Robertson

Robertson - Western Cape

Played this course? Review it now
General manager: Ludwig Vercuiel
Golf director: Johan Keyser
Greenkeeper: Arthur Westraad
Captains: Johan Muller & Lizette van Zyl
President: William Nel

Course Summary

Four tees / Par 72

Yellow 6135 metres, CR73.3/137
White 5829 metres, CR71.8/133
Blue 5450 metres, CR70.0/130
Red 5149 metres, CR68.6/127
Women’s blue, CR76.3/137
Women’s blue, CR74.4/133

Visitor green fee

R410, golf cart R380

Course designer

Danie Obermeyer 2008

Contact

023 626 1090
www.silwerstrand.co.za
proshop@silwerstrand.co.za

Golf was played in the wine region of Robertson for more than a century before the local course upgraded from 9 holes to 18 in the new millennium.

The golf club and course expanded when it became part of the Silwerstrand Golf and River Estate. Developer Mark Brumer first envisaged the project on a visit to the Breede River Valley in 1998. Planning for a golf estate using the Robertson 9-holer began the following year and only in 2004 was approval granted.

The new 18-hole course, designed by Danie Obermeyer on the same land as the old 9-holer, was opened in May 2008. It became the tenth 18-hole course within the boundaries of the Boland Golf Union. It has excellent bent grass greens.

It occupies a flat yet attractive site on the R60 from Worcester as you enter Robertson. The estate is overlooked by the Langeberg mountain range and close to the broad Breede River which has its source in the mountains near Ceres and enters the Indian Ocean through an estuary at Port Beaufort. Vineyards and orchards border one part of the course.

Obermeyer’s designs are known for their distinctive revetted style of bunkering, and he has maintained that theme at Robertson, although minimising them to only 51 bunkers in various strategic positions. His feature hole is one that doesn’t have a single bunker.

Instead, the par-3 seventh has an island green encircled by a broad ring of water, connected by a narrow pathway. It plays between 104 and 159 metres from the four different tees. The green is wide and appears to present a generous target, yet there is not much depth to it, particularly on the right.

The course is divided into two distinct halves, each nine in its own territory, due to an ancient aqueduct which runs through the middle of the estate. It used to supply irrigation water to farms in the region all the way to Swellendam, and is an attractive feature plus serving as a hazard left of the first hole.

This division means the 18th ends among residential homes, rather than in front of the clubhouse. This new building overlooks the opening three holes and a water hazard.

Robertson begins and finishes with a par 5. The opener is a gentle dogleg left, relatively short at 430 metres from the yellow tees. The short par-4 second then returns towards the clubhouse and the shortest of the par-3s, No 3.

The first three holes having given golfers the false impression they are in for an easy round, the course then begins to bare its teeth, and the rest of the nine has some challenging holes, barring the plain short par-4 sixth.

Three of the toughest on the course come along consecutively from No 8 to 10, longish par 4s stroked 4-2-3. Water guards the right hand side of the eighth fairway, yet there is not much of it in general on the layout. The back nine has a mix of interesting and balancing holes, with a strong finishing stretch beginning with the 416-metre 15th, stroke one on the card, following by the driveable 299m 16th, the 373m 17th going slightly downhill and then up to the green, and the adventurous 479m 18th with water close to the green.

Additional Course Facts

Club Champions

2022 Andre Ficks & Sandra van Deventer

Course Record

63 by Kyle McClatchie on April 26, 2016 in Boland Amateur (33-30) with nine birdies.

BOBBY LOCKE OPEN

This annual event in March at Robertson honours Bobby Locke’s close association with the club. The Open was the idea of club stalwart Johnnie Loubser, a former club champion and voluntary greenkeeper in the days of the 9-hole course, who befriended Locke in the late 1940s. Locke played an exhibition match in Robertson after the new 9-hole course was opened in 1959, and judged it the best 9-holer in the Western Cape. A trophy was purchased and the first Bobby Locke Open contested in ???? Well known champions have been Bertus Smit, a five-time winner, Gerald Williams, Christiaan Basson and Grant Veenstra. Ethan Smith (Paarl) won with an outstanding score of 69-66 in 2021.

