89

Katberg

Near Fort Beaufort - Eastern Cape

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General Manager: Piet Gunther
Greenkeeper: Bradwell Smart
CRITERIA SUMMARY: Total points 63.5 out of 100
Conditioning14.0 / 20
Playability11.5 / 20
Aesthetics11.8 / 15
Design Variety9.8 / 15
Shot Values8.0 / 15
Memorability8.4 / 15

Course Summary

Three tees / Par 72

White 5661 metres, CR 70.1/135
Blue 5114 metres, CR 67.4/122
Red 4608 metres, CR 64.5/115
Women’s blue, CR 73.3/131
Women’s red, CR 69.7/124

Visitor green fee

R400
R285 hotel resident
R255 member guest

Course designer

Sean Quinn (Golf Data) 2008

Contact

040 864 1010/2
www.katleisure.co.za

Previous ranking

93 (2023)

Katberg has for many years been a remote resort in the Winterberg mountains, 930 metres above sea level. Originally a family hotel, offering a variety of leisure facilities, including a makeshift mashie golf course. 

Today it’s the setting for the 400-hectare Katberg Eco Golf Estate – owned by Kat Leisure Hotel Group – home to an enjoyable 18-hole course. It’s primarily a fun layout which can be appreciated by good golfers and beginners. Set against the undulating terrain of the lower mountain slopes it is the third shortest course in the Top 100 (5 661 metres), after Southbroom and Umdoni Park, yet with small greens it can be testing when set up for a tournament. The winning score in the 72-hole SA Boys Championship in 2012 was
6-under-par 282.

Katberg is a 3-hour drive from Port Elizabeth Airport, and 2½ hours from East London Airport. The route from East London takes you on a scenic drive to Cathcart, and then through the magnificent Nico Malan Pass to Seymour. The last 20 kilometres are on dirt roads.

There is no shop on the estate, so residents and visitors need to bring in their own provisions.

Read: KATBERG, ORKNEY & EMFULENI JOIN TOP 100
Read: WHAT MAKES THE EAST CAPE SO SPECIAL

Additional Course Facts

Course Record

61 by Matthew Thompson in 2018 Denis Whitfield event. Manager Piet Gunther previously had a 62.

Feature Holes

There’s a scenic stretch of holes from No 6 to No 9 gently flowing back downhill to the clubhouse which provide some of the most interesting challenges on the course. A large dam borders the left of the sixth fairway, the seventh is a par 3 across the dam, while the 501m eighth demands a well-struck drive to carry a ravine. The back nine is relatively short at 2 752 metres, and has three par 4s of 295, 285 and 260 metres where the green is in reach for longer hitters. But there’s danger to face if tee shots go astray.

Accommodation

The Katberg Hotel within the estate has re-opened with 30 rooms. There are 13 self-catering golf villas on the estate, either two- or three bedrooms with all facilities, including indoor gas fireplaces and a weber braai. And Waylands Country House is a luxury gourmet retreat in the heart of the mountains, 20km from the estate.

Did You Know

1/ Katberg hosted the SA Boys Championship in 2012, and the winners were 15-year-olds Tristen Strydom (strokeplay) and Thriston Lawrence (matchplay), both now Sunshine Tour professionals. It also held the SA Country Districts IPT in 2010.

2/ Katberg is one of four Top 100 courses which has a par-3 18th hole – the others are Kingswood, Beachwood and Umhlali. Katberg’s is a beauty, played from a high tee over a stream to the green.

3/ It is one of the more isolated Top 100 courses; 200 kilometres from East London GC, 180 kilometres from Royal Port Alfred. It is 40km from Hogsback in the Amathole mountains.

4/ The charming and cosy clubhouse, a restored building from the 1920s, has a pub and restaurant, plus there’s a swimming pool.

