Bankenveld

Bankenveld is an attractive residential estate overlooking the Witbank Dam and Nature Reserve, with a modern 9-hole championship course designed by Douw van der Merwe and opened in 2010. Four of the holes are built along the banks of the dam, and the opening holes before them have impressive views over the estate. It was formerly a farm called Doornpoort.

The golf club has its own entrance, separate from the residential estate, and is easy to access. The clubhouse is on a high point of the property, and the opening hole is a reachable par 5 playing downhill which converts to a 410-metre par 4 on the second nine. A feature of the layout is the variety of tee boxes, and some interestingly shaped greens complexes.

Golf carts are the preference over walking as the opening four holes traverse rural grassland countryside over undulating terrain, away from the residential homes. A herd of various buck species can be seen here. The holes are among the longest on the course, the par-5 third being 480 metres climbing uphill to the green. On the high fourth tee golfers have superb views over the surrounding land. This is a steeply downhill dogleg left hole heading towards the eco estate and the Witbank Dam. The first time round it plays as a 410-metre 4, and No 13 is a 484-metre par 5.

No 5/14 is a beautiful par 3 played from elevated tees down towards a large green with the dam as a backdrop. Tees range in length from 110 to 185 metres. The next two holes are par 4s which hug the shoreline, No 7 being stroke 1 at 413 metres. The eighth/17th is a short par 3 played over wetlands and a water hazard.

The round ends with a strong uphill par 4 back towards the clubhouse, 356 metres at No 9 and 385 metres at No 18. There’s a wetland area on the left of the fairway and a hidden pond to the left of the green.

Construction of the course began in 2008, and it opened in May 2010. Among the first visitors a month later were members of the Italian rugby team who played a Test match against the Springboks at Witbank. The clubhouse was completed in 2014, and opened by Springbok legend Frik du Preez. It has a restaurant and coffee shop.

There is an 18-hole course in Witbank, in the old city centre, divided into two parts by the N4 highway. There have been several other proposals for golf course developments in the area over the years, in 1996 by Gary Player Design for Sun International, and most recently in 2007 for an 18-hole Ernie Els design (Lahleni Lakes) close to Bankenveld. None of them eventuated.