CX courses are still among the best

KNYSNA | PLETTENBERG BAY NEWS - Once again, all five golf courses in Knysna and Plettenberg Bay feature on the South African Top 100 Courses list with Simola Golf and Country Estate the only one in the top 20.

The ranking of the country's top 100 courses is in its second year in the current format. Between 1998 and 2018 the ranking was undertaken by Golf Digest SA.

This was followed by a three-year break before former long-time editor of Golf Digest SA, Stuart McLean, took it upon himself to continue the tradition.

In 2021 McLean released the prestigious ranking under the name "South Africa's Top 100 Courses" (SATC), with the five Knysna/Plett golf courses performing relatively well. Three were inside the Top 50 and Knysna Golf Club made a return to the rankings for the first time since 2004.

According to the SATC website, the rankings are based on a score out of 100, using six criteria with varying points values - conditioning (20 points); playability (20 points); aesthetics (15 points); design variety (15 points); memorability and consistency (15 points); shot values (15 points).

Pezula Championship Course remained at number 22. Photo: Blake Linder

This year's rankings were released in the same format as last year's - in a staggered manner with 20 courses announced on SATC's Facebook page every day from 31 January to 4 February.

The first local name to pop up in the list was Goose Valley Country Club in 85th place, climbing eight places from last year. Next up was Knysna Golf Club, coming in at number 83, also up by eight places from last year.

Plettenberg Bay Country Club is down to number 44.

It was a while before the next local name popped up, but eventually Plettenberg Bay Country Club placed at number 44, down by four from 2021 - the only CX course to drop places this year.

Further afield, Pezula Championship Course did not move in the rankings, remaining at number 22.

Goose Valley was number 85 in SA.

The tallest tree in the CX golf course forest, however, remained Simola Golf and Country Estate. It placed at 17 this year, two places up from 2021, and is still the only local club inside the country's top 20.

One category and metric where local courses continue to shine is general presentation - this is a measure of how neat and manicured the course is, from fairways to rough to penalty areas.

Plett Country Club placed 55th (58 in 2021), Goose Valley 48th (57 in 2021), Knysna 34th (25 in 2021), Pezula 21st (26 in 2021), and Simola 11th (10 in 2021).

Knysna Golf Club rose to number 83 in the rankings. Photos: Blake Linder