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Hermanus – East course

Hermanus - Western Cape

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General manager: Sharon Sleigh
Golf operations manager: Louis Bester
Greenkeeper: Malcolm Bromley
Club captain: Johan Koekemoer
CRITERIA SUMMARY: Total points 72.4 out of 100
Conditioning14.6 / 20
Playability14.4 / 20
Aesthetics12.6 / 15
Design Variety10.3 / 15
Shot Values9.7 / 15
Memorability10.8 / 15

Course Summary

Six tees / Par 72

Black 6440 metres, CR74.6/130
Yellow 6066 metres, CR72.7/129
White 5791 metres, CR71.3/124
Blue 5282 metres, CR68.5/116
Red 4873 metres, CR66.2/111
Green 4376 metres, CR63.6/102
Women’s yellow, CR79.2/136
Women’s white, CR77.4/131
Women’s blue, CR74.0/126
Women’s red, CR71.5/120
Women’s green, CR68.3/111

Visitor green fee

R720 affiliated
R990 non-affiliated
Golf cart R460

Course designer

Peter Matkovich 2006

Contact

028 312 1954
www.hgc.co.za

Previous ranking

39 (2023), 43 (2022) & 45 (2021)

Hermanus rebuilt and remodelled their original 18-hole course in 2006, adding an extra nine holes on the property to increase it to a 27-hole facility. During the summer holiday season it is one of the busiest golf venues in the country – December 2021 saw 7 312 full rounds – and having 27 holes has paid handsome dividends for this members club founded in 1907 in what was then a fishing village and holiday outpost.

Peter Matkovich and his team rebuilt a 1950s Bob Grimsdell design, transforming and modernising the old course in time for the club centenary in 2007. Framed by pine trees, fynbos and wetlands, only holes 19 to 27 are reminders of how the layout used to be routed. The three different nines have a character of their own, and each provides a quality golf experience. Superb conditioning has long been a feature. Championships are played from 1 to 18 and the new Hermanus attracted its first ever SA men’s Amateur Championship in 2014. The variety of holes is a feature, as is the number of strong challenging par 4s.

The social area of the distinctive one-storey clubhouse was renovated in 2016, and it’s one of the most practical in the country, flowing on to the practice putting green. A feature of the clubhouse is the superb mountain and course views it offers from the veranda and lounge.

Visitors mistakenly think of Hermanus as a golf estate, because of the new housing around the perimeters of the course, but that is a separate entity from the golf club. Hermanus is popular as a place for people to retire, and famous for whale watching in Walker Bay during the spring.

Read: PAYOFF TIME FOR HOUGHTON & HERMANUS

Additional Course Facts

Feature Holes

Hermanus has many large trees which frame the 27 holes. The tightest tee shot on the East Course comes at one of the signature holes, the par-5 11th, where an avenue of pine trees forms a dauntingly narrow target. It’s not a long hole, so a brave, straight drive will reward the bold player. The approach shot is played uphill to a raised green. Designer Peter Matkovich cleverly had holes 1-9 finish with a par 3; holes 10-18 with a short par 4; and holes 19-27 with a long par 5.

Practice Facility

An excellent long range with numerous grass bays, close to the starting tees. Artificial turf mats have been introduced, and hitting off the grass is only permitted at certain times. Short game area next to the clubhouse, and putting green in front.

Accommodation

There are two guest houses adjoining the clubhouse.

Did You Know

1/ The club hosted the men’s SA Amateur in 2014 for the first time in its history, with Thriston Lawrence victorious.

2/ The Walker Bay Classic, the club’s biggest event, has been played in November for the last 40 years with a field of 320.

3/ Keeping a brisk pace of play is important at Hermanus during the busy holiday season, and six marshalls are on duty every day to ensure the field keeps moving.

4/ The pro shop is part of The Pro Shop brand, offering similar prices to their retail stores around the country.

Club Champions

2023 Tyron Davidowitz & Karen Wales
2022 Adrian Kuiper & Nicola Streicher
2021 Adrian Kuiper & Nicola Streicher
2020: Adrian Kuiper & Lynne Behagg
2019: Liam Cloete & Lynne Behagg

