Thoroughly enjoyed the fast running greens said to measure 11 on the stimpmeter the day I played. And this is the speed they keep them most of the time. It has been a disruptive past couple of years at Ebotse Links. First there was a pipeline being dug through the 17th fairway, then came slippage on a bank overlooking the par-5 12th, which had to be temporarily converted to a par 3 while that work was done. Ebotse finally has all 18 holes back in play in their proper configuration. My playing partner was golf director John Woudberg, and his bold play off the tee gave me a good insight into the risk-and-reward attributes of this linksy Matkovich design. The thick bushy grasses lining the fairways can gobble up golf balls, so long drives generally have to be precise to avoid reloading. The 18th is a thrilling par 5 for those who crank their drives, and John struck his best of the day on a tiger line over the Rynfield Dam, all of 340 metres, leaving him a 6-iron approach.
