Paarl is looking exceptional this summer. All credit to their maintenance team for achieving such a high standard of conditioning while having to deal with the heat and load shedding disruptions, which impact on pumping water out of the Berg River into holding dams. I’ve long admired the greens complexes on all 27 holes at Paarl. The size of the greens, the elevation of some, and the creativity of their subtle slopes means that holes play very differently depending on where pins are situated. The Old Course has an abundance of good holes which grow on you the more you play them. Birdie opportunities open up towards the end of each nine in the form of two splendid short par 4s at 8 and 16, followed by a pair of terrific dogleg par 5 finishing holes in front of the clubhouse sharing a common water hazard. The clubhouse facilities have improved markedly from a few years back, with an outstanding halfway house and 19th hole upstairs.