Course Record

66, Jovan Rebula, Daniel Young, 2014 SA Amateur;
Marco Steyn, 2015 Boland Open

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Course Reviews
Hermanus has become the first club in SA to have six different tee box options. They have introduced a green tee, mainly for the many women golfers who play there, at 4376 metres. It's 38 metres shorter than the green tees at Leopard Creek, so could be SA's shortest setup. It's all about showing consideration to the wide variety of people now playing the game. It's no longer one tee fits all as it used to be. Hermanus also have a Par-3 course setup on holes 19-27 which provides an alternative for juniors and beginners. The club's mainline irrigation project has been completed.
Thomas Souness
29 April 2024
We had the pleasure of playing the East Course at the annual Daysh Cup and, as usual, it was a magnificent experience. The greens were a delight to putt on and the conditioning the best I've seen at the course. The practice area is top class and little wonder the club has such a big membership. The course is flattering off the red tees for women, and the rating of 71.5 seems high.
Tara Swart
03 January 2024
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One of the best clubs in the Western Cape. Great course (though one nine the greens had been hollow-tined), excellent practice facilities, good halfway house and bar. Setting is awesome.
ed raubenheimer
25 April 2023
A fantastic layout with memorable holes. The clubhouse and facilities at Hermanus are also exceptional. A busy club with an over-subscribed membership and many visitors, and all that traffic is showing in certain aspects of the course conditioning.
Greg Woodbridge
21 February 2023
This is such an impressive destination, one perhaps undersold to tourists visiting the Western Cape. There is plenty of choice between Cape Town and Garden Route, yet Hermanus is not a course to miss because it provides fair and interesting holes. Generously wide playing corridors. A busy club though. Having 27 holes is an excuse to stay and play two days and enjoy the excellent clubhouse facilities. The catering is good and halfway house superior to others. We appreciated the range facilities and convenience of having everything at our fingertips.
Richard O'Dwyer
12 February 2023
I was impressed by the quality of the East Course experience at Hermanus. Substantial work has gone into improving the look, feel and playability of this layout over the past year. The modifications and redesign of the bunkers by Grant Bland of Golf Data is noticeably so much better than what was there before. They are stunning in their visual appeal. Some greens have been levelled to create more pin positions and par-3 tees increased in size. The planting of wild grass between 15th green and 16th tee improves the aesthetics. The club is also halfway through installing a R10-million irrigation system for all 27 holes that will be completed by next summer. Hermanus is a formidable championship layout by coastal standards, and it's good to see black tees reinstated at 6440 metres (that makes it longer than Humewood). Some of the tees are intimidatingly far back. There's a unique Black Course scorecard. It won't be surprising if the Sunshine Tour makes a historic first visit to the town before too long.
Stuart McLean
19 January 2023

A pleasant enjoyable course in wonderful condition and well presented with a memorable finish to both nines. A pity the housing estate is so close to the playing area in places.

K Simpson
15 February 2022
A holiday in Hermanus resulted in my spending more time at the golf club than I was expecting. It's a fabulous facility for visitors and members and our guest house was close by. With 27 holes it's possible to play three different courses in three days, the East, North and South. The sheer variety of holes is impressive. You never get the feeling of repetitiveness on any of the nines. Tee shots aren't too demanding but the approaches are often challenging. The clubhouse I would rate among the best I've seen. Attractive architecture, simple to navigate, efficient staff, and it offers everything a golfer requires, with outdoor and indoor areas to relax. Additionally there's an excellent range close to the first tee, a dedicated chipping green alongside the clubhouse, a well stocked pro shop, and a halfway house with an interesting and healthy array of food. It's a busy course in summer so you have to book tee times well in advance.
Thomas Souness
13 February 2022
The environment at Hermanus is pristine, which adds to the enjoyment of playing any of the three nines at this outstanding 27-hole facility. The club expends considerable effort and expense in ensuring the wetlands and hazards are clean and healthy, while the areas of fynbos are protected and regenerated with controlled burning practices. Since lockdown a family of Cape Clawless Otters have made their home on the golf course, although shy residents compared to the springbok roaming the fairways. Hermanus has the perfect combination of superb golf holes in excellent condition backed by 5-star clubhouse facilities.
Stuart McLean
14 September 2021
In the best condition I have seen the course for a long while. Greens excellent and the course much firmer than previously.
David Leslie
18 May 2021
Impressed with the standard of the course, and enjoyed the layout in a magnificent setting.
Mike Munro
03 April 2021
I have played many of the courses rated among the SA Top 20. As an overall experience goes Hermanus should be rated among the Top 10.
Sarel Ackermann
28 March 2021

Hermanus is one of my favourite places to play, set in a beautiful environment, with great routing, green and bunker complexes. The prevailing sea breeze challenges the ball in the air, and undulations challenge it on the ground. My only gripe was to find the course wet underfoot in summer, often squelchy. The fairways are magnificent and lush, but thatchy in places. This is a lovely parkland course, and would be so much better playing hard. The extra nine is useful if you need just a "wee bit more."

Hamish Houston
20 March 2020
One gets the impression that holes 19 to 27 are not as well maintained as the rest.
Anton Bezuidenhout
26 February 2020
I have never seen this course looking so good from tee to green. Fairways cut short and offer some run. A must play. Well done Hermanus.
Henry Trevena
26 February 2020
Hermanus is 120km from Cape Town and has its own micro-climate. While the Cape Town courses are drying up in the mid-summer heat and wind, Hermanus has had good January rains and their 27 holes are lush and green, in excellent condition. The club is busy, and visitors love the twilight green fee rate of R210 starting at 16h30.
Stuart McLean
09 February 2020
The East layout is recognised as the championship 18, but my favourite 9 is 19 to 27. Don't be fooled into thinking this is less challenging or fun than 1 to 18. I like it because of the interesting variety of holes, and it's a fairer test with conventional greens. No 22 is my favourite par 5 at Hermanus. It has an elevated two-tier green guarded on two sides by water. No 27 is a big par 5 from the back tee, yet a wide fairway encourages golfers to launch their driver.
Thomas Souness
28 January 2020
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