White 6065 metres, CR71.8/130
Yellow 5475 metres, CR68.4/126
Red 5150 metres, CR66.8/119
Women’s yellow , CR74.4/132
Women’s red, CR72.5/128
R470 affiliated
R580 non-affiliated
Golf cart R380
Bob Grimsdell 1943/1966,
Peter Matkovich 1998
013 744 0952
www.mbombelagolfclub.co.za
63 (2023), 59 (2022) & 60 (2021)
An attractive bushveld course renowned for its multitude of magnificent indigenous trees, Mbombela is best enjoyed in the winter months, when the heat of the Lowveld region is less oppressive than in the height of summer. It sits on a gently sloping hillside amidst rocky outcrops, and the undulating terrain adds character to the holes.
The trees frame the fairways and greens, and each of the 18 holes has been named after a different species. They include fig trees, mahogany, coral, waterberry, milkwood, marula and the protected matumi. There is an ancient fig tree of enormous height and girth straddling the sixth and 18th fairways through which no golf ball will pass. Being relatively close to the Kruger National Park, the birdlife is prolific with hundreds of species recorded.
The creation of the course is an interesting story. Designer Bob Grimsdell visited Nelspruit for three days in 1939, and presented the club with sketches, a routing plan for 18 holes, and a bill for 37 pounds. The local council were aghast at having to pay this princely sum. Grimsdell felt insulted, but did get paid. However, he never returned to the golf club. The members built nine holes from his plans (using an ox-drawn plough), completed in 1943, and then constructed the second nine more than 20 years later.
Wild animals were seen on the course in early days, including leopard and lion.
Mbombela will always be associated with the Jock of the Bushveld tournament, and a statue of the famous Lowveld Staffordshire bull terrier cross sits behind the ninth green. It used to overlook the 18th hole, but was moved to its new position so that group photos would have the course as a backdrop, rather than the clubhouse. The Jock was the first festival week programme in South Africa, initiated in 1968 after the course had been extended to 18 holes, and continues to this day.
63 by Hendrik Stoop, Matt Spacey, 2014 Mpumalanga Open; Fabrizio de Abreu, 2023 Mpumalanga Open
A par 71 layout, with three par 5s. Two of them come early in the round, at the second and fourth, and the next one is the downhill 14th, which from the tee offers the most beautiful view on the course, overlooking the surrounding Crocodile River Valley and hills. The 440-metre first is one of the most difficult opening holes in South Africa, a dogleg right par 4, with a green surrounded by trees and bunkers.
No range, but there is a practice tee where golfers can hit own balls down 18th fairway. Practice nets.
2023 Corne Olivier & Bonita Henrico
2022 Jason Wild & Cecilia Abraham
2021 Corne Olivier & Cecilia Abraham
2020 Corne Olivier & Eva Strydom
2019 Rohan Greyvenstein & Mary Ann Braithwaite
1/ Nelspruit GC was founded in 1928. In those early days, due to the summer heat and humidity, golf was only played between April and October. Bobby Locke and Peter Thomson played an exhibition match on the 9-holer in 1957.
2/ The property includes Matumi residential estate developed in the late 1990s, which saw an upgrade of the course by Peter Matkovich.
4/ The club changed its name in 2017 as part of a transformation and development programme which embraced the renaming of the city to Mbombela in 2009. The capital of Mpumalanga lies in a fertile valley, making it a key agricultural area. The nearest entrance to the Kruger National Park is the Malelane Gate, 60 kilometres away. The Kruger International Airport is 27 kilometres from the city.
5/ Brandon Stone had a hole-in-one at 17 in the final round to win the 2010 SA Boys Strokeplay title from Christiaan Bezuidenhout. The matchplay title went to Luke Jerling.
6/ The club hosted the SA Women’s Teams Championship in May 2022. Samantha Whately (CCJ) won the 72-hole individual title on 10-under 278, with a best round of 67. Mbombela hosted the men’s Premier Interprovincial for the first time in September 2019, and then the Junior Boys Interprovincial in December 2022.
Conditioning RatingsFacility RatingsMbombela (Nelspruit) is a wonderful course with a great variety of holes. I think the overall conditioning has suffered a little from lockdown. This has impacted the fairways more than other areas. Greens are in good condition. Carry lots of water as it can get seriously hot in summer.
Played a practice round in January with my son Leonard before SA U-15 Champs (he led after round one), then walked it for 3 days. Hot and humid and a great challenge. The area was experiencing a drought then.
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