Yellow 6561 metres, CR73.9/138
White 6261 metres, CR72.3/133
Blue 6018 metres, CR70.0/127
Red 5443 metres, CR67.8/123
Women’s blue, CR76.2/150
Women’s red, CR73.6/144
R250 weekday
R360 weekend
Golf cart R400
Sid Brews 1973
011 682 1211
www.glenvistacountryclub.co.za
79 (2022) & 72 (2021)
Glenvista Country Club in the hills south of Johannesburg is something of a hidden gem, an enjoyable modern layout set in a valley at the foot of the Klipriviersberg Ridge. Its visitor green fee is among the lowest among Top 100 courses in Gauteng. The clubhouse stands atop a high slope with an attractive outlook over the holes. You access the course from the N12 highway at either Kliprivier Drive or Comaro Street.
A feature of this parkland course is the stream that flows through the property and comes into play on 13 holes. It also ensures abundant water for irrigation. The back nine has some outstanding holes of individual character, beginning with the superbly different par-4 tenth, with a fairway that slopes steeply down to a large dam. From there you go directly over the water to the pin.
The 428-metre 12th is stroke one, played from a high hillside tee framed by boulders, with a fairway that rolls its way to a large green sloping from back to front. A superb short par 4 is the 305-metre 14th, the fairway curving left on a slope between trees to a lower green hidden by trees and fronted by water and a bunker.
Glenvista has an interesting history and in modern times would have been part of a golf estate. This was farmland when acquired in the 1960s by township developers Glen Anil. The golf course was to be the area’s main attraction. However, stands moved slowly, and the course took five years to build. It was officially opened by Gary Player in October 1973. The clubhouse was the original farmhouse. Glen Anil owned the course until liquidated in 1976. The club and course came up for auction in 1978, with a reserve price of R50 000, and the members bid for it rather than risk having new owners who might evict them. With no other developers interested, they bought it for R65 000. Today, lavish homes dot the surrounding hillsides.
Uncertain. 63 by Keith Horne and John Mathews
There’s an excellent stretch of holes on the back nine starting at the dauntingly long par-4 12th, where you play from an elevated tee to a fairway bordered by out-of-bounds right and a stream left. Water needs to be carried on both the par-3s, 13 and 15, and in between them is a short dogleg par 4 with a narrow fairway. Two uphill par 4s conclude each nine.
Warm-up range of 170 metres, putting and chipping greens.
1/ There is an impressive tribute on the first tee to legendary late member Dave Whitfield, the head professional from 1982 until retiring in 2020. He passed away in January 2021. He played the Sunshine Tour after a promising amateur career and was PGA Club Pro of the Year in 2011. His son Leo, a PGA pro, now runs the pro shop at Glenvista. Another son Rudy is the club pro at Glendower.
2/ Glenvista hosted the men’s Northern Amateur in 1999, 2000 and 2003. The 36-hole 1999 final, where Jaco van der Merwe beat Jean Hugo, produced 17 birdies and two eagles. Hugo shot 60 in his semifinal against Derek Scullard.
2022 Caden Sanders
2021 Clive Palm & Charmayne Ditchfield
2020 Caden Sanders & Symone Henriques
2019 Helder Alves & Symone Henriques
Conditioning Ratings
Facility Ratings
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