Overberg Information
Hermanus Golf Courses
.jpg "Arabella Golf Course")
Experience the Cape's top ranked golf course in South Africa
Surrounded by the spectacular mountains and the scenic Bot River Lagoon, and edged by wild fynbos, the picturesque Arabella Golf Course is the ideal place to pursue a passion for golf and enjoy an ideal golf holiday. The fabled 18-hole, Par 72 Championship Arabella golf course has consistently been ranked in the top 10 courses in South Africa.
The Arabella golf course was designed and built by the highly acclaimed South African golf course architect Peter Matkovich in 1999. Since then, many professionals and celebrities have enjoyed the Arabella Golf experience, including Jack Nicklaus, Samuel L. Jackson, Ernie Els, Retief Goosen, Ronan Keating, Lee Westwood, Tim Clark and Gary Player.
The golf journey will take you through breathtaking scenery, pristine kikuyu fairways, challenging bunkers and water hazards and will then test your skill on immaculate dominant-bent greens. All of which receive frequent high praise from golf professionals and amateurs alike.
- Fully stocked pro shop
- Warm up driving range
- Putting green
- Chipping green
- Halfway house
- Golf club bar
- Locker room and showers
- Golf carts with GPS
- Golf clubs for hire
- Golf clinics and coaching
From 7 am until sunset daily, Winter months from 8 am
- Official handicap required - please enquire when booking
Individual lessons are available from the resident Pro at the Arabella Western Cape Hotel & Spa.
Address: Arabella Country Estate, R44 to Kleinmond, Hermanus, Western Cape, South Africa
.jpg "Hermanus Golf Course")
The town of Hermanus in South Africa's Western Cape Province is a charming fishing village famous for the whales that come here annually to calve from August to November.
South Africa’s foremost golf course architect, Peter Matkovich, was retained to infuse his special brand of flair and experience to maximise the potential on the scenic and gentle landscape of the Hermanus Golf Course. The flair is immediately noticeable in the use of new water and rocky features, as well as the introduction of visually pleasant grassy mounds adding definition and shape to the holes.
Hole by Hole description: Hermanus Golf Course (Western Cape, South Africa)
Hole # 1
This dogleg left hole has bunkers situated on both sides of the fairway. The ideal drive is to the right hand side of the fairway as this leaves a better angle to attack the two tier green which is nestled in amongst pine trees and guarded by pot bunkers on both sides.
This double dogleg hole with a picturesque backdrop calls for a tee shot up the right hand side of the fairway. A lay-up short of the fairway bunkers leaves a fairly easy approach shot to a multi tiered green.
This hole, the longest par 4 on the course, has perfectly placed fairway bunkers to catch the big hitters. Hidden bunkers run down the left side of the fairway to a double green which is shared with the 12th hole which offers a great challenge due to its vast expanse.
This par 3 in a lovely setting is well bunkered and has a 40m long elongated green making club selection critical.
This tough par 4 has a double fairway. A drive coming to rest on the upper level provides a better view of the green while the lower level offering a more direct but demanding approach shot to an elevated, difficult green.
The views of the bay from the tee of this hole are spectacular. Finding the fairway is imperative, anything less is presented with trouble as out of bounds looms on the right and two fairway bunkers on the left. The backdrop of this hole is a majestic forest which casts shadows over the left to right sloping green making club selection very difficult.
This holes plays as one of the most difficult on the course. A draw is called for off the tee to take the fairway bunkers on the right side of the fairway out of play. A fade into the undulating green is best to avoid the deep swales on the left.
A well positioned drive is required on this beautiful par 4 hole. Even with the out of bounds on the left of the fairway and a green well guarded by a wildlife pond on the right and bunker to the left, this hole still presents birdie opportunities for the longer hitters.
With bunkers surrounding the green and club selection being crucial the locals’ advice would be to “aim for the heart of the green and don’t worry about where the pin is positioned!”
