The Jukskei River is a feature of Gary Player’s design at Dainfern, and he’s used it impressively to create attractive holes on each nine. The river is broad and fast-flowing as it curves its way through the heart of the course. It provides longer hitters with thrilling tee shots on two par 5s, Nos 8 and 18. A bold tiger line of attack over the river can leave good golfers with mid- or short-irons to the green for their seconds. There were 60 eagles on these two holes in the 2021 Sunshine Tour event at Dainfern. While the pros may find the par 5s easy, each of them presents strong challenges for the club golfer. The 12th has two large rock formations to avoid in the middle of the fairway. Dainfern for me is an excellent members course, loaded with excellent and unusual design variety thanks to the hilly terrain. For a golf estate it’s surprisingly bushy and naturally wild in places. The conditioning was vastly improved on my previous visit.
