Par: 72 (Rated 70 off the Club tees)
The course graphics below are kindly provided by Pocket Caddi – the best distance Guide in South Africa
Lengths:
Club: 6242m (6826 yards)
Ladies: 5463m (5974 yards)
Championship: 6529m (7140 yards)
One of the best courses south of Johannesburg, Glenvista Country Club is a stunning parklands course that is set out in a way that invites the golfer to play an aggressive game, but rewards the golfer who plays a clever one. The course is not very long, even off the championship tees, but it is difficult. Some of the par 3s push you to the limit of what is comfortable with regards to distance, but also clever use of elevation and water, with tricky greens make most of the holes at Glenvista a real mental challenge.
The course is so well balanced, that besides for the obvious choice of the 10th hole, finding a seconded featured hole was very difficult, as all the holes offer something special to the everyday golfer, as well as the more skilled player. Glenvista were very gracious in hosting the SOS Golf Tour for the 2013 first round. The rainy weather that was had all weekend did nothing to ruin the course, which remained in 5 star condition, despite the conditions. There is no doubt that this course deserves its place in the Top 100 courses in South Africa.
Featured Holes:
Front 9:
3rd Hole
As explained above, choosing a hole that stood out from the crowd of excellent holes at Glenvista Country Club was a lot more difficult than expected. The Stroke 2 6th hole is a real challenge with a dogleg left, a few strategic bunkers and a well protected green challenging you. The par 3 long downhill 8th hole is also worth a mention, but the featured hole for the front 9 is the short, but tough 3rd par 4. With the entire right hand side of the fairway being out of bounds, and thick trees guarding the left, a straight drive through a narrow gap, onto a fairway that runs out of space is absolutely essential. A short uphill approach awaits you if you find the short grass, to a green that is protected in front by two tough bunkers. The green is almost two tiered, so hitting the green and two putting is not guaranteed, but a par is possible if you play a patient and well thought-out game on this hole. At a shade over 300m downhill, this hole is a postcard of what a golf hole should be.
Back 9:
10th Hole
This is without doubt the standout hole at The Glenvista Country Club. The 10th hole is everything you hate to see in a golf hole, and it is everything you love about the challenge of the game too. It is long, at over 370m off the club tees, but you cannot take driver off the box, so it plays even longer. The entire front of the green and the end of a short fairway are protected by a large expanse of water. You need to take a mid to long iron off the tee box to make sure you do not overshoot the fairway, and then you require a mid iron to clear the water, provided you even have a shot at the green. Going left into the trees means a massive draw is needed, or you’ll have to lay up your approach. Pushing the drive right means the water becomes a real challenge to clear, as the hole becomes that much longer. This hole is a real treat to play and getting par feels great.