Located in the Eastern Cape, St Francis Links plays host to the Sunshine Tour’s PGA Championship for the third year in a row.
Opened in December 2006 and built in the high dunes, this Jack Nicklaus Signature course, which has kikuyu grass fairways and bent grass putting surfaces, is exposed to the elements and offers many challenges to golfers in the form of deep bunkers and dense vegetation, along with water hazards on four holes.
There are several notable holes on the course, including the short par-three fourth which has two separate greens and is named ‘Double Vision’. Whether you are playing from the back tee to the front green or the front tee to the back green, this is truly one great par-three and one for the memory books.
The 17th, ‘St Francis Bay’, is also a par-three and has the best view on the course, including the nearby town. It’s a challenging hole with a precise shot required if you are to get close to the hole, wherever it may be on the green.
The double-storey clubhouse overlooks the par-four 18th, ‘Homeward Bound’, