Umdoni Park’s presentation has gone up a sizeable notch in my estimation with new greenkeeper Rudi Mahne’s decision to lower the height on his rough cutter and present the rough as a smoother second cut. The perspective from the tees is of wider looking fairways defined by the tree line on either side of them rather than shaggy unkempt rough which can be tough to escape. Neat and tidy works best at a course like Umdoni Park with so much other vegetation outside the playing areas. No longer are there thick clumps of tall grass in front of tees. The fringes of greens have been widened, quite attractively in the case of the slope behind the par-3 third. Makes the course more playable too and speeds up play. The dogleg par-4 eighth has undergone a transformation, with the area left of the fairway opened up by perhaps 20 metres. A big draw off the tee back in the forest opens up an easier angle to the green.