212 - Kyalami

Location: Johannesburg, South Africa

Rating: 7.3

Kyalami is better known for its race track but is also home to a well established golf course. Situated on the northern side of Johannesburg it is only a short drive from the city itself.

I played at Kyalami Country Club on a saturday afternoon, one of the few higher rated courses in the area with visitors allowed on the weekend. Arriving for my early afternoon tee time there was a really nice buzz about the clubhouse, the early starters had just settled into their beers and was quite a festive atmosphere.

The course itself was not in great condition, unfortunately due to a lack of water in the area and coming out of a dry Johannesburg winter the fairways were rock hard and lacking serious amounts of watering. Luckily what water they were able to preserve was used on the greens so they were still in pretty good condition.

Despite this I found Kyalami a really enjoyable round. It is a parkland course with a smattering of water hazards throughout. There is a nice mix of changes in elevation, raised greens and plenty of trees to halt your progress if you are slightly off course. My favourite hole would have to be the par 4 15th hole. A downhill tee shot requires accurate precision with the fairway narrowing further down with water trouble. This leaves a short iron into the green, a moderately sized green which is protected by bunkers either side.

Apart from this there is a well stocked pro shop and could practice facilities with a driving range right beside the clubhouse. At R640 it is not terrible value for money but given the current state of it it wouldn’t be at the top of my courses to come back and visit in Johannesburg.