
Featured Holes:
Front 9:
4th hole
This challenging par 4 requires the best golf you can play. The hole is long, well protected and a very difficult stroke. Reeds on the right and across the dogleg, mean you can’t take the big dog off the tee and water reachable on the left makes it very important that you are accurate with the long iron you choose off the box. The hole doglegs to the left and once you have hit the long iron off the tee, you will left with another long iron into the green over water. This whole is both beautiful and challenging, and as they say, take a solid par and you will walk away very happy.
Back 9:
15thHole
This hole needs a decent strike with the driver through a small gap between some large and overhanging trees which are flanked by water. The drive needs to clear a large expanse of water before rising up a hill toward a well protected green to the right. The slight dog leg right plays longer than it is due to elevation, but it a technically sound hole. A good drive will leave you with nothing more than a short to medium iron into the green, but distance control and spin can mean the difference between par and a horrible score on an unforgiving green.
words by Ryan Bernberg and Damian Murphy