Prince’s Grant Golf Course Review
By Ryan Bernberg (Bernie)
Par 72
Championship Tees : 6,253m
Men’s Tees : 5,836m
Ladies Tees : 5,373m
Having just been down to the coast for the long weekend with a few of the boys, we were privileged to have obtained a slot at Princes Grant for a round. Situated on the Dolphin Coast in Kwazulu-Natal, this Peter Matkovich course has the feeling of both a links and parkland course – with unforgiving rough waiting for anyone who doesn’t think carefully about their next shot. The course does have a risk and return policy which would come into play on quite a few shots on the golf course. With the course not being the longest that I have ever played, there are several opportunities to score well with a booming drive, but the course does have some teeth to bite back.
Well placed fairway bunkers and fairways that will push you into the rough should you stray to the wrong side of it, this course is definitely for the thinking golfer. Course knowledge will certainly see your score improve dramatically. With Prince’s Grant being right next to the Indian Ocean, the heavy winds from the sea will always be a determining factor. Any wayward shot will easily be engulfed in dense thicket where you would have to take a drop as there is no way in the world that you will be finding your ball. Coupled with the thick Durban air, the ball does not fly as much as in the Highveld, so an extra club may be required when facing danger short of where you are aiming to land the ball.
It has been quite some time where I have played where all of the Par 5’s are reachable in 2 and have stroke ratings that aren’t hovering around the higher echelon of the scale. The Par 5’s have strokes of 4, 7, 9 and 10 – so scoring on these holes are absolutely imperative for the mid-handicapper.
Featured Holes:
Front 9:
2nd Hole : Par 4, Stroke 3 (368 m)
The second hole at Prince’s Grant requires good course management. With a fairway which slopes to the right towards an embankment that easily drops by about 15m towards a long fairway bunker, a solid shot to the left side of the fairway is required. You won’t be able to use anything more than a 4 iron as the fairway is only about 200m long. Anything long and to the right will be caught by the water hazard which protects the end of the fairway.
Even if you do find the fairway, you will not have less than 160m into the saucer shaped green with testing undulations. With just enough water to make the weekend golfer a little nervous, a decent second is required for points to be obtained. Two good shots with your irons could easily give you par, but if anyone of those aren’t the best shot – expect a bogey or more.
Back 9:
15th Hole : Par 5, Stroke 10 (486 m)
This hole is without a doubt the most picturesque hole that I have ever seen whilst playing golf! From the extremely elevated tee-box, the 15th boasts one of the finest views imaginable with the vast ocean to the left and the inviting fairways leading to the green below you. This is without a doubt the courses signature hole.
A solid drive in the fairway will give you the opportunity to have a go for the green in 2 (you may have just over 200m in), but fairway bunkers to the right side of the fairway should be taken into account. Any pull to the left and a reload will be needed as your ball will probably never be found.
Your second shot is the perfect example of risk and reward! With greenside bunkers protecting any wayward fade into the green and thick bush to the left, a decent strike of the golf ball is required. If you decide not to go for the green, you would not be able to take anything more than a pitching wedge to lay up for your third without the bunkers coming into play.
A par on this challenging hole is decent with every chance of a birdie if you are thinking about your next shot. This is a very unique hole with excellent conditioning. This hole is worth every cent of the green fee that you pay.