I enjoyed the brilliant variety of golf holes at Umhlali, and also the beauty of the back nine built among groves of attractive trees that closely frame each of the holes and punish wayward drives. The course is unusual in having a steep slope right in the middle where the land falls away down a hill. This provides a terrific downhill long par 3 (the fourth) to a shallow green fronted by a water hazard. Each of the short holes presented quite small targets. Another downhiller is the par-5 tenth, one of my favourite holes in terms of the way it has been shaped. On the back nine the closing holes 16 and 17 play across the slope, so keeping your tee shot on the fairway requires both skill and luck of the bounce. Two superb short par 4s on this nine are Nos 14 and 16, where Peter Matkovich has been creative in his green design.