This dogleg right requires a drive aimed at the bunker on the left side of the fairway from where an accurate second is needed to avoid the bunkers on both the left and right sides of the green.
This is the signature hole of the course. Players need to negotiate their way through a channel of mature trees to get to the green. A pot bunker is situated just short of the green ready to catch a wayward second shot to a four tier green protected by bunkers on the left and a perilous drop on the right.
This stroke 2 hole looks innocuous but isn’t. The ideal tee shot is up the right hand side of the fairway. The key to playing this hole well is to hit a good approach shot to the elevated green protected by bunkers both front and back. Don’t be short!
Magnificent views are available from the many teeing options this hole provides. Water guards the green on the right and a large bunker on the left provides for an intimidating tee shot often made more difficult by the prevailing wind.
This deceptive hole holds lots of trouble for the big hitter. Humps on both sides of the fairway have been cunningly positioned making the channel that leads to the green very narrow, miss this channel and trouble welcomes you with open arms. The approach to this green should err on the short side as trouble awaits over the back of the green.
Tees are located within an environmentally sensitive area. A cluster of fairway bunkers on the right of the hole tend to force players to the left towards a long elongated fairway bunker. An undulating green is the only green on the course not protected by any bunkers.
The mountain provides a superb backdrop to this deceptive short hole. A high floating iron is required so that the ball lands softly on the green. Cognisance of the wind needs to be taken as it can make this hole extremely testing.
The tee shot on this par 5 is ideally played with a draw into the left hand side of the fairway which helps avoid the bunkers on the right. This then sets up a long second into a green, notorious in its lack of bite. The green slopes from back to front.
This magnificent finishing hole offers a definite birdie opportunity for the long hitters who want to risk attempting to drive the green. The fairway is generous but a small multi-tiered green, guarded by a water hazard to the right and bunkers on either side and behind, offers plenty of trouble if the green is missed.
Straight away Par 4 with a generously wide Fairway. The Green is guarded by trees on the left and a bunker on the right. A two tier Green that presents difficult to read putts from past the hole.
A straight tee shot is essential to avoid trees left and right of the Fairway. A tricky Green guarded by bunkers left and right requires an accurate mid- to short-iron approach.
A shortish Par 3 uphill towards the mountain that has no bunkers. The Green is guarded by swales left and right and calls for creative chip shots to save Par.
A classic 3 shot Par 5. The errant tee shot is gobbled up by the water hazards left and right. Players should try to lay up to their favourite approach distance to a multi-tier Green guarded by a bird rich water hazard left and a swale and bunker on the right. A classic hole.
The tee shot needs to be positioned short of the water hazard crossing the Fairway leaving a medium to short iron to a Green with bunkers left and right. The easier approach is from the right of the Fairway, but taking this line brings the water hazard into play.
A delightful short hole with the Green shaped like the map of Africa and guarded by a pot bunker on the left. If you are going to miss the Green, do it on the right as this leaves a much easier chip shot.
A dogleg right with a pine forest and bunkers on the right. An accurate tee shot leaves a mid- to short-iron approach to a narrow tricky Green with a nasty bunker on the left. Putts from behind the flagstick must be carefully studied as the Green is very deceptive.
Short, innocently looking Par 4. Longer hitters can have a go at the Green, but the wise player will lay up to his favourite approached length as the severely undulating Green is more receptive to full shots than short pitches. The Green is surrounded by a horseshoe shaped bunker and an ecological wetland preserve.
The walk to the 27th tee takes one through an ecological area that is a riot of colour at certain times of the year. Look out for sunbirds. Definite risk and reward Par 5 with a generously wide Fairway to the advantage of the long hitter. The lateral hazards left and right and the divided Fairway make calculated tactical decisions necessary. The two-tier, well bunkered Green makes a great finish to a splendid golf hole.
Address: Golf Road, Hermanus 7200, Western Cape, South Africa
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