Club Champions

2020 to 2022 Not played
2019 Johan du Plessis & Debbie Sheen

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Course Reviews
Excellent design with risk and reward holes making it a good test for all levels of golfer and great fun to play. Can't think of a bad hole. Breathtaking scenery, wildlife on course. Good value green fee, helpful staff and good facilities. Excellent food in clubhouse and Katberg Hotel had comfortable accommodation. The course would be a "good walk," but we took carts due to the distance between some greens and tees.
Craig haverly
07 November 2023
Visiting Katberg for a few days is a wonderful Eastern Cape getaway to a tranquil world of magnificent mountain scenery and fresh country air. Highveld weather in summer with sunny calm days. And such a fun golf course to play in excellent condition. Hilly layout so golf carts are preferred to walking. Quiet in midweek so no fuss about tee times. The clubhouse staff only had to look after six golfers. And an attractive clubhouse it is too, in the historic manor house. There's a small but well stocked pro shop, old fashioned pub, and good restaurant. The clubhouse makes a fine backdrop to the par-3 18th, played from a high tee (150m) over a dam to a two-tier green. The par 3s are short yet challenging nonetheless, with water in play on three of them, 7, 11 and 18.
Stuart McLean
02 November 2023
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One of my favourite Eastern Cape courses. Brilliant hospitality, brilliant course. Very challenging to play, so course management is a must. Ball is lost in the thick kikuyu rough if one goes off the beaten track. Fantastic greens and super soft. Excellent views from the course with a beautiful waterfall in the centre.
Niel Behrens
25 August 2023
Greens are memorable and well-conditioned at this challenging but fair layout.
Sandor Kovacs
30 December 2022
Middle of June and Katberg was in outstanding condition. Impressed with the quality of greens. They compare with anything I've seen at courses throughout SA in terms of pace, texture and trueness. Softish but Katberg has had good rains. A fun layout, perfect getaway destination, and I enjoyed the eclectic mix of holes, short (five par 4s under 300 metres) and long, and inspired design of Sean Quinn's greens. The front nine has different challenges to the shorter back nine, with two proper par 5s at Nos 4 (527) and 8 (501). The fourth is dull, while eight has a daunting drive over a valley to make the fairway, followed by a roller-coaster ride downhill to the green with bunkers to avoid. The tee shots at 6 and 9, with the fairways curving left around water and undergrowth, are delightfully tempting for bolder golfers. High on the slopes of a mountain the views are sensational, and golf at Katberg is blissful. The round ends with a thrilling par 3 (156) from an elevated tee over a dam to the 18th green (surprisingly there has not yet been a hole-in-one), and it's a short walk from there to an attractive and welcoming 19th pub in the manor house.
Stuart McLean
15 June 2022
Beautiful course below the Katberg mountain offering wonderful vistas of the surrounding mountains and valley below. A good test with thick rough if you stray off the fairway, and receptive but lightning fast greens. Some seriously sloping fairways make accuracy and positioning off the tee important. Lovely old clubhouse with a festive pub and pool area.
Jason Wilmans
01 March 2022
Excellent, neat and challenging course. Wind direction plays a big role on these well manicured greens and fairways. A hidden gem in the Eastern Cape!
Gerard Rademeyer
31 January 2022
A hidden jewel in the Amatola mountains. Breathtaking views from almost every hole of the Katberg mountain and the Hogsback range in the distance. Some great risk-and-reward short par 4s. This beautiful course is short and can be overpowered, but the small undulating greens leave significant work for all golfers. An outstanding family getaway.
Graham Jones
28 January 2022
Greens are spectacular and coupled with the magnificent setting makes for a great overall experience.
Sandor Kovacs
06 April 2021
Hidden gem short course with wide landing areas off the tees. The greens are small, soft and have beautiful slopes. Everyone will be tested around this scenic layout. The Golf Data design team did a fantastic job to utilise the natural fall of the land. Anyone visiting the Eastern Cape should plan a golf trip to Katberg. You will enjoy it.
Thinus Keller
19 January 2021
A good course for everyone to enjoy, especially beginners, although it remains challenging for the more experienced golfer.
Neil Lyon
19 November 2020

A charming course, in good condition, with well-designed greens that are a test for your short game.

Sandor Kovacs
28 April 2020
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