Kyalami Country Club

Kyalami Country Club, just a few minutes' drive from South Africa's grand prix motor racing circuit just north of Johannesburg, is one of the friendliest clubs in Gauteng. 'We always do our best to accommodate visitors and they can bank on getting a game here most days,' says resident professional Andy Bean. Staff at Kyalami have in recent years redoubled their efforts to keep the course in tiptop condition and anyone who has ever teed up here will verify that they have succeeded admirably.

Kyalami Country Club has some really excellent holes, not the least o which is the 178-metre par-three 3rd where the tee shot must carry water and be hit precisely, as only a narrow strip o land up the right-hand side can offer any relief if the ball misses the green. The 436-metre 11th - stroke two on the card - provides a searching test. It is a tight hole where the second shot must carry water to a well-guarded green. Bean regards holes number 3 and number 11 as the course's two best holes, with the 18th possibly a close third. The finishing hole is a par-five of 479 metres off the championship tees. Water must be carried with the second shot which can be somewhat problematic for the average player, while bunkers on the left and four small dams on the right of the green put a premium on accuracy for the big-hitting, accomplished golfer intent on hitting the green in two.

The course was established in 1952. It has excellent kikuyu fairways and bent grass greens.