It's not the sort of place that necessarily needs a golf course. But I'm very glad they built one.
It's only around 45km from either Bergville or Winterton to the Cathedral Peak Hotel but the drive takes close to an hour. The windy road accounts for part of that time, but you'll also be caught gawking at the flowing rivers and wall of gorgeous mountains that rapidly fills your windscreen.
If you think the drive takes long now imagine what it was like back in 1939 when the hotel first opened. The rivers still raged back then but the roads must have been treacherous. The hotel visionary and first owner was Albert Van Der Riet - the son of a local farmer - who visited the site in the early 1900s and found the setting of the valley too alluring to resist. He bet guests would feel the same. Many of its first guests were wounded Allied soldiers who found the mountain air an ideal place to recuperate.
Sadly for those soldiers, golf would not become an optional extra-mural at the hotel until the mid-90s. The 9-hole course sits across the valley from the hotel - just over the beautiful uMlambonja river. One can only imagine how many guests must have sat on the hotel patio over the decades - painting a course layout in their minds over the undulating terrain.
Albert van der Riet loved bowls and constructed two large bowls greens that hosted many tournaments over his tenure. After his death in 1987, his son William took the reigns and was persuaded by family members to consider adding a golf course to the offering of the hotel. The course was designed and built by Ron and Reg Taylor and opened in 1996.
Reg Taylor is probably the most legendary SA golfer you've never heard of.
He never turned pro (from what I can tell) but won a ton of Amateur golf in his day (as well as the SA Open) including:
1954 - SA OPEN
1956 - SA AMATEUR, GERMAN AMATEUR, BELGIAN AMATEUR
1962 - CANADIAN AMATEUR
1970 - FRENCH AMATEUR (after 5-year golfing sabbatical).
Taylor would never win the British Amateur but played it on several occasions including the 1958 edition at The Old Course, St Andrews. Taylor's broad playing experience on some of the most well-renowned, strategic courses in the world is evident when you tee it up at Cathedral Peak. It doesn't masquerade as a well-manicured, estate course - this is a country track thru & thru - but the scenery and layout more than compensate for some scruffiness on the fairways.
The course is defined by the land it sits on, carved into the hillside above a dramatic river its players are taken on a rollicking traverse of the property which, when done on foot, ensures a golfer's heart rate resembles the mountains they play beneath. Every ascent and descent is rewarded with sweeping views of the dramatic peaks of the Drakensberg - complimented by the stereo-sounds of rushing water and distant cries of the local baboon troop).
The relative flatland below the clubhouse serves as a gentle handshake for the first hole - a short Par 5 with plenty of room and little in the way of strategic challenge. The best angle to the green is actually from the 9th fairway but a centre-line tree in this fairway is well placed to block this route. It's a pity this green wasn't pushed further back and right which would stretch things out a bit.
The 2nd hole is a short, uphill par 3 where only the top half of the flag is visible from the tee. It's a difficult green to hold and club judgment is key with a nasty bunker short of the green. The 3rd tee sits adjacent to the 2nd green and is a beautiful vantage point on the course. The par 4 3rd starts a run of the four best holes on the course. And this is the best of them.
The tee shot is blind with the fairway cresting at around 160m - it's a little unnerving picking a line. The beautifully contoured fairway rolls gently down from its crest to a water hazard that sits about 290m from the tee. But don't be fooled - you're playing at altitude here and with the downhill fairway and firm conditions, it is not uncommon for tee shots to bound down into the hazard.
The approach is often played from an uneven lie to a green that sits below the fairway. The water hazard is a mental barrier more than anything and doesn't really come into play. The unusual feature that certainly comes into play is the massive boulder a few meters off the left of the green. The outcome of hitting this boulder is extremely varied!
The course keeps up its momentum with two beautiful holes that play straight towards the mountains. The 4th is a short downhill par 4 where you'll spend more time taking photographs than sweating over its difficulty.
The 5th is the stroke 1 and the longest par 4 on the course by some measure (see top image). The tee box sits a few meters from the river's edge and a precise tee shot is required. Left off the tee is pretty much dead. Right is better but there is still plenty of bush to avoid. The second shot plays over the road and always seems to require an extra club.
Brace yourself for a steep climb from the 5th green to the 6th tee box.
Cholesterol-fighting stuff.
The 6th hole plays uphill and away from the mountains. It's a good uphill hole with a fairway that sits at an angle to the tee. It feels like you shouldn't hit driver - but aim up the left rough and you should find the middle of the fairway (assuming you hit it straight). The green has some slopes on it that will move the ball left to right which can make for an entertaining approach. With your heart rate at > 100 by the time you've reached the 6th green - its time to pat yourself on the back. You've just earned your first beer.
You have now reached the highest part of the course and it is literally all downhill from here - in one swing. The 7th is a steep downhill par 3 with the green being obscured. Honestly, this is one of my least favorite holes on the course, the downhill component is fun but this is negated by not being able to see much of what happens. It plays better on the 16th tee on the back 9 which is a longer shot from a different angle.
The 8th hole is a fun strategic par 4 which dog legs left where players must hit over the water channel/dam to the tucked green. Working out how far to hit off the tee is the challenge. Too short and you've got a longer shot over water to an angled green. Too long and you'll be in the rough, blocked by trees and have a tough time making par.
Or you can have a crack at the green - perhaps in a fourball match.
It is 255m to the front edge - but the line you need to take feels outrageous on the tee and must carry rough nearly the entire way.
Getting up to the 9th tee box requires some more serious exertion.
Congratulations - you've just earned your second beer!
Much like the 4th hole - the 9th tee box experience should not be rushed.
Get out your camera and snap a group photograph at one of the most beautiful tee boxes in South Africa!
Cathedral Peak is not a golf resort. But its a great place to play golf.
This is a place to take the family for some wonderful hospitality - throw in some mountain air and views for days - what could go wrong?
And what better way to wind down after a tough day of hiking and eating than 9 holes on this wonderful, hidden gem of a track.
Listen to our PODCAST on this course here:
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