fairways & beyond
MOUNT EDGECOMBE
COUNTRY CLUB ESTATE
It’s easy to see why this KZN gem has been acclaimed for many years as one of the premier golfing estates in southern Africa. Johann Naudé
Mount Edgecombe Country Club Estate is no stranger to the whims of nature. In 1987, after a biblical downpour, its course and clubhouse flooded. The next year, a fire ripped through the clubhouse, reducing it to ashes in under an hour. In 2022, it co-witnessed the most catastrophic floods recorded in KwaZulu-Natal history. And just this past January, water again made itself at home in the clubhouse.
If disasters are one constant of life at Mount Edgecombe, coming out stronger at the other end is another.
When the clubhouse fell to its knees in 1988, the club, still known as Huletts Country Club, had only one course. By 1992, as the Mount Edgecombe residential estate was in development, it had not only upgraded the existing course, today known as “The Woods”, to USGA specifications, but also commissioned the creation of another, “The Lakes”.
Mount Edgecombe’s roots trace back to 1924, when a group of employees at the sugar estate on which it now sits decided to carve out nine holes instead of continuing to make the 15km trek to Durban for their golf fix.
ON TOP OF HER GAME
Introducing Mount Edgecombe’s head green superintendent Mary Sibiya, who takes care of the immaculate greens of The Woods course.
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TOP TEAMWORK
Mount Edgecombe golf director Kevin Stone explains how all the staff handled the storm damage just two weeks before hosting the 2024 SA Stroke Play Championship.
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explore the woods course
explore the lakes course
Gallery below
Eight-time SA Open winner Sid Brews lengthened the course to 18 holes in 1935, and the design remained unchanged until Hugh Baiocchi modernised it in 1992. Peter Matkovich and his team made further changes in 2017 and 2023, with the 2023 update focusing on the bunker complex.
“The bunkers had not been upgraded in many years and the drainage was extremely poor,” says CEO Desiree Stone. “They were all redone and repositioned. We also added new bunkers. Additionally, we extended and added many tee boxes, and redid four greens. All the putting surfaces are now bent grass.”
The Woods is generally considered the easier of the two layouts. Less undulating and with fewer water hazards, higher-handicapped players in particular tend to find it less penalising.
It is not without venom, though.
Holes 14 to 16 – its so-called ‘Amen Corner’ – can make or break your round. The par-five 14th’s green is guarded by water, leaving the longer hitter with an important decision on their second shot. The 15th is a par three across water, and on the next tee box, you will have to clear a dam to reach the fairway.
Formerly a par 72, Peter Matkovich shortened the parkland layout by two shots in 2017, replacing the par-five 5th with an exciting downhill par three with water left of the green, now the 7th.
Unlike its upstart sibling, The Woods is an easy walk – and a scenic one at that, its Royal Blue fairways lined with beautiful pines, gums and exotic trees.
MASTERS AT WORK
The design upgrade at The Woods course featured a complete re-bunkering of the golf course, where 39 bunkers were closed up and 58 new bunkers constructed.
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MASTERS AT WORK
The design upgrade at The Woods course featured a complete re-bunkering of the golf course, where 39 bunkers were closed up and 58 new bunkers constructed.
Turfworx, who carried out the work, explains what goes into constructing a golf course bunker.
“We start by marking the area for the earthworks. This ensures the bunker is in the right position and the perfect size for some thrilling shots!
“Next up, we focus on drainage within the bunker. We line it with a special Geotextile, which helps prevent any unwanted water accumulation. To ensure proper drainage, we add draining pipes filled with gravel. These pipes are then covered with a shaded cloth, keeping the bunker looking neat and tidy while allowing water to flow freely.
“We then fill the bunker with minimum 100mm of triple-washed sand, creating that classic sandy hazard golfers love to conquer. To make sure the sand is perfectly compacted, we bring in the sandpro. This nifty machine smooths out the sand, creating a consistent and challenging surface for golfers to navigate.
“And voila! Our bunker is ready to test your skills and add an extra element of excitement to your golf game.”
FACILITIES AND AMENITIES
Everything you need to know about what’s on offer at Mount Edgecombe Country Club Estate.
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facilities and amenities
Everything you need to know about what’s on offer at Mount Edgecombe Country Club Estate.
Not only does the estate boast two unique championship courses, it also has plenty of other sporting, recreational and lifestyle facilities on offer.
