White 6210 metres, CR71.3
Red 5190 metres, CR66.9
Women’s red, CR71.6
R200 affiliated
R230 non-affiliated
R200 golf cart
Bob Grimsdell 1957
044 272 4201
www.odngolf.co.za
Visitors can always expect a friendly welcome at the oldest golf club in the Garden Route, founded in 1903.
Being 64 kilometres inland from George, this is a different golfing experience from the other Garden Route courses, situated as it is in the arid Little Karoo.
Top South African professional Erik van Rooyen grew up in the town as a teenager.
If it’s raining at the coast then Oudtshoorn is an excellent option for golf, and there’s the pleasure of driving over the majestic Outeniqua Pass from George to get there. Oudtshoorn itself is a quaint historical town with numerous tourists attractions.
Oudtshoorn not only has the only 18-hole course in the Karoo with grass greens, fairways and tees, but the tree-lined layout was designed by the late Bob Grimsdell, who created some memorable holes in the dry landscape. It has been the venue several times of the SA Country Districts tournament, serving as the home base for the former Karoo team.
Wildlife on the course includes giant tortoises, small buck, many bird species, and golfers are warned to be careful of snakes.
LJ van Rensburg & Chloe Malgas-Kelpin
Oudtshoorn has the “Horseshoe” from 11 to 13 of three notable holes. The drive on the par-4 11th is through a narrow gap between trees, with a large dam hidden behind trees to the right. No 12 is a picturesque par 3 guarded by two dams, and 13 a par 5, again with the same large dam on the right off the tee, and thorn bushes on the left. The fairway curves right around a corner of the dam, and in the middle of the bend in the fairway are four large trees.
1/ Oudtshoorn is home to the world’s largest ostrich population, having several breeding farms, and also the Cango Caves at the foothills of the Swartberg range.
2/ One of the great drives in South Africa is from Oudtshoorn in the Little Karoo to Prince Albert in the Great Karoo via the Swartberg Pass, built by Thomas Bain in 1886. This 24-kilometre pass on a dirt road ascends to a height of 1585 metres and is an amazing feat of engineering. Prince Albert has become a trendy town with lots of accommodation for tourists.
3/ There’s an unusual palm tree adjoining the 12th hole dam called the “Siamese Triplets.” Three slender and tall trees have emerged from the original roots.
4/ The clubhouse has an attractive interior and 19th hole, and the barman is in charge of collecting green fees. The club website has a scenic aerial view of the course.
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