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Tommy Williamsen

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Johannesburg SA
« on: April 19, 2010, 10:06:24 PM »
I will be going to Madagascar in September.  I scheduled my trip so I will have two full days in Johannesburg.  What do you recommend to play/do in that short time.  I have seen enough cities in my life that I can forgo most tourist stuff.  I have not seen enough golf courses, however.
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Where there is no love, put love; there you will find love.
St. John of the Cross

"Deep within your soul-space is a magnificent cathedral where you are sweet beyond telling." Rumi

Bill_McBride

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Johannesburg SA
« Reply #1 on: April 19, 2010, 10:09:28 PM »
Quote from: Tommy Williamsen on April 19, 2010, 10:06:24 PM
I will be going to Madagascar in September.  I scheduled my trip so I will have two full days in Johannesburg.  What do you recommend to play/do in that short time.  I have seen enough cities in my life that I can forgo most tourist stuff.  I have not seen enough golf courses, however.

Taking golf clubs?   There is a course in the area that plays alongside the Kruger National Park with lots of wildlife kibitzing from the sidelines.

Yes, the same Kruger for whom the bunker is named on #9 at the Old Course, a Boer War relic!  Mrs. Kruger too!
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Tommy Williamsen

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Re: Johannesburg SA
« Reply #2 on: April 19, 2010, 11:57:56 PM »
I don't plan on bringing my clubs.  Kruger Park looks pretty interesting though it looks like a long drive.
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Where there is no love, put love; there you will find love.
St. John of the Cross

"Deep within your soul-space is a magnificent cathedral where you are sweet beyond telling." Rumi

Josh Stevens

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Johannesburg SA
« Reply #3 on: April 20, 2010, 02:18:06 AM »
Jburg is not a great golfing city - and the old guard of Royal Joburg etc are not much chop.  Houghton is being dug up and a new Nicklaus course being built, not sure if it is ready yet.  Otherwise I regard Glendower as the best of the city bunch - not a world beater but very pleasant day out, it is also the cheapest of the local courses
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Padraig Dooley

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Johannesburg SA
« Reply #4 on: April 20, 2010, 05:40:23 AM »
There are plenty of options in Jo'burg. There is a sameness about the majority of courses never the less they are all good days out. In order of preference I would list Glendower, Royal Joburg East, Johannesburg CC Woodmead, Randpark, Parkview, Royal Joburg West, Bryanston CC, Randpark Windsor, Joburg CC Woodlands, Killarney, Wanderers. There is also The River Club which I never got around to playing.

Blair Atholl which is Gary Player's ranch was just opening as I was leaving the last time, he speaks very highly about. It is on the outskirts of the city. In Pretoria there is Pretoria CC and onwards to Pecanwood, a Nicklaus 1 hour from the city and further onwards to Sun City which is about a 2.5 hour drive.

As for touristy stuff there is very little out of the ordinary but a township tour to Soweto would be very interesting.
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There are painters who transform the sun to a yellow spot, but there are others who with the help of their art and their intelligence, transform a yellow spot into the sun.
  - Pablo Picasso

Mark Chaplin

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Re: Johannesburg SA
« Reply #5 on: April 20, 2010, 06:02:01 AM »
Doesn't Gary Player speak in similar terms to Trump?
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Padraig Dooley

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Re: Johannesburg SA
« Reply #6 on: April 20, 2010, 06:09:34 AM »
Quote from: Mark Chaplin on April 20, 2010, 06:02:01 AM
Doesn't Gary Player speak in similar terms to Trump?

He does but I believe Blair Atholl is worth checking out.



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There are painters who transform the sun to a yellow spot, but there are others who with the help of their art and their intelligence, transform a yellow spot into the sun.
  - Pablo Picasso

Scott Warren

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Johannesburg SA
« Reply #7 on: April 20, 2010, 06:15:29 AM »
Quote from: Mark Chaplin on April 20, 2010, 06:02:01 AM
Doesn't Gary Player speak in similar terms to Trump?

The Black Knight has better hair, though.