For the golf lovers there’s a magnificent driving range and golf academy with facilities that include manicured putting and chipping greens, grassed and matted hitting bays, and a highly qualified team of PGA golf professionals to assist through private golf lessons and tuition. Plus there’s the unique custom-fitting centre which allows golfers the experience of ball flight as well as the opportunity to test 10 club brands.
The pro shop stocks all the latest golf brands and has a club repair and re-gripping service with a quick turnaround time. The Pelican and Shack halfway houses offer a variety of meals, snacks and refreshments for golfers.
There’s also the squash club situated near the main clubhouse, padel courts which were installed in August, and four floodlit tennis courts and a clubhouse with a comprehensive coaching programme on offer. The bowls section has two highly rated greens, one with floodlights for night bowls, and 140 members.
The paddling & water sports section includes kayaking and stand-up paddle boarding on Pani Dam. The angling section, which started in 2012, is focused on fresh water fishing on the estate. Plus, there’s a birding and environmental club; bridge club; an outdoor trail and garden club!
Mount Edgecombe also has world-class facilities that can cater for corporate golf days and varying group sizes in their function rooms.
There’s a great selection of dining options too, at The Edge Café, The Watershed Café, The Bistro at the Range, The Bar at the Woods and The Outlook Mount Edgecombe.
Please visit the website for more details on membership and operating hours.
CONTACT DETAILS
Tel: (031) 539 5330
Email: clubadmin@mountedgecombe.com
Webiste: mountedgecombe.com
Gallery below
Before & after the upgrades on the 4th, 15th & 16th holes
Gallery below
If you arrive at Mount Edgecombe in a more adventurous mood (and with an ample supply of spare balls), head over to The Lakes.
Nestled amid rolling hills, it has many elevation changes and, as its name suggests, water lies at the bottom of those hills.
The Pani Dam is the biggest of these puddles, and nowhere does it loom larger in players’ minds than on the 8th and 9th, where it runs along the left. And if you think you’ll bail out on the right, don’t bother: indigenous bush is lying in wait.
If worse comes to worst and you blunder these holes, at least you can console yourself with a beautiful view of the Pani Dam while nibbling on your halfway meal. You may even spot a fish eagle.
Both courses are of championship pedigree and have hosted many prestigious tournaments. At the end of January this year, The Woods hosted the SA Stroke Play Championship for men. In 2024, The Lakes did. The 2023 SA Stroke Play Championship for women took place over both courses. For the club, these tournaments are business as usual.
“We strive to keep the courses in excellent condition year-round,” says Stone, “not just for special occasions.”
SPOTLIGHT ON...
Golf days co-ordinator Thobile Mhlongo
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SPOTLIGHT ON...
Golf days co-ordinator Thobile Mhlongo
“I am part of the furniture now,” jokes Thobile Mhlongo, reflecting on her 12-plus years at Mount Edgecombe.
Her journey began as a restaurant hostess, and she has since climbed the ladder to become the golf days co-ordinator.
“It was quite nerve-wracking at first,” she admits, referring to her role as co-ordinator, “but I knew I could do anything I set my mind to.”
As the go-to person for golf days and related events, she naturally encounters the occasional unhappy customer.
“The most challenging aspect of my job is dealing with upset clients, which can be daunting,” she acknowledges. “The most important thing for me is that I assist them as best I can and actively work with them to ensure their issues are resolved.”
But not all challenges are toil, as Mhlongo attests.
“Working at Mount Edgecombe means waking up every day to strive for customer satisfaction and doing what I love, which makes my job easy. I never thought I’d make it this far in my career, which just proves that when doing your job out of love, you can be put in spaces you never imagined you could be.”
Fortunately, thanks to the work done on the course after the 2022 floods, it sustained minimal damage on 13 January when 100mm of rain fell in less than 45 minutes. Only the clubhouse took a beating.
“Extensive drainage and stormwater measures were put in place at a huge cost, but sadly the main municipal road flooded. All the measures worked exceptionally well, but the road just could not cope.”
Just as it did in 1988 and 2022, the club is again emerging stronger at the other end of this disaster. “We are installing further stormwater measures, again at a major cost. Hopefully, this will ensure we do not flood again.”
What can other clubs learn?
“Sadly, it is hard to predict these freak storms, even though there seem to be more and more each year. Investing in robust drainage and stormwater systems certainly will help. All I can say is that the power of water must never be underestimated. And in the office environment, do not leave any important documents and computers on the floor!”
ERNEST BLIGNAULT/GOLFRSA/TURFWORX/MT EDGECOMBE/CARL FOURIE/SUNSHINE TOUR