The Montagu has a characteristic which makes it unique among SA Top 100 courses and possibly also in the world of golf. All four of the par 5s on this championship layout have a water feature adjacent or close to the greens. For elite golfers going for the four greens with long second shots they have water to contend with each time. I haven’t yet found another local course where this happens. Others will have a minimum of one par 5 where water hazards are absent. The fourth is the first par 5 on the Montagu, and a good golf hole. The green is built into the banks of a large lake so any ball right or long is wet. The ninth is where the hazard is furthest from the green, yet here a large area of water must be carried to reach safety on the other side. The tenth, one of my favourites, has water guarding the right side of the hole from 100 plus metres out, and No 18 has a horseshoe ring of water guarding the front and sides of a wide green. So the par 5s really test everyone, from the strongest to the weakest.
