Yellow 6457 metres, CR73.3/135
White 6160 metres, CR72.1/132
Red 5448 metres, CR67.9/121
Women’s white, CR79.3/153
Women’s red, CR74.4/144
R400 Monday to Saturday
R200 Sunday
Gary Player 1970s;
Peter Matkovich 1992
015 295 4118
www.polokwanegolfclub.co.za
Polokwane’s main claim to fame is being the home club of Retief Goosen while the two-time US Open champion was growing up in the capital city of Limpopo. The golf club has always been proud of its famous son, and a cut-out of Goosen with the Open trophy is displayed above the welcome sign at the entrance.
The Goosen family lived just 800 metres from the golf club, on the outskirts of Polokwane, and a teenage Goosen would cycle there after school during the 1980s and only return home when it got dark. He won the club champs as a junior. It was on the course at the age of 17 that he was struck by lightning.
Polokwane GC occupies an attractive bushveld site, flat, yet enjoyable and challenging to play. The original layout was upgraded by Peter Matkovich in 1992. The club hosted a Sunshine Tour event for nine consecutive years (1998-2006), although Goosen never played in any, having already graduated to the PGA Tour in America.
Bradford Vaughan won the last three tournaments with a combined total of 52-under-par. Other multiple winners were Hennie Otto and Marc Cayeux. The lowest pro scores were 62s by Desvonde Botes (1998) and Tjaart van der Walt (2005).
The well-balanced layout has an unusually high number of dogleg holes. The fairways are generously wide, and bent grass greens make for excellent putting surfaces. There’s a strong finish to the round.
61 by Matthew Carvell in 2006 Limpopo Open
2021 Jannie Bronkhorst & Desi Earle
2020 Jannie Bronkhorst & Desi Earle
2019 Jannie Bronkhorst & Desi Earle
Bronkhorst has won the title 8 times.
Club members Retief Goosen and Louis de Jager both won the SA Amateur and claimed victories on the Sunshine Tour. Goosen won the SA Amateur at Port Elizabeth Golf Club in 1990, and De Jager also triumphed in PE, at Humewood in 2007 when he also won the Proudfoot Trophy and SA Strokeplay. De Jager won the Polokwane club championship in three consecutive years from 2004 to 2006, aged 15 to 17, something which eluded Goosen. And the De Jager family home in Polokwane was opposite that of Goosen’s parents.
300-metre range, short-game area.
1/ The pro shop is owned by club member Desiree Earle, who has won the women’s club championship 25 times and represented Limpopo. Her father Ray Earle, a legendary figure in Limpopo golf, had the shop before her and is now retired in Tzaneen.
2/ Matthew Carvell, who became a Sunshine Tour pro, shot 61 in the final round of the 2006 Limpopo Open. He had a remarkable total of 25-under 263 to win by 10 shots, having had 32 birdies in that winter tournament.
3/ The club’s signature event is the annual 3-day Baobab Classic in March each year.
4/ Polokwane hosted the 2015 SA Boys Championships, won by Dylan Naidoo (strokeplay) and Ross Sinclair (matchplay).
5/ Long-time Polokwane member Malebana Pataki, originally a caddie in the 1980s, has represented Limpopo at 28 Interprovincial tournaments, from Premier to Seniors.
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