It may be one of the most upmarket holiday towns in South Africa, but from the moment I set eyes on the St Francis Bay Golf Course - I knew it was anything but exclusive. The club oozes the old-school, no-fuss charm the Eastern Cape is famous for. Locals dogs stalk the fairways at dusk, and members prefer quart beer to GnT's. I immediately felt at home.
We had first-hand experience of that EC hospitality at dawn on the 3rd green. Some "photography" was taking place and we noticed a golf cart rapidly approaching us. Expecting a finger-wagging for "trespassing" we were cheerfully greeted by greenkeeper Gordon Dennett. He welcomed us warmly and without prompt gave a rundown of the layout and how it has changed since the original 9 holes (designed by Bob Grimsdell) were built in 1975 by Maxwell Hullet. The course was "private" back in those days and served the few holiday homeowners who had established themselves in the area.
The village gradually grew around it and by 1999 it was re-routed, with additional land toward the coastline being secured to create 18 holes (see the comments below from member Eddie Lennox on the extension design and build). Once a year the club honors its heritage by playing the "Maxwell Heritage 9" - the original 9-hole routing, which, by all accounts, requires some serious cross-country skills.
The front 9 at The Bay (as its locally known) starts off strongly. The par 4 1st provides a glimpse into the course's character with strategic golf required from the outset. The fairway runs at a diagonal to the tee and is framed by a large, vegetated dune at about 170m on the right, and a subtle, fescue-covered dune all the way down the left-hand side ( I really loved this small dune. It stands out because of its lack of bush and is also a defining feature of the inward Par 4 9th). One can easily run out of fairway down the right-hand side with a driver. A 200-220m shot down the left-hand side opens up the hourglass-shaped green which sits at an angle to the fairway. The approach is shortish but can vary significantly in length depending on the pin location, club selection off the tee, and wind direction.
Things either get a little easier (westerly wind) or alot tougher (easterly wind) on the 2nd and 3rd which both run in the opposite direction, often into the prevailing wind. The par 4 2nd is tight with a large, densely vegetated dune running all the way down the left-hand side. A well-placed bunker catches many balls short of the green. The dune down the left of this hole is one of the biggest on the property and I think some bush removal would really improve the visual impact and contrast on this hole as well as the Par 5 7th which runs adjacent to it. It would also have helped me find my drive.
Holes 3 to 6 are fairly mundane though the stroke 1, uphill 5th can be a brute into a frontal westerly. The front 9, rather unusually, has back-to-back Par 5's and the 7th is the better of the two with a green tucked just out of sight to the left of a large bush-covered dune. A drainage channel down the entire left-hand side of the fairway keeps the hookers alert.
At 130m, the Par 3 8th is the shortest of the five Par 3's but was easily my favorite. After plenty of rolling dunes and bush, the water carry is a refreshing challenge and gets your attention. The green is large and slopes back to front. Our pin was right at the back and it was tricky to get the ball pin high or two putt from the front.
With some money on the line and a Hansa quart calling - the 9th into a prevailing wind is not for the meek. Dense bush extends from tee to green down the right and you can't help but hug that little subtle sand dune down the left. If you pull one (like me) onto the 1st fairway it's another very long iron in. We halved this hole with 6's and there were no regrets.
The back 9 at The Bay has a good mix of holes and takes you all the way across the property to the sea. The par 3 10th highlights the connectivity to the village with the green right below a local coffee shop. I'd imagine in the holiday season you could have several yuppie spectators cheering in your birdie putt whilst they sip on skinny-lattes-with-skimmed-walnut-milk.
Holes 11 - 15 are across the main road towards the sea and this was easily my favorite stretch. It feels like not too much earth was moved when laying out this part of the course - the terrain is undulating and natural. The old photography we dug up (below) - pre-extension - seems to support this.
The 11th has a links feel with few sight lines from the tee or fairway. The double-green - shared with the 13th - is fairly novel in South Africa and I wish more courses connected holes this way. It provides a good look at what's to come and an opportunity to socialize with other groups. Big thumbs up.
The short 12th hole could fit onto any links in Ireland (perhaps less the coastal bush). A good part of the fairway is blind from the tee. A braver tee shot over the bush down the right is rewarded with a clear line of sight to the green whilst the easier play down the left leaves an uncomfortable blind shot over a large dune. The green is surrounded by dunes on all sides (some bush removal on the sea-side dune would be epic!) and sits a mere 20m from the high-water mark. A very fun hole and my favorite at The Bay - aided by the sinking of a good-length birdie putt :)
After soaking up the views and sea-air - the 295m 13th plays back away from the ocean and is the shortest Par 4 on the course. With the wind at your back the longer drivers can reach this green and there is plenty of room on both sides to miss, though the rough lies are variable. A layup off the tee needs to be measured well as the fairway ends 50m short of the green. Another good strategic hole though the green perhaps needs a bunker short left to guard against wayward drives.
The 14th, 15th and 16th all run in a N-S orientation and therefore generally play cross-wind. Of these, the 15th is my pick and is the best par 5 on the course. The main road runs all the way down the right and is OB with the best shot being a gentle fade down the left-hand side. The contoured fairway has plenty of intrigue and two proper strikes are required to get it up. Two bunkers with mouths like newborn chicks await short of the green ready to gobble up any misjudged layups or (my hand up) pitches to the raised, tiered green.
The 16th probably decides many matches. It's a tough Par 4 requiring a non-slicey drive and a good approach to a pushed-up green. If you reach this far in your round and haven't worked out why The Bay's logo is a Blacksmith Lapwing - it should be fairly obvious on this hole. We were absolutely peppered by the things! The 17th is a fun, short par 3 where the wind direction, bunker placement and tiered green will have you changing your club a couple of times.
Lots can happen on the dogleg Par 5 18th hole - and if your mind is on another clubhouse quart - it probably will. The dam (added during the course extension) is definitely in play and you'll want to stick down the right-hand side of the fairway from where - depending on the wind - getting up in two is feasible. The green slopes back to front and three-putts here can easily happen, particularly with a few bar-fueled spectators cheering eagerly from (what feels like) directly above. It's a great - no-frills finishing hole that can swing a match.
Retiring to the simple bar and conversing with the friendly locals is mandatory. First-timers in our group were stunned by the playability, challenge, and aura of The Bay. Our trip had already included a stop at the higher profile of St Francis Links but most of us agreed that given 10 rounds of golf in St Francis - we'd allocate 6 or 7 to The Bay. Quite an accolade.
We walked leisurely (stumbled) home down the fairways to our accommodation near the 16th green and as fires were lit, and chipping competitions ensued, I realized the Eastern Cape had once again - without too much fanfare - treated us to another one of its uncomplicated, remarkable days.
Just a quick note of correction. The Routing for the additional 9 holes was created by Club Members Ian Fynn, Roly Peart and John Kettlewell. The shaping, construction and "growing in" took place in the period 1997 to 1999 by the course staff overseen by Eddie Lennox, Fynn, Peart, and Kettlewell. Golfscape were contracted to draw a topographical layout plan for submission to S A G A to obtain an "Official Course Rating", in 1999. The "New" 18 hole course was opened on 16 December 1999. You can contact Danie Obermeyer (sp) should you wish to confirm the above. All funding was raised by members of SFBGC. Thankyou.