| At the very heart of the Cape, at the foot of the Helderberg Mountain, among verdant green vineyards, lies the 260-hectare Golfing Estate, Erinvale. Erinvale Golf Course is a real test for any golfer. The first 9 holes are built on flat terrain with challenging holes made more difficult by strategic water hazards and an array of different style bunkers. These range from traditional large, well shaped bunkers, to some with railway sleepers holding up steep, sandy slopes. Sod bunkers (as seen at the 17th at St. Andrews in Scotland) have been introduced by the Gary Player Design Company and these are as challenging as they are aesthetically pleasing. Erinvale Golf Course's second 9 holes are on undulating high ground. Here the scenic splendour might distract the player from the continuing challenge. Again, water and bunkers are the main feature with the added test of sloping lies. The greens at Erinvale Golf Course are huge and well shaped allowing for several different pin placements. A feature of the layout is that different coloured flags tell you the position of the pin. As with all good courses, Erinvale Golf Course provides a blend of short and long holes. The par 5 third hold is relatively short and should yield several birdies as well as the occasional Eagle. A 5 here will feel like a lost shot to the field. The short par 4 fifth hole requires avoiding a fairway tree, prior to negotiating a short iron to a long, narrow green protected by bunkers left and water right.
Erinvale Golf Course's 6 hole is the stroke one and having avoided out of bounds left and the long bunker right, the second shot requires pin point accuracy to avoid the sod bunkers looming on the left. Any push will result in landing in the attractive dam to the right. Erinvale Golf Courses top 9 begins with a dogleg left par 4 and here the degree of difficulty is governed by the pin position. At the front this is relatively easy. However, back left and the player is required to create a well judged long to mid iron shot. It is on the 13th tee par 5 hole that Erinvale Golf Course's magnificent location is best captured. As you look back away from the fairway, Gordon's Bay, the Strand fronting the sea can be clearly seen. The hole is a gentle dogleg left descending sharply before once again rising to a seemingly small green with a sleeper bunker right. No matter how the hole is played the lasting memory will be of the spectacular Helderberg Mountain that backs the hole. The 17th hole will always prove crucial in competitions. It is a long par 4 with an out of bounds close to the right of the fairway all the way to the green. The fairway slopes from right to left and leads to a row of pines if the shot is too far left. A narrow entrance between bunkers leads to an undulating green that requires concentration. The 18th is a par 4 356 meter hole. The modern clubhouse behind the green is the right line off the tee. Five fairway bunkers need avoiding prior to the shot to Erinvale's longest and largest green. The 18-hole Gary Player designed Erinvale Golf Course is flanked by Lourensford & Vergelegen Wine Estates as well as the Helderberg Nature Reserve. Located in the winelands, with awesome mountain views, Erinvale Golf Club is a great setting for a visitor to get a feel for South African golf, preferably with two big Afrikaners, sweating and cursing their way good-naturedly around the course. From the back nine, you can see the ocean, and from almost the whole course you'll have views of the surrounding hills, the vineyards gleaming in the African sun. The golf and wine culture blend spectacularly. | 