Dainfern

One of my favourite Gauteng courses. Always in great condition, even now in winter. Greens fast but receptive to approach shots. Big bunker project underway which has temporarily taken out some bunkers. When finished this should raise the standard of the course as bunkers were a weakness. Great stretch of holes from 7 to 9 alongside the Jukskei River, long par 4, par 5, and slightly uphill 4. A good tee shot is needed on all three holes to set up a scoring opportunity. The par-5 18th is a memorable finishing hole where the tee shot over the river needs to take as bold a line as possible to allow you to go for the green in two. Water guards the front of a raised green.

Burger de Bruyn

02 August 2025

Winter conditions have turned Dainfern's greens into some of the quickest in Gauteng. The course has long been blessed with quality greens, and they have a beautiful true roll to them. Gary Player Design created some exceptional greens on this course, sizeable ones too for the most part, and their subtle slopes are accentuated right now with the greens this quick. Great fun on which to pitch and putt, although the slopes are not easily visible to the uneducated eye. There's not much run on the fairways though, as they are still quite lushly carpeted, even if the greenness has disappeared from them. There's a bunker upgrade programme underway, being done in stages (currently greenside bunkers), by Turfnet using the Bunker Armour product, which also entails reducing the size of some. There are some excellent looking fairway bunkers at Dainfern, notably a large one right of the third, and an intimidating pair at No 9, yet sadly several are possibly not in play today for longer hitters, especially as the back tees cannot be extended. They only measure 6568 metres.

Stuart McLean

03 July 2025

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Disappointing experience. I expected more from a Gary Player Design.

Christo Germishuys

27 February 2025

Course conditioning has deteriorated noticeably. Greens don't seem to have been rolled. There is clearly a problem with the hole-cutting machine as nearly every hole is crowned and overgrown. Tees poor. Grass has been poorly patched on tees rather than reseeded. A lot of weed-based plants on fairways need to be removed and replaced with grass. This is a great Gary Player design in a beautiful setting, but management seem more concerned with the flower beds rather than the course.

Peter Nash

14 February 2025

Dainfern comes across on TV as one of SA's most beautiful courses, watching the Stella Artois Players Championship. Scenic closing holes make good viewing. However, if ever there was a strong case to roll back the ball, just study the average scoring at this tournament (68.9, a full stroke lower than 2023) and the obliteration of par 5s. No 18 (500m) is a great hole for club golfers but not pros who can almost reach the 150m marker with their tee shots in perfect Gauteng conditions and preferred lies (is this now standard in SA?). On Sunday it averaged 4.15, easier than the only two par 4s on the course which trouble the pros, No 1 and 7. Winner Heinrich Bruiners had 30 birdies in his 28-under total, testament to the quality of the greens. There were 120 eagles, edging Glendower's 119 as the most this season.

Thomas Souness

25 March 2024

Dainfern is an exceptionally scenic and leafy course where you often forget you're in a vast residential estate. The holes slip away into the bushveld and from Nos 5 to 7 you can imagine yourself in the wilds of the Waterberg. After putting out on the seventh green there's a forest walk to the eighth tee, and one of the most attractive and challenging par 5s in Gauteng where you twice cross the Jukskei River (kept remarkably clean by the estate). It may be a lesser-appreciated Gary Player design, overshadowed by his more famous hits, but it's a solid creation with 18 well-crafted holes. The rolling landscape adds to the attractiveness and design variety. The bunkering, though, has a distinctly dull 1980s look, similar to Sun City, and while playable I walked away thinking how stunning Dainfern could be with a modern bunker renovation.

Stuart McLean

23 February 2024

Course was in very good condition for the Stella Artois Players Championship. Greens were superb. Great layout which combined with a high level of year-round conditioning should deserve a higher overall ranking.

David Frost

23 May 2023

Dainfern has entered the Sunshine Tour record books with the 30-under-par winning total by Kyle Barker in the Stella Artois Players Championship. The previous lowest was 28-under at Pretoria CC and CCJ Woodmead. Tournament golf is continually seeing lower scores with the unchecked distance on how far the ball travels. The SA Junior Champs at Pecanwood was won on 34-under. Coupled with outstanding greens, wide fairways, and hardly any rough, as the pros enjoyed at Dainfern, it's a recipe for a birdie fest. And eagles. There were 99 of them at Dainfern. No longer a rare bird. Barker played incredible golf: 30 birdies and one eagle, just two bogeys, over four rounds. He birdied every hole bar Nos 1 and 16.

Thomas Souness

17 April 2023

Dainfern's Gary Player layout has taken on an established parkland feel despite being on a vast residential estate. The houses do not detract from the aesthetics and visual appeal, and trees and other flora frame numerous holes. The many elevation changes at Dainfern mean you are often playing from raised tee boxes with the landing areas clearly laid out in front of you. Particularly impressive from this aspect are the par 3s which I consider excellent. Dainfern has always dealt with inclement weather well and despite the recent heavy rainfall in Gauteng the course was playable with little evidence of flooding despite the Jukskei River running through the estate being up to the top of its banks. A club with excellent facilities and service and reasonably priced green fees for visitors.