ACCOMMODATION

There are self-catering homes on the estate which can be found on the estate website. The Grand Hotel is in the heart of the town, four kilometres from the golf course. The tourism office can assist with accommodation requests.

Did You Know

1/ Robertson’s first 9-hole course in 1900 was built near the town’s current airfield. It moved in 1911 to an area where the Kallie de Wet sports complex is situated today, before relocating in 1959 to its present position alongside the Breede River and Silwerstrand caravan park. This 9-hole course was designed by Cape Town golf professional Ken Elkin, whose name is attached to several Cape courses.

2/ Robertson is an agricultural area, and on Route 62 between Worcester and the Garden Route it is central to the Western Cape wine industry. There are 36 wineries in the immediate area, plus fruit orchards. It has also been home to successful race horse stud farms.

3/ Robertson hosted the 2016 men’s Boland Amateur won by Kyle McClatchie on 9-under 207, the 2020 SA Women’s Mid-Amateur won by Vicki Traut and 2023 SA Under-15 won by Benjamin Weber on 209.

4/ There are 400 homes on the residential estate spread around the course and in a self-contained village.

5/ Women’s club champion Sandra van Deventer has won the title 17 times, and men’s champion Andre Ficks is a 14-time club champion. Ficks won the 2022 Bobby Locke Open at Robertson on 3-under 141.

Course and Facilities Rating
blankConditioning Ratings
Greensblankblankblankblankblank
Bunkersblankblankblankblankblank
Teesblankblankblankblankblank
Fairwaysblankblankblankblankblank
Presentationblankblankblankblankblank
Overall Conditioningblankblankblankblankblank
blankFacility Ratings
Pace of Playblankblankblankblankblank
Practice Facilityblankblankblankblankblank
Halfway Houseblankblankblankblankblank
Pro Shopblankblankblankblankblank
Serviceblankblankblankblankblank
Locker Roomblankblankblankblankblank
19th Holeblankblankblankblankblank
Course Etiquetteblankblankblankblankblank
Course Reviews
Robertson is a true ladies championship course and, after playing in a tournament there, I can confirm it's a good test for any level of golfer. It plays long and beware the pot bunkers strategically placed on most holes. Going in any of them virtually ensures a dropped shot. The greens are superb and fairways well-watered despite this being a semi-arid area. Miss the fairway and you'll find yourself in a gnarly lie. The clubhouse staff are warm and friendly and go out of their way to make your experience memorable.
Tara Swart
13 May 2023
A true gem. Greens are excellent and the clubhouse and surrounds offer a welcoming and relaxed atmosphere. Fairways, bunkers and tees all in good condition. The rough still needs to mature. Bunkers and water hazards are well positioned, offering golfers different options. Bunkers are deep and similar to those on links courses. Some are like "bulging eyes" on the fairways. There are quirky holes and others that will test you to your limits. A course that entices you to play it again.
Warren Minster
18 November 2022
blank
View more reviews
A hidden gem. Quality of greens excellent. An attractively designed Karoo layout which emerged from Robertson's original 9-hole course. It still needs to find more character and definition. Overall in excellent condition and I highly recommend a visit.
David Frost
07 August 2022
I'm excited to see Robertson added to SA Top 100 courses, having already played there numerous times. It is not a well known course but those who have played there recently for the first time were probably pleasantly surprised and are already planning their return trip. The course is very playable and generous off the tee. However, your iron play will have to be on point else you will find yourself chipping all day to elevated greens. The seventh is a beautiful par 3 with a generous island green. The many bunkers will force you to manage your way around the course as the fairway bunkers are deep and on most occasions the green will not be reachable from them. The greens are always good as is the overall experience.
Lihan van der Merwe
04 August 2022
Submit Your Review & Ratings

HAVE YOU PLAYED Robertson RECENTLY?

If you've played this course recently, why not tell us all about it? Follow the link to our review section, complete our grading criteria and give us some details on your experience. If selected, your review will appear amongst the course’s collection of player reviews.

Course Location