| Sun City's two par-72 championship golf courses offer visitors to
southern Africa's premier resort and exciting and challenging golfing experience.
Both the Gary Player Course and the newer Lost City course were designed by well known
South African golfing personality, Gary Player and are set in the warm,rugged terrain of
the Pilanesberg mountains.
The Lost City course, which opened in 1993, is very flexible; playing off the forward
tee a course length of 5 953 metres, extending to 6 983 metres off the back tee. The
course provides spectacular views; from the 11th tee, 1 230 metres above sea level,
players can see 15 holes, including the 6th, 58 metres below.
The Gary Player Golf Course, is acknowledged as a difficult and demanding course. Since
1979 it has been the venue for the Nedbank Million Dollar Golf Challenge, one of the
richest and most exclusive events on the international golfing calendar. It requires
stamina and accuracy from players; the full 6 938 metre course is undoubtedly the toughest
on the subcontinent.
Like most southern Africa links, the Gary Player Golf Course uses kikuyu grass on the
tees, fairways and semi-roughs. Golfers from elsewhere have to adjust their technique to
suit the surface. The Cape Bermuda grass of The Lost City Golf Course is much finer and
provides a smoother ball roll.
Many a fine player has crumbled at the 18th hole, a 422 metre par four. It is
boomerang-shaped, with a water hazard lying in wait in the second half. Great care has to
be taken with the tee shot because if it is too long, the ball goes into the water; it is
too short, the second shot to the green takes on frightening proportions, and there are
bunkers on both sides of the green to add to the problems.
The Gary Player Golf Course certainly takes its toll of shots and lost balls; on The
Lost City course players are faced with a far greater hazard than bunkers and water.
Inhabiting the water hazard on the 13th hole are some 38 crocodiles, some of them
nearly two metres long. Golfers are discouraged from retrieving their waywards balls from
the croc pool, but need have no fear that the reptiles can get at them. The pool has been
landscaped and fenced to ensure that there will be no problem.
The unusual water hazard is just one of the features that make The Lost City Golf
Course exciting and interesting to play. No effort was spared to make the course a
masterpiece. Average fairways at The Lost City course are made up of a central grassed
area between 30 and 45 metres wide, flanked on both sides by semi-rough. On average, the
total width of the playing area on each hole is 70 metres. To match the environment of the
rugged Pilanesberg, natural gullies have been left as hazards on the course and plants
such as cacti and euphorbias, which flourish in the many dry conditions, provide
atmosphere.
The Lost City Golf Course is "spectator friendly", comfortably accommodating
100 000 spectators at a time. The spectator mounds at the 9th and 18th greens provide a
good view of the action for a gallery of between 12 000 and 15 000 people seated on the
grass. The course layout allows spectators to follow the action with ease. For example,
the 1st, 4th, 7th and 8th greens are all close together and near to the 2nd tee. This
means that golf fans can see a lot of play without trudging great distances. |