Gary Player on his redesign of 18 at The Floridian:

“We now have something that reminds me of the 18th at Pebble Beach, with the dogleg-left and its risk-reward opportunities."

On his course in Bulgaria:

"The site at Thracian Cliffs reminds me of Pebble Beach and I expect the golf course to be just as dramatic."

On his course at Soma Bay, Egypt:

"At the inaugural tournament, Gary Player described the course as 'the next Pebble Beach'."
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Jonathan Cummings

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Re: Johannesburg SA
« Reply #8 on: April 20, 2010, 06:15:53 AM »
Tommy - give me a shout.  I just got back from the Kruger a few weeks ago.  We played most all the golf courses of note in SA.  JC
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Philip Gawith

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Johannesburg SA
« Reply #9 on: April 20, 2010, 09:00:33 AM »
Tommy - I don't think there are any great courses in Joburg, but the River Club is a lovely golf club with some excellent holes near the Jukskei River and the closing four are regarded amongst the most challenging around. My brother in law is a member if you want an introduction. Royal Joburg/East and Glendower are probably the best of the older courses. If you are golf-focused you do a day-trip to Durban Country club or Humewood in Port Elizabeth.

As for what to do with your two days - hire a car and drive round a bit to get a feel for the city. Kruger is too far unless you fly there. Joburg is not really a tourist city, but it is the most significant city in sub-Saharan Africa and hence worth getting a feel for. Township tour to Soweto is a good idea (will also allow you to see the stadium where final of football world cup will have been played), a drive around the wealthy northern suburbs (Hyde Park, Sandton etc) is also revealing. If you want to try and get a feel for the (mining) history of the city see if you can visit one of the Randlord's houses on the ridge in Johannesburg (and maybe buy Geoffrey Wheatcrofts' book of the same name). Probably worth also a drive to Pretoria - the seat of the Executive (Union buildings are impressive) and you can also see the Voortrekker monument which will give you a feel for the history of the Afrikaners. I have not visited the Apartheid Museum in Johannesburg - i believe it is instructive but partial/incomplete. RW Johnson and Alec Russell have written two of the better recent histories of modern South Africa. The classic novel is Cry the Beloved Country by Alan Paton. Former NYT editor Joe Lelyveld wrote an excellent book 25 years ago called Move your Shadow (literally, the instruction of a golfer to his caddie!)
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Tommy Williamsen

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Re: Johannesburg SA
« Reply #10 on: April 20, 2010, 09:48:24 PM »
It seems to me that it may be better to get a feel for the history of SA rather than try to play golf.  Thanks.
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Where there is no love, put love; there you will find love.
St. John of the Cross

"Deep within your soul-space is a magnificent cathedral where you are sweet beyond telling." Rumi

Pete Lavallee

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Johannesburg SA
« Reply #11 on: April 21, 2010, 10:56:26 AM »
Tommy,

Don't dismiss ZA golf so quickly; it truely is a different cultural experience! First off you will be hiring a cady, who needs the work, for 100 Rand, about $10. You will of course have to by buy him lunch at the turn, everyone in ZA stops for 15 minutes at the turn and eats what to this American is a huge lunch; your caddy's  lunch will run about $3. Unfortunately they are forced to eat their lunch behind the Half Way House; it will probably take some time for this custom to wear off. But I was thankful to hear that my caddy tip at Humewood would be buying shoes for his young daughter to attend school with; that felt good! The mingling of British tradition with Dutch inovation and the tropical nature of ZA make for a truely unique experience; I don't think you should pass it up.
« Last Edit: April 21, 2010, 04:45:33 PM by Pete Lavallee »
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"...one inoculated with the virus must swing a golf-club or perish."  Robert Hunter

Fergal OLeary

Johannesburg SA
« Reply #12 on: August 09, 2015, 11:42:26 AM »
Has anybody played Blair Atholl? It seems to be ranked pretty high on a variety of recent South African rankings, but I haven't seen any independent reviews which validate the lofty rankings. I have an extra day to spare in Johannesburg and am wondering where to play. This thread has been helpful. Cheers
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