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FAIRWAYS & BEYOND
SISHEN GOLF CLUB
Ben Karpinski explores one of the country’s most unique golfing outposts
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South Africa is well known for its golf hubs around the major cities. However, there are also plenty of lesser-discussed gems, and in the case of Sishen Golf Club, you have something truly sensational.
There are many weird and wonderful small towns in South Africa. Some are in obvious places along the coast or inland mountain areas, and then some are created purely from industries like mining.
The town of Kathu falls into the latter category, in the sparsely populated Northern Cape province, 215km from Upington. It has one of the five largest open-cast iron ore mining operations in the world, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t without beauty.
Kathu means “town under the trees”, and it is under those trees that we find the delightful Sishen golf course.
Built in 1973 by the Sishen Iron Ore Mine, who still manage it today, Sishen Golf Club was the last course designed by Robert Grimsdell, who has left a lasting legacy on South African golf.
Making the trip to Sishen
Like all places, there is a more favourable time to visit Sishen. Although it isn’t known for its rainfall, the little it gets falls mostly between February and May, making the course a little more receptive and attractive. If you play there in the drier months, you will see a lot more run on your shots and bounces around the greens.
From Johannesburg, a round of golf at Sishen comes with a 570km road trip, which equates to a six-and-a-half-hour drive. There are daily flights too, of course, but they will be on the pricey side when compared to other domestic travel.
A trip from Cape Town is a much more demanding endeavour, measuring just over 1 000km which is a little over 11 hours in the car. Again, the option to fly is also on the table here and probably a little more realistic.
There are certainly easier golf trips in South Africa, but Sishen’s remoteness is a major part of its appeal. With it being so remote you won’t have to worry about getting a booking, and when you arrive, it will be mostly nice and quiet.
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The plan from then mine manager Solly Watson was to spend R250 000 on a nine-hole course. However, once Grimsdell arrived and the holes started coming together it was clear that something more substantial needed to be built, to make the most of this unique location.
That budget was doubled to R500 000 and then tripled to R1.5-million, with the result being the wonderful 18-hole layout we have today.
Despite being on the edge of the Kalahari Desert, Sishen is anything but a desert course. Naturally, this is thanks to it having a state-of-the-art irrigation system and being situated on the edge of the 4 000-hectare Camelthorn forest. This ensures incredible year-round conditioning and immaculate playing surfaces.
Although the trees make for a fantastic aesthetic, they do pose a constant challenge to all levels of golfer. The high-handicap golfers could be in for an especially long day here, and it isn’t uncommon to get the odd thorn lodged in your ball should you hit anything into the tall timber at pace.
When the Sunshine Tour comes to town each year for the Vodacom Origins of Golf event, these challenges are a little more welcomed, with the tree-lined target areas often bringing the best out of South Africa’s top players.
Kalahari Country Club and beyond
Unless you are into mining and golf, there isn’t much to do in Kathu. But Kalahari Country Club has built on the famous golf club and offers a few more sporting and leisure attractions, including the tennis and cricket clubs, and a state-of-the-art gym with CrossFit and pilates.
There is also The Deck restaurant which provides a unique social hub from breakfast onwards, with a comprehensive menu and cocktail list.
If outposts are your thing and you want to get far away from it all, the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park is another four and a half hours away. A visit here is certainly a way of making a longer trip out of the Sishen experience, with over 470 documented species making for quite the game-viewing destination comparable to the Kruger National Park.
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PLAYERS’ IMPRESSIONS
Sunshine Tour pro Rupert Kaminski
“I have always played well at Sishen. You are forced to hit it straight, which perhaps enhances your focus throughout the round. You really don’t want to go near those thorny trees, especially with the odd Cape Cobra lurking from time to time!
“The course is also so unassuming. You wouldn’t expect to see such a well-designed and conditioned layout in that part of the country. The town is quite quirky, it almost feels like you’re in an old Western movie, and then suddenly it reveals this great course.
“Many of us on the Sunshine Tour agree that it’s one of the better courses on the schedule.”
SA Senior Amateur champion Greg Woodbridge
“Anyone who has played Sishen will always speak highly of the course. The town as a golfing destination is also quite something. Having spent a bit of time there recently with the SA Senior Amateurs and the Men’s Senior IPT, I got to enjoy the place as a whole.
“With the IPT being a team competition, around 130 golfers were playing that week and we were all accommodated close together, which made for amazing camaraderie. We had a big braai at the clubhouse on a couple of nights, but we also got to enjoy some of the fine restaurants in the town.
“It’s just such an incredibly captivating place, and you could easily play the course every day of the week and enjoy something new while being in this most tranquil of places.”
SuperSport media personality Derek Alberts
“Covering the Vodacom Origins of Golf event this year for SuperSport at Sishen, I was blown away by how unique it is. Very few people in South Africa have played the course because it’s a proper grind to get there.
“Flying into Kathu you realise how isolated the town is, and it is remarkable to think that a place like this has such an incredible golf course. It’s certainly a layout that demands some thought and it’s far from a bombers’ paradise with the holes being surrounded by the ancient Kameeldoring trees. One thing that made the 6th hole my favourite is that it has trees in the fairway!
“It’s a really special place and is always in pristine condition as there isn’t a lot of golfing traffic.”
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Sishen Golf Club general manager Theunis Spangenberg and golf director and club captain De Goede Haasbroek chat about the Kalahari's best kept secret.
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IMAGES: ERNEST BLIGNAULT/GOLFRSA/TYRONE WINFIELD/SUNSHINE TOUR/CRAFT OF ARCHITECTURE