Roy Jones

16 December 2022

The course has taken shape the past month with hard work from the maintenance team and wonderful summer rain. Dainfern is in the best condition it has been in a few years. To make a booking contact me: dean@dainfern.co.za; 011 875 0421/0422.

Dean Kupferman

09 December 2022

Dainfern certainly offers a varied test of interesting golf holes, which you would expect from a Gary Player design, although his shortest par 4 is 364m from the back tees. The course, a bushveld-parkland hybrid with a wonderful balance to the routing, keeps your attention throughout the round, with fabulous elevation changes, numerous doglegs, a fair mix of challenging hazards (among them, rocks on the 12th fairway, and occasional oversized bunkers), and attractive greens of contrasting sizes. The rest of my fourball, unfamiliar with the layout, enjoyed themselves immensely. It's a walkable estate course even with its hilly terrain, as the distances between green and tee are not enormous, other than the uphill climb from No 1 to 2. The Jukskei River flows through Dainfern, and it was encouraging to see the large number of staff working to clear away piles of debris after a rainy night had increased the river's flow. What a colossal undertaking.

Stuart McLean

05 November 2022

Dainfern is in exceptional condition before next week's Sunshine Tour Players Championship. The routing is excellent and significant work to widen the landing areas off the tee has made a number of holes more playable. The Jukskei River features prominently, a hazard off the tee or in tight approaches to the greens. The course is not long off the club tees by Gauteng standards (6289 metres) and provides a high quality offering. The par-4 seventh (stroke 1) alongside the river is an exceptional hole requiring a precise drive and approach shot. The par-5 eighth has a challenging greens complex fronted by the river, and a front pin is a challenge. The variety of the par 3s is another enjoyable element of this Gary Player design. Dainfern's significant improvement, with excellent greens, consistent bunkers and the attention to detail from the maintenance team, surely suggests it must challenge for a higher ranking. Service at the 19th is top notch, as is the range of stock at the pro shop.

Jon James

14 April 2022

Dainfern for me is a course with a mix of creatively designed holes and some disappointingly dull ones. The original 18th, now the ninth, was a weak par 4 to finish, and even more so today now the ball goes so much further compared to 30 years ago this February when Ernie Els won the SA Masters here. It was a good decision to switch the nines around and finish with a stronger risk-and-reward par 5 which has a challenging tee shot for club golfers over the river. The par 3s at Dainfern, which all play from elevated tees, are certainly not dull, though, and I like each of them. From the back tees they vary in length from 185 to 199 metres. Possibly the toughest is No 11 adjoining the river, playing to a large green well protected by deep bunkers. A back pin position is brutal. Dainfern was the first estate course in Gauteng and it remains one of the more attractive estates in terms of its leafiness and the houses sensibly set well back from the fairways.

Thomas Souness

08 January 2022

Dainfern has improved immensely since I last played there in 2019. The overall conditioning, general maintenance and attention to detail is much better and it shows. The control of golf cart movement is comprehensive and no doubt has contributed to this. The standard of the greens was near perfect and contributed to the golf experience. Clubhouse facilities are good and the happy vibe around the clubhouse and course noticeable. The golf management are enthusiastic and energetic and looking for ways to improve.

Terry Knight

23 December 2021

The Jukskei River is a feature of Gary Player's design at Dainfern, and he's used it impressively to create attractive holes on each nine. The river is broad and fast-flowing as it curves its way through the heart of the course. It provides longer hitters with thrilling tee shots on two par 5s, Nos 8 and 18. A bold tiger line of attack over the river can leave good golfers with mid- or short-irons to the green for their seconds. There were 60 eagles on these two holes in the 2021 Sunshine Tour event at Dainfern. While the pros may find the par 5s easy, each of them presents strong challenges for the club golfer. The 12th has two large rock formations to avoid in the middle of the fairway. Dainfern for me is an excellent members course, loaded with excellent and unusual design variety thanks to the hilly terrain. For a golf estate it's surprisingly bushy and naturally wild in places. The conditioning was vastly improved on my previous visit.

Stuart McLean

04 December 2021

Had the good fortune to play Dainfern having had no idea it was a Gary Player design. However, there is now a "circle" in front of the clubhouse recognising Gary's design work and that of some of his favourite courses. Having just been at Fancourt, and its conditioning being fresh in my mind, I was impressed by the condition Dainfern was in. The manicuring around tee boxes and greens was excellent considering the rain that has fallen. Well done to the team in putting a fair and challenging course together.

Muneer Ebrahim

03 December 2021

Dainfern is a great course for all types of golfers. It is looking good at the moment, with lush fairways and greens in amazing condition. A must play course for those not leaving Gauteng over the festive holidays.

Dean Kupferman

15 November 2021

I played Dainfern towards the end of winter, so it wasn't as lush as it normally can be, but the course was in good shape and a great challenge. The fairways are always firm which is great, while the greens may not be the fastest, but roll true. A good day with the putter generally means a good score here. I prefer the front nine with its mix of holes, specifically the closing stretch which brings the river and rocks into play.

Chris Wood

18 January 2021

Fourways - Gauteng

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