Centurion Country Club is entering a new era with rounds per year reaching new highs, writes By MARK SAMPSON.
When you manage to spend a few days on the estate, the reason becomes more apparent.
The entire operation is slick and effortless. Entering the estate is seamless, which is often the downfall of numerous high-end estates across our country. Nothing like arriving and chomping at the bit for a bucket-list course. Entering the estate becomes a meal in itself.
A short drive from entrance to course will confirm the estate’s quality and course itself. Gardens immaculately kept, everything clean and well-maintained and if one really concentrates, you can hear the hustle and bustle of the clubhouse from the car park.
At face value the facilities may be reminiscent of an old-school era as one meanders through the large clubhouse with all facilities imaginable. The interior spills out into a patio area beside the putting green and the course beyond.
The views are hard to beat, staff are friendly and efficient and the menus from breakfast through to dinner diverse and fresh.
It is clearly a tightly run ship and it’s no wonder; the man at the helm comes with a long pedigree of working with some of the top courses in the country including Steenberg, Zimbali and Erinvale: general manager Gavin Woodroffe. He’s tall in stature yet quietly spoken and can be found silently moving through the corridors making sure everything is kept in order.
The clubhouse offers a variety of always busy conference rooms, various dining areas other than the main restaurant and a large kiddie play section. In the far corner nearest to the 1st tee you will find a well-stocked pro shop and more efficient staff to get you onto the course effortlessly.
Before playing, you can’t help but be impressed by the facility. The fact that a Matkovich-design layout awaits is exciting. South Africa’s most esteemed course designer, with over 25 courses to his name, has created a natural flowing and well-balanced course at Centurion offering a number of short tantalising par fours and some very long par fives.
Off the tips, the par fives average out at 526m per hole, rather intimidating to be honest. Off the member tees the course spans a distance of 6 339m, which is long but remember: on the Highveld the ball flies further and in winter, when the course dries out, you can expect some serious roll, which can end up getting you into trouble.
The Highveld, unlike our coastal courses, experiences very little seasonal wind, which further elevates the experience. Around the man-made lake closing holes of both nines and the Hennops River, 10 of the 18 holes have water. The layout is very fair, however, and you really have to stray rather wide to find real trouble.
The 1st is a par five of 478m with the Hennops running down the left side of the fairway. If the fairway bunker left is avoided, the longer hitters can make it to the green in two. Well protected by four bunkers, the very deep green gives you some insight as to what to expect from Centurion with its large putting surfaces and subtle contouring. The stroke one awaits. A long sliding left-to-right dogleg rising and then falling back down to the green. This fairway is protected by many mature trees and accuracy off the tee is needed to find the green in two.
Another large surface can be expected although in this case, no bunkers. The first short hole of the nine comes up next. A slightly uphill par three with bunkers protecting the entrance. Making sure you have enough club in hand is the best advice for this hole.
As you turn back on your routing, a long par four of 439m is up next. The dogleg slides from right to left and is well protected by trees on either side. The fairway tightens at the bend and trying for too much from the tee can leave you among the trees. The green is well protected by three bunkers requiring an accurate long-iron to find the surface and a possible two-putt par.
The course then meanders back down towards the river with a couple of par fours before you get to enjoy a unique trio of closing holes on the front nine.
7th hole at Centurion Country Club
The 7th is a strong par five weighing in at 494m, with the Hennops encroaching all the way down the right-hand side. The hole zigzags toward the green which slopes strongly from left to right.
The par-three 8th with its island green is the main feature in the lake and befitting of the signature hole (see below).
Taking you back to the clubhouse and the halfway mark, you have the opportunity of playing a classic risk-and- reward hole that Matkovich must have enjoyed designing. At 253m, it is the shortest par four of the course by some margin. It is also a genuine birdie chance for the longer hitters who can go directly for the heart-shaped green in two over the water.
The other option, and more conventional route, is to lay up on the main fairway and then attack the hole from a more side angle with short club in hand.
You can also expect impressive conditioning throughout the year at Centurion. Winters on the Highveld can be harsh, especially with frost and the mighty Hennops River, promising a few degrees cooler temperatures from the surrounding areas. That said, after only 15 months at the helm as head greenkeeper, Carel Buitendach is upgrading both the course and surrounds at an alarming rate.
Having worked at Irene golf course for several years and then Sun City, he comes with a wealth of knowledge. Having recently aligned with Ingadi Maintenance, he and his team are making inroads in upgrading water quality, contouring and shaping, and next up, the bunkers will be updated.
The course comes with some unique challenges, primarily due to the Hennops River. Flooding and water quality are concerns that need continual assessment. Buitendach has taken the bull by the horns and quickly addressed the water quality of the main holding dam that surrounds the clubhouse.
Numerous water features have been created to help aerate and improve water quality. A weekly assessment of water is done and environmentally friendly chemicals administered. Improvements can be seen both in the water quality but also an increase in invertebrates and with that, birdlife.
The other issue with the Hennops comes in the form of seasonal flooding during summer rains. This causes both erosion and flooding of the course. Numerous holes have had extensions to the banks to reduce the chance of flooding.
11th hole at Centurion Country Club
The back nine is arguably slightly easier than the front and winds through the heart of the housing estate. After a short uphill par four, the longest par three on the course awaits. It’s a hole with a massive waste bunker running from tee to green along the right of the hole. The green appears slightly smaller than most on the course and at 203m in length, it can prove to be an illusive target. Certainly one of the more unique holes on the course.
Next up is the par-five 12th, sliding from left-to-right moving back down the estate. At 505m in length, only the longer hitters will be able get up in two while trying to avoid a huge bunker short of the green. The green is beautifully contoured with steep drop-offs back and side adding to the difficulty of staying on its surface.
Two par fours of 383m and 331m follow and then a long downhill par five of 527m deposits you at the base of the estate and, once again, beside the Hennops for the closing three holes. The par-four 16th is a stunning and devilish hole of 325m. At face value it is straightforward but on closer inspection, the river moves from behind the green around its left side and then moves obliquely across the front and down the right of the fairway. The hole is therefore fraught with danger, with accuracy paramount to not losing your ball to a watery grave.
The 17th is a pretty par three of only 144m with the only real danger in two bunkers on either side of the entrance. The stroke 18 should present no real danger.
The final hole is a strong par four of 411m with the lake running along its left side. The green is narrow but deep and protected right by bunkers, while the water is on the left. A great closing hole for this enchanting layout.
The clubhouse is always a hive of activity – breakfast, noon or evening. And enjoying a cold beverage after the nine is a must while enjoying the unique setting that is Centurion.
SIGNATURE HOLE
8th hole, par three, 138m
8th hole at Centurion Country Club
The 8th at Centurion Country Club is a stunning little par three. Surrounded by water, it is truly unique and somewhat daunting for the average golfer. Adding to the ‘intimidation factor’ of the hole, the green is not that large and is protected by bunkering on its circumference.
If you miss the water and the green you are left with a real knee-knocker of getting out of the bunker and not thinning it straight over the green into the water. That said, the hole is a mere 138m in length meaning an 8/9-iron for most.
Thoughts on playing this hole are: keep it simple. Although short, this is not a hole to be messed with and finding the green is the objective. The green goes from rather broad at the front to pinched in the middle and then broadening towards the back. The smart play is to aim for the largest target, which is the middle of either the front or back of the green as the smallest landing area is in the very centre.
A great idea would be to ignore the pin position and simply aim for the larger part of the green. Although a large green, a two-putt par is likely as the surface does not have as severe contouring as many of the greens, again confirming the need to simply find the surface from the tee.
The tapestry of bridges from tee to green on this and the following hole are also rather unique to courses in South Africa and add to the final bit of appeal that is the beauty of Centurion Country Club. As you walk off the green, take a second to look back at the tee box and see what all the fuss is about.
GREENFEES
Affiliated and non-affiliated players:
Weekday: R495
Weekend: R705
Juniors: R110–R220
Students:
9 holes R160 (Mon-Fri) / R175 (Sat-Sun)
18 holes R320 (Mon-Fri) / R350 (Sat-Sun)
Golf cart:
9 holes R240 18 holes R480
Monday Special: R380, including cart.
Winter Special: R395 midweek, Sunday pm
9 hole breakfast special: R245 Midweek only
ADDRESS
41 Centurion Drive, Centurion Residential Estate, John Vorster Avenue, Centurion
ROAD DISTANCES
Johannesburg: 49km
Bloemfontein: 446km
Kimberley: 533km
Durban: 605km
Cape Town: 1,448km
CONTACT DETAILS
Email: reception@centurioncountryclub.co.za
Phone: (012) 665 0279
Website: centuriongolfestate.online
Pro Shop: (012) 665 9602
– This article first appeared in the July 2024 issue of Compleat Golfer magazine.
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