My second visit to Goldfields West in 2020 and the course has shown a significant improvement in its conditioning since March thanks to investment from owner Hans Vierra in a passionate greenkeeper and new maintenance equipment. The club is in the Central Gauteng Golf Union, which you associate with Joburg city golf, yet here you’re in a tranquil bushveld environment. The quality of the greens, with their unique cynodon grass, harks back to the club’s heyday in the 1980s and 1990s when they had an excellent reputation. Smooth and true for putting, and possessing the fierce nap which surprises visitors. Putts and pitches are quick running away from the ridge overlooking the course, while into the nap need to be struck firmly. I was there on a Friday when the club runs a special green fee and the course was busy from early in the morning.
