Highland Gate Golf & Trout Estate
Situated in the rolling hills of Dullstroom, a true hidden Gem awaits discovery and it’s called Highland Gate. The Highland Gate Golf & Trout Estate is an estate that keeps in line with the theme of Dullstroom and is full of rich trout fishing dams. The real draw card however is the Ernie Els designed golf course.
Dullstroom is a mere two hour drive from Johannesburg, and two kilometers before Dullstroom is a small turn off onto Kruisfontein Road which leads to Highland Gate.
Century Properties recently relaunched the estate having purchased it from Investec during its insolvency. They built the new road and they are also currently busy with construction of a new clubhouse and proshop.
As one drives through the gates you can sense that this is a special course, manicured to perfection and conditioned to match the likes of Leopard Creek and the Gary Player Country Club. The fairways are pristine, however you better not veer too far off target as the rough is brutal and you’ll most likely end up with a lost ball.
Signature Holes:
Par four 4th Hole:
The first signature hole is the Par 4, Fourth Hole. This has a magnificent backdrop representing what Dullstroom is all about; the rolling mist lined hills await your tee shot to a relatively wide fairway that dog legs to the left. Anything left of the fairway is dead but right offers enough room for a bailout.
The approach must be played to the green with caution as there is a huge drop off behind the green, and two large bunkers to the left. Short and right will be safe however this is a big green that will test your putting skills.
Par four 12th Hole:
The second signature hole has to be the Par 4 12th hole. The hole is a short drivable par four at only 288m, however it is extremely tight. Left is a no go, but right is not too bad. The green is relatively small and a bit elevated which makes all approaches that much more difficult.
Par five 14th Hole:
The last signature hole is the Par 5 14th, stroke 1! Yes, you read correctly, this Par 5 is the stroke 1. The 14th probably has the narrowest landing area for any par 5 anywhere in the world and to top it off there is highland veld to the left and a river running down the right. This is all ends with the river crossing the front of the green, meaning unless you are Bubba Watson, you are going to have to lay up because there is no way in hell you are getting there in two!
This is a truly amazing golf course and I would rate it as one of the best courses in the country. And being only 2 hours away from Johannesburg, it is definitely worth a visit.