Middle of June and Katberg was in outstanding condition. Impressed with the quality of greens. They compare with anything I’ve seen at courses throughout SA in terms of pace, texture and trueness. Softish but Katberg has had good rains. A fun layout, perfect getaway destination, and I enjoyed the eclectic mix of holes, short (five par 4s under 300 metres) and long, and inspired design of Sean Quinn’s greens. The front nine has different challenges to the shorter back nine, with two proper par 5s at Nos 4 (527) and 8 (501). The fourth is dull, while eight has a daunting drive over a valley to make the fairway, followed by a roller-coaster ride downhill to the green with bunkers to avoid. The tee shots at 6 and 9, with the fairways curving left around water and undergrowth, are delightfully tempting for bolder golfers. High on the slopes of a mountain the views are sensational, and golf at Katberg is blissful. The round ends with a thrilling par 3 (156) from an elevated tee over a dam to the 18th green (surprisingly there has not yet been a hole-in-one), and it’s a short walk from there to an attractive and welcoming 19th pub in the manor house.
