Randpark Bushwillow

Bushwillow is closed for three weeks due to a pythium infection of its bent grass greens which rendered the course unputtable. The reason given for the greens being vulnerable to disease is poor maintenance practices. All 18 greens have been verticut this week. That will be followed by a machine gradening process which removes thatch build up. Deep cut grooves will be filled with sand, and then overseeding will commence with an expected germination period of 14 days. Full recovery of the greens is expected within 6 to 8 weeks. The closure is an inconvenience for members, and the Randpark club championships have had to be postponed.

Stuart McLean

27 March 2024

Bushwillow's greens took a while to recover from hollowtining at the end of January. They were slow but playable. However, yesterday proved a shocking experience as they have become blighted by a disease affecting the leafy part of the grass but not the roots. The first green was furry, and the second was a surreal sight. It resembled a leopard with brown spots on a green surface. A poor surface but puttable. We had been warned that three greens had been hollowtined again and replaced with temporary greens. And No 2 wasn't one of them. The third and fourth greens looked worse than No 2. The first temporary green came at No 5. Disappointingly, it had been mown in a slapdash way. The fairway didn’t appear to have been cut so the temporary green was the height of the uncut fairway. The line drawn to demarcate the “green” was invisible from 50m away. Other than the ninth and 18th the greens were in various stages of ruination. Coupled with this the tee boxes are struggling. No 6 is playing short (121m) as the club is investigating the safety of the bridge to the tee box.

Sabelo Ndabazandile

22 March 2024

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This attractive parkland layout has typical Grimsdell design features. Interesting holes, with a risk-reward flavour as opposed to a "drive-wedge" setup. Par 3s are fun. No 8 is stroke 6 and plays a touch uphill, well-guarded by bunkers and a drop-off short and right of the green. Greens in good shape and running well, yet the rest is regretfully poor, particularly tee boxes and bunkers. Randpark generally keeps a high standard of conditioning but not on my visit. Bushwillow was untidy, with weak attention to detail. I frequently found my ball in an unkempt area, even close to the fairway. Service at the 19th remains good with a great menu and atmosphere, notably at weekends.

Jon James

06 February 2024

Bushwillow is a test of accuracy off the tee. The par-5 opener provides an early indication of the challenges ahead. You play to a hidden green set well below the fairway. The greens are in excellent shape and running true. The finishing stretch on the front nine consists of a good set of holes. The uphill par-3 8th is demanding with the prevailing breeze in play. The par-4 9th is narrow with a well-protected green. The Randpark "Gauntlet" (holes 15-17) is a fun section (short 3, demanding 4 and reachable 5). The challenge to members is to play this in 10 shots or less. You then get your name on the honours board at the Gauntlet sign. Bushwillow has a number of Grimsdell design characteristics, with risk and reward often a feature. A welcome change from Gauteng "bomb-and-wedge" courses. Good service and a relaxed 19th.

Jon James

26 July 2023

The new creek cutting across the fairway on the dogleg par-4 4th at Bushwillow is already looking presentable. The creek, which crosses about 100 metres from the green of this challenging 392-metre hole, and then runs between the tees of the adjoining par-5 third hole, was excavated this year to deal with excess water from a borehole which mostly ended up on the third fairway. The bunker on the right of the fairway, which was always wet, has been closed. Bushwillow, despite all the rain last week, is looking good.

Sabelo

12 December 2022

The wet summer exacted a toll on Bushwillow and it has not yet recovered, notably the third and fourth holes. The greens have sand on them, frustrating when playing in the morning as the wet ball picks this sand up. And some putts jag offline after hitting tiny pebbles. Some fairways have helpfully been widened to improve playability, particularly No 14. Being the shorter of the two courses at Randpark, Bushwillow rewards straight and long drives but punishes wild tee shots. The bunkers are generally good even with soft fluffy sand. Thankfully the leaves on and off the fairways, which made it hard to find a golf ball, are no longer as troublesome as they were in autumn and early winter. Losing a ball in that manner was a common annoyance. Hopefully next summer will restore the Bushwillow to its proper level of quality.

Sabelo Ndabazandile

25 July 2022

The aesthetics on both Randpark courses is excellent, with beautiful trees, rocky koppies, streams and vegetation in abundance. The Bushwillow in particular is a pleasant walk through nature. The left side of the opening hole is bordered by suburban homes, and what an outlook they have from their gardens. No 1 is a terrific par 5, possibly the best at Randpark, climbing a slight hill off the tee, and then swooping sharply right downhill to a delightful bunkerless green hidden away in a dip. Clever use of the terrain, attractive and interesting, and after this promising start the rest of the course does not disappoint. The third is another superb par 5 where water hazards and a beautiful green design scores it high in my books. Bushwillow is about positioning your tee shots, and few courses punish you quite so severely for being on the wrong side of the fairway as this often does. The club golfer will find this a strong test in both length and the protection of its greens. Add in the excellent conditioning and it's easy to see why it is one of the most popular and underrated courses in SA.

Stuart McLean

21 March 2022

With the demise of the Firethorn greens the Bushwillow course has seen more rounds at Randpark. Greens are softer than they were during winter but still harder than most greens should be after so much rain. Whereas other greens look blue green these look yellow green. Hard in the middle and soft on the edges meaning one has to play a shorter club. The condition of the greens is good but playability so so. Fairways looking good though the wet spots are numerous and fairways are hence much softer. Bunkers vary with some fairway bunkers having too much sand on the lip. Greenside bunkers are excellent. The sluit through the course is looking better with the rains but ugly to look at around the 14th. Tee boxes were absolutely dead and buried but are making a comeback.

Sabelo Ndabazandile

21 December 2021

Bushwillow is always fun to play. I like the variety of holes and the flow of the 18 (even more than Firethorn). The conditioning is not quite the same as its neighbour, noticeably in the patchy first and second cut of the fairways. The greens are consistent though and in just as good a condition. A round on Bushwillow always feels a more relaxing day out versus Firethorn, which marks the difference in difficulty between the two.

Chris Wood

18 January 2021

The Bushwillow unfortunately did not have its best winter. The greens were slow and bumpy, and there were water leaks on many holes. It's still a fun course to play though if you stay out of the trees. Bunker rakes are now back on the course after a confusing period of foot-raking, placing in the bunkers, providing mini-rakes, and then running out of them.

Sabelo Ndabazandile

12 September 2020

Greens generally in great condition and the course is well maintained. A course of this quality should be frequented more often, but players visiting Randpark usually opt for Firethorn being the championship course.

Sandor Kovacs

18 April 2020

Randburg - Gauteng

Course Summary

Four tees / Par 72

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SA Open Championship

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