Links Along the Cape

Links golf is a completely different game than what many golfers around the world are used to playing. A links course typically has few trees, inevitable blind shots, uneven fairways, thick gorse, pot bunkers and huge, undulating greens. Add wind and rain, and the challenge can seem insurmountable. It is not for the faint of heart.
Therefore, of all the majors, the one I enjoy the most is The Open Championship because it is often played on a links-style course. (I must admit that I take some pleasure seeing the top players struggling.)

So, if you're looking for a challenge in what may seem a completely foreign landscape, consider links golf. With winter approaching, thoughts of warm-weather golf during the bleak months of January, February and March have certainly crossed your mind. Perhaps four links courses, set in the smallest Floral Kingdom on the planet, surrounded by oceans and mountains, merit consideration. This setting, along the southern coast of South Africa, is in the middle of summer during Minnesota's long winter and set in the midst of beautiful vineyards—some of which are more than 300 years old. And your dollar goes a long way.

Here is a quick snapshot of the glorious links golf that awaits.

Milnerton Golf Club
Cape Town
Less than 10 minutes from the center of Cape Town, the hundred-year-old Milnerton Golf Club lies on an island, with the Atlantic Ocean on one side and Rietvlei River on the other. The par-72, 6,425-yard Milnerton has the feel of a true “nine-out, nine-in” links course, despite the inclusion of a housing development in the 1990s. Boasting Kikuyu fairways, outstanding Poa-bent greens and sandy soil, it is a pleasure to play at any time of the year.

With six holes playing next to the beach and a challenging southeaster frequently present, good direction control is a must—and two holes there require your full attention. The 429-yard, par-4 ninth hole (stroke 1) usually plays downwind to a narrow fairway with water all along the right, leading to an elevated green protected by water in front. Aargh! The 408-yard, par-4, 18th hole (stroke 2) is an extremely challenging closing hole. Usually playing into the wind, it has the river along its entire length on the left, with a slight dogleg toward the water just before the green.

Spectacular views of the fabled Table Mountain, Table Bay and the city skyline make this a must-play course when visiting South Africa's Mother City. And for those who don't play golf, water birds abound, well away from wayward balls. Plus, the clubhouse, sitting immediately above the beach, has spectacular views. Perhaps you'll be lucky and see southern right whales or a pod of porpoises.

The Links at Fancourt
George
A drive along the N2 over Sir Lowry's Pass, between the mountains and the ocean, takes you to one of great centers of golf in South Africa: the town of George, huddled beneath the beautiful Outeniqua Mountains. Ernie Els, Louis Oosthuizen and Branden Grace all hail from this part of the country.

The destination here is The Links at Fancourt. This Gary Player-designed links-style course became famous worldwide for the dramatic finish to the 2003 President's Cup. Captains Gary Player and Jack Nicklaus eventually agreed to a tie when darkness engulfed the course as Ernie Els and Tiger Woods halved the third overtime hole—the fabulous downhill, 236-yard, par-3 second hole.

The Links at Fancourt is a spectacular links-style course that was created on a disused airport and surrounds by bringing in nearly one million cubic yards of soil to create an undulating, dune-style course open to the frequent winds.

No matter which tee you play from, every hole is a challenge—sometimes in your face, sometimes subtle. Even the wide fairways don't reduce the menace of the rough and, as is so often the case, innocuous-looking holes can cause great damage to your score.

My favorites? The par-3 second hole and the par-3 17th. Both downhill, the former opens to a huge green, the latter to a smaller one guarded by water, front and left. I also enjoy the two tempting, short par 4 holes (six and 14) with plenty of bunkers, and the daunting 18th, across a gully, then uphill to a two-tiered green.

The only way to get a tee time is to stay at the hotel on the property—but it is worth every penny.