Heron Banks

Sasolburg, Free State - ​Northern Cape & Free State

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Golf director and greenkeeper: Robbie Lance
Club professionals: Bradford Vaughan & Almero Theron

Course Summary

Four tees / Par 71

Yellow 6610 metres, CR74.0/145
White 6198 metres, CR72.1/141
Blue 5827 metres, CR70.0/134
Red 5388 metres, CR67.9/128
Women’s blue, CR77.3/149
Women’s red, CR74.4/144

Visitor Green Fee

Affiliated
R205 weekday
R285 weekend

Membership Fee

Full male R3 600, Seniors R2 200
Women R1 450, Under 30s R1 950
Students R1 950, Juniors R1 050

Course designer

Danie Obermeyer 2014

Contact

078 052 4083
www.heronbanks.co.za

This new course on the Vaal River, part of a residential estate development, has already accumulated a large membership in an area of the Vaal Triangle where four good value courses make for an inexpensive golf destination an hour’s drive south from Gauteng – the others being Emfuleni, Maccauvlei and Riviera.

Heron Banks opened as a 9-holer in 2014 and a second nine has since been completed by the course owners and developers, father and son, Gary and Robbie Lance. Robbie not only runs the golf club, he is also responsible for the course maintenance. A clubhouse has been built, there’s an excellent range, a fleet of golf carts, and attractive membership options available. Full membership is R2 650, R1 200 for seniors and students, R1 100 for female members.

The course, with trademark Danie Obermeyer bunker complexes a feature on many holes, has excellent greens, and water hazards are everywhere, particularly on the back nine where holes 15-17 run alongside the Vaal River. The hazards come into play on 13 holes.

The front nine is inland of the clubhouse and from the back tees it is a strong test at 3452 metres. The last three holes comprise a 455-metre par 4, 419m par 4, and 570m par 5. The ninth is a magnificent 3-shotter, flowing downhill from an elevated back tee. The back nine (the original nine) among the wetlands is shorter and far more scenic. It begins with a superb par-3 heading towards the river, and ends with a good par 4.

There are five par 3s and from the back tees you probably won’t find a longer set in the country. The shortest is 179 metres and longest 209.

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Additional Course Facts

Course Record

62, Keith Horne, final round January 2025 of Mediclinic Invitational (33-29) with 10 birdies
62, Bradford Vaughan, January 2017

MEN'S CLUB CHAMPION

2024 Eugene du Plessis
2023 Hendre Proctor
2022 Martin Papworth Jnr
2021 Pieter Swartz
2020 Pieter Swartz

Practice Facility

There is a long and spacious range open to the public, close to the clubhouse adjoining the 18th fairway.

Accommodation

There are 8 rooms available for guests in a lodge next to the clubhouse.

Did You Know

1/ Club hosted 2025 Mediclinic Invitational on Sunshine Tour. Austrian Max Steinlechner won on 24-under 260, having 29 birdies and one eagle. He was 14-under for the 5s, but most remarkably had six 2s on the five 3s, playing them 6-under. Keith Horne had a course record 62 on Sunday.

2/ Club pro Bradford Vaughan, the 1994 SA Amateur champion, had a distinguished career on the Sunshine Tour, winning multiple tournaments.

3/ Casey Jarvis won the 2020 Free State Open on 18-under-par 266, including a final round 64. Jon Broomhead won the 2023 Free State Open on 269. Altin van der Merwe shot 63.

4/ Heron Banks hosted the 2018 SA Senior Amateur won by KZN’s Morgan Phillips with a 3-under-par total of 210.

5/ Heron Banks member Almero Theron won the 2017 SA Mid-Amateur title at the Gary Player CC, the first Free State champion. He won despite having a 10 on the par-5 tenth hole in the third round.

