Reading Country Club

Reading is a remarkably good golf course and it will be surprising in its current good condition not to see it climb steadily up the rankings in the years ahead. It possesses several memorable holes in an attractive parkland setting, and presents a thoroughly entertaining challenge for low-handicap golfers. With well-protected greens the layout does favour a high ball flight, and the greenside bunkers come repeatedly into play. The front nine has some notable holes like the uphill second, the fabulous par-3 fifth over water to what looks like an island green but isn't, and the sixth. The ninth is a fiercely difficult long par 4, yet having a stream in front of the green is inhibiting and perhaps unnecessary. There is a glorious run of holes from No 10 to 15, as good a stretch as any in Gauteng in terms of variety of design. The undulating long par-4 13th is brilliant. A great collection of testing par 3s with the long 11th my favourite. The back nine is so good that No 18 comes as a slight disappointment. By no means is it easy at 437 metres, yet it is slightly featureless by comparison with what has come before.

Considering the rain we have had in Gauteng, one would have expected better fairways at Reading. Unfortunately, it was often difficult to distinguish between fairway and rough. I had been looking forward to playing here, a course with some legendary holes and wonderful green complexes, and my experience was disappointing. Still baffled by the 16th hole with distances to the out-of-bounds wall clearly incorrect. 

We have just hosted club champs and course is in the best condition I have seen it in 30 years as a member. Greens excellent, bunkers a little inconsistent. The rest of the course is superb and very playable.