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FAIRWAYS & BEYOND
Highland Gate Golf and Trout Estate
Ben Karpinski explores this larger-than-life golfing experience
Highland Gate Golf and Trout Estate is not only a modern-day favourite for tournament professionals, but also a golfing getaway like no other for visitors and residents alike.
South Africa has some truly breathtaking places to visit, which sometimes even have championship golf courses.
A fine example of this is the majestic Highland Gate Golf and Trout Estate set In the highlands of the Dullstroom region, just under three hours from Joburg. It is a place, though, that started out as a bit of a golfing enigma.
In 2010 there was talk among golfers that Ernie Els had designed something special near Dullstroom, but whether or not it was going to succeed as a development was uncertain. The lucky few who played the course in the early days did so after navigating a pretty rough road to get there. With an honesty box to accept their greenfees.
What was certain from day one, though, was that teeing a ball up with the picture-perfect golfing vistas made for an unforgettable experience.
SPOTLIGHT ON...
A familiar character of Bryanston Country Club, having plied his trade there for nearly two decades, Ronnie Cousins has relished taking the helm as golf course superintendent at Highland Gate with STM a little over 18 months ago.
One of the aspects that stands out in his position is being able to work with the Cool-season grass again. His first experience with it was in the late 1990s when he was based at Pezula, and since then a few high-profiles courses in South Africa have followed this example, including Highland Gate.
“Cool-season grass works so well here as it never gets incredibly hot. In the summer months it is naturally a bit of a challenge to maintain the grass to the highest levels, but it flourishes in winter and when the temperatures are milder.”
Perhaps the biggest challenge Ronnie and his team have with the playing surfaces is preventing other strains like kikuyu from sneaking in. The efforts in this regard are well worth it as Highland Gate presents a certain aesthetic that makes the course incredibly unique, along with having consistent playing surfaces.
So much so that when preparing for professional events like the Vodacom Origins of Golf event they host regularly, they don't need to do a great deal of extra work when preparing the course to tournaments standards.
For a course that also prides itself on its natural surroundings, Cousins is a big believer in keeping things as simple and untouched as possible. He and his team have enhanced some natural areas by planting indigenous grasses and incorporating red hot pokers, local succulents and aloes.
These all enhance the overall appeal of the estate, with the options of mountain biking and hiking trails also available in addition to the incredible golfing experience.
Gallery below
EXPLORE THE COURSE...
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Since these early days, Highland Gate has progressed into everything you would expect from a thriving golf estate. But it has lost none of its unique charm as a golf course and getaway destination. Of the 700 hectares the estate spans, only 30% of it is developed. So when you arrive to play the beautifully manicured course, you also get to enjoy a property mostly left to its natural state.
This is the plan, to not only make the most of the natural setting but to also provide the option for visitors and homeowners to enjoy hiking trails, fly fishing, mountain biking, picnicking and bird watching in this tranquil setting. The trails were recently upgraded, with three routes to hike or bike, depending on your levels of ability, ranging from four to 10km in length.
If golf is your primary interest, Highland Gate delivers in every imaginable sense. The feel of the location starts with a visit to the driving range. At over 2 000m above sea level (Joburg is 1 750m), it is essentially the “highest” golf course in South Africa, so it is perhaps prudent to work out some club selections before teeing off.
As you would expect with Ernie Els designs in South Africa, you get wonderfully wide landing areas off the tee. Something that in this case doesn’t just enhance the playing experience, but also the spectacular views. This comes to the fore early in the round on the par-four 4th which is the most photographed hole on the course.
These views from the tee boxes can be positively mesmerising in places, but the beauty can also turn a little on you in a playing sense later in the round when you reach the par-five 14th hole. Whenever a par five gets a stroke index of 1, you know there is a tough task ahead. In this case, it may be a contender for one of the toughest holes in the country, with a narrow landing area off the tee and danger on either side of the fairway all the way to the green.
SIGNATURE HOLE
Par-four 4th hole
If you were tasked with naming the top-five most picturesque holes in South Africa, the hardest thing to do would be deciding on whether to photograph Highland Gate’s 4th hole from the tee or just to showcase the approach to the green.
There is simply nothing like it anywhere, with the lush green Cool-season grass contrasting brilliantly against the dramatic escapement. Whether played in clear blue skies or in moodier cloud cover, it can be a little distracting when you are trying to find the middle of the clubface.
When playing the hole the simple plan is to favour the right side. A series of bunkers are positioned to the left of the fairway to catch a pulled drive. Further left of that and it’s down into the deep valley. From the right side of the fairway, you then have a great angle to try to aim for the front right half of the green as the natural slope direction persists at the green.
No matter how you play this hole, you are more than likely to have captured more shots of it on your phone than you would have played with your ball.
WINNER’S CORNER
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Sunshine Tour stalwart Jean Hugo claimed a record 12th Vodacom Origins of Golf title in his 20th trophy finish at Highland Gate Golf and Trout Estate in August.
Gallery below
Though you are in the most wonderful of natural settings, this sprawling masterpiece of a course is to be enjoyed from a golf cart as some of the distances (and elevations) from green to tee are too much to tackle on foot.
While this may be a drawback for the golfing purists, it does provide a course where each hole feels different. The 4th and 14th may get most of the attention, but there are so many special playing parts on this layout.
The tee shot on the short par-three 3rd and the risk-and-reward nature of the par-four 9th from start to finish are just two examples of this. The back nine will capture all your senses. From the rollercoaster ride down to the green of the par-five 11th, the tee shot from the top of the world on the par-four 12th, the carry-over the valley on the par-four 16th, to finishing up over water on the par-five 18th in front of the impressive clubhouse.
It’s the kind of course that when you finish playing, you are soon thinking of playing again. With it being set up for families and offering a variety of activities, that next trip is certainly an easy one to plan for. The newest additions to the recreational offerings are two state-of-the-art padel courts, complete with a dedicated pro shop and changing facilities.
The restaurant at the clubhouse has also just undergone an extensive upgrade to make any visit all the more enjoyable.
All in all, despite Highland Gate still being seen as relatively new in the South African golfing landscape, it has very much established itself as a destination that offers so much to all golfers and getaway seekers.
FACILITIES AND AMENITIES
Besides the magnificent golf course, there is also the superb driving range, carts for hire, well-stocked pro shop and lessons offered by the club’s top-class PGA pros.
Off the course, Highland Gate boasts a wealth of outdoor leisure activities. The beautiful area may be well known as a golf and trout-fishing Mecca, but the estate is also the perfect weekend retreat for outdoor enthusiasts. The abundant activities include hiking trails, fly fishing, mountain biking, picnicking, swimming, photography and bird watching to ensure the whole family is catered for in a rare and tranquil setting.
The estate also offers a variety of dining options, including the famous ‘The Flycatcher Restaurant’ situated in the clubhouse, picnic locations and a clubhouse equipped to ensure a great meal experience. The state-of-the-art clubhouse offers spectacular views and features the pro shop, a fine dining restaurant, luxurious lounge, TV bar and terrace, conference centre and kids play area.
Sports enthusiasts are also catered for with the high-quality, all-weather tennis court in a beautiful setting with views of the golf course, and the new padel courts.
Highland Gate Accommodation has a wide array of accommodation options on the estate for guests. The company offers accommodation, golf bookings, catering, conferencing and other extras, all under one umbrella.
For more information on Highland Gate Golf and Trout Estate
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IMAGES: CARL FOURIE/TYRONE WINFIELD/SUNSHINE TOUR IMAGES/HIGHLAND GATE