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Course Reviews
Very playable course. The Vaal River is a feature of the back nine.
Alheit du Toit
27 February 2025
Great challenging course. Some of the best greens I have played on.
Eddie Wentzel
27 February 2025
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View more reviews
Heron Banks can be proud of hosting their first Sunshine Tour event, a successful one too, with good spectator support. Course was packed Monday following the Mediclinic Invitational, with many opting to play from championship tees. This is a course steadily improving as the number of estate homes increases, and greens were a delight. The club doesn't have a head greenkeeper, relying rather on a consultant. Greens are an excellent feature, creatively designed by Danie Obermeyer. Not extreme, other than short 4 sixth green where a big slope limits pin positions. Opening holes are relatively weak and suffer from poor aesthetics. Water hazards on 1-2-4 are ineffectual and could be better features. The layout begins to impress from 7 onwards, and the back nine is much superior in aesthetics and design. Five solid 3s, notably 10 and 17, although No 5 green is partly obscured by reeds. Obermeyer's high-faced rivetted fairway bunkers are another feature and can be severe hazards without being overly penal. However, they tend to be one-dimensional. Another design weakness would be an absence of doglegs.
Stuart McLean
27 January 2025
Heron Banks held its first Sunshine Tour event Jan 16-19, the Mediclinic Invitational, and the pros were blessed with perfect weather. It's normally a breezy layout on the Vaal River, which helps defend the course, but there was no wind. Greens were outstanding and yet not that quick because of how wet they had been. A winning score of 24-under 260 (par 71) compares with 25-under 263 at Maccauvlei in last year's tournament. 58 pros were under par and average score 69.82. Two holes stood out. The 455m seventh guarded by bush on both sides of the fairway was fearsome, averaging 4.49, and the 455m 16th with water right and bush left 4.29. Heron had two par 4s, 6 and 13, where players were tempted to drive the green. No 13 is 310 uphill with water left of the green, so a dangerous hole. There were 3 eagles and 124 birdies, while at the sixth (320) there were 3 eagles and 117 birds. Austrian winner Max Steinlechner had 29 birds and one eagle. He was 14-under for the 5s, but most remarkably had six 2s on the five 3s, playing them 6-under. Keith Horne had a course record 62 on Sunday with 10 birdies.
Thomas Souness
24 January 2025
Heron Banks is a well-situated course, rewarding good play but punishing if playing poorly. Should be in Top 100 as it has hosted amateur and pro tournaments.
Deon Serfontein
07 October 2024
Course in good condition. Best greens in the Vaal Triangle.
Neels Nel
12 May 2024
Course and clubhouse in excellent condition. Wildlife and views from course and clubhouse make the walk a relaxing outing.
Johan Jansen
12 May 2024
Heron Banks is now 10 years old. With wildlife like springbok and others roaming the course and residential estate the atmosphere is tranquil and relaxing. Animal hoofprints a bit heavy on the greens though, and some fairways, but worth it.
Alheit du Toit
28 November 2023
Loved the course and enjoyed my time thoroughly.
David Nortje
13 June 2023
Recently joined Heron Banks as a member. I think it's one of the most underrated courses in SA. The staff are incredible. Food is amazing and the course challenging.
Nicholas-John Maree
25 May 2023
Challenging course. Difficult on holes 1 to 9 and on holes 10 to 18 you have water in play. Risk reward factor on some holes plays with your mind, especially with water on both sides on the closing holes. Nice affordable course with an excellent halfway house.
Christo Jansen van Rensburg
02 February 2023
This well designed estate layout has a pleasant back nine alongside the Vaal River. The greens have lots of slopes, not only making them tricky for putting, but limiting the pin options. However, they are smooth and they hold. The bunkers with their steep faces are a big NO in my book. They don’t fit in with the rest of the course. If you're up against the face all you can do is play out sideways. This would be okay around the greens, but not on the fairways. There's a lot of buck at Heron Banks and they tend to leave marks in the bunkers and on the greens. The fairways are well maintained but the course lacks attention to detail. There is a shortage of cart paths, some unfinished in places, which makes the course look tatty.
Henry Trevena
18 April 2022
Heron Banks is steadily maturing into an improved course and has become a regular tournament venue for the Free State Golf Union and GolfRSA. A large practice facility close to the clubhouse is a plus. And the top players must enjoy the superb quality greens. The Senior Interprovincial is there from April 4-8, and the Sunshine Tour's Final Q School from April 26-29. It's a strong test of golf, particularly if the five par 3s are stretched out. The winning score in the 72-hole Free State Open in January was 7-under 277, with just five players under par. There's a good design balance to the par 4s in terms of distance, but too many of them are straightaway holes. Same with the par 5s. Doglegs are notably absent here. The shorter back nine nearer the Vaal River is stronger in aesthetics, with holes running among the wetlands and bushveld trees.
Stuart McLean
18 March 2022
This course deserves to be in the top 100. It has settled well the last few years and the maintenance team is doing an excellent job. Great rates, service and vibe.
Cornel Human
16 February 2022

Excellent course, love the vibe at the club. Helpful staff who make you feel at home.

Riaan vd westhuizen
25 May 2020

With fantastic greens, an impressive new clubhouse, and a great layout, it is my favourite local course, at a good price too!

Dean Farrand
25 May 2020
Young course with potential. Excellent greens and very challenging. Good all round experience. Hard work by the owners can be seen in the course's improvement.
Johan Stander
25 May 2020
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