The final hole of a golf course can be key to one’s lasting impression of the course layout. That’s why so many designers tend to save the best for last, writes BRENDAN BARRATT.
What makes for a strong closing hole?
For many modern designers, a reachable par five makes an ideal closer, as it throws up so many potential scores, from eagle or birdie through an ‘other’.
In tournament play, this keeps the viewers glued to their seats, as the result is uncertain until the final putt is holed.
As the course designer’s last chance to leave an impression, many opt for a dramatic finale. Think of the cliffside finishing holes at Pinnacle Point and Oubaai for example – two stunning holes that create the ‘wow’ factor, regardless of the score.
There is an argument, too, that a short par four is less likely to wreck a score, meaning that the visiting player has a greater chance of walking off the course with a smile on his or her face – finishing on a high. Think of the wonderful final holes at the likes of the Old Course at St Andrews or, closer to home, Durban Country Club, where a decent drive leaves very little into the green.
South Africa has its fair share of exhilarating 18ths, which cap off a fine day out on the course.
Leopard Creek
No list of stunning closing holes would be complete without mentioning Leopard Creek. The famous par five, with its island green framed by the beautiful clubhouse, is one of the world’s best – and trickiest closers. It was here where Ernie Els found the water twice en route to a triple-bogey eight that saw him lose the Alfred Dunhill Championship to John Bickerton in 2009. A stunning, nerve-racking golf hole.
The 18th at Leopard Creek
Pearl Valley
Pearl Valley’s 18th hole is rightly considered to be the hardest hole on the course. The 427m par four requires a long drive and an accurate long-iron approach to find a narrow putting surface with water to the left and a deep bunker to the right. A potential score wrecker at one of the country’s finest courses.
Arabella
The par-five 18th at Arabella is a real beauty. Playing alongside the Bot River lagoon, it’s a hole that offers a real scoring chance, particularly when playing downwind. The fairway is wider than it looks off the tee but miss right and you will either end up in a long waste bunker or, worse, in the environmentally protected lagoon area.
The 18th at Arabella
East London GC
A medium-length par four with a blind tee shot awaits golfers at the end of their round at East London. A good drive, up the right side, feeds through a chute and rolls back down the dogleg to the left, leaving a tricky shot into a well-guarded green.
De Zalze
Even from the top tee, the hole only measures a little over 300m. However, the design of this hole demands an accurate tee shot, whether you choose to lay up or have a crack at carrying the small stream that protects the front of the green. The lay-up is made tricky as one needs to avoid the large oak tree on the left side of the fairway, whose massive branches block out many approach shots.
The 18th at De Zalze
San Lameer
This is as scary a tee shot as one can get. With out of bounds on the left side and water all the way down the right, an accurate drive is required. Much of the green juts out into the water hazard so, depending on the pin placement, the approach shot could be just as daunting as the tee shot.
Gary Player CC
Whether it’s the par-four 18th or the par-five 9th you finish on (the course has been known to swap nines for tournaments), you’re in for a real treat. The iconic closing par four has been part of South African golfing folklore for as long as we have been watching the Nedbank Golf Challenge. While modern professionals will hit a 3-wood or long-iron for safety, most mortals require a full-blooded driver to have the best chance of finding the putting surface in two. For those finishing on the par five, this hole rates as one of the best risk-and-reward holes around. The green is fronted by a large lake that tends to gobble up any mistimed approach shots.
Steyn City
Another course that finishes on its most difficult hole – the 18th at Steyn City is a beast. At 443m from the club tee – it can be stretched all the way back to 471m – it plays like a par five for most, even at Johannesburg’s altitude. The split fairway offers the golfer a choice off the tee – left for the shorter approach, or right for the more forgiving landing area. The long approach must skirt the large water hazard that protects the left side of the green. A true test to finish at one of the country’s finest layouts.
The 18th at Steyn City
– This article first appeared in the Autumn 2025 issue of Compleat Golfer magazine.
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Photos: Luke Walker/Warren Little/Mark Sampson/Getty Images
Article Link: The List: SA's strongest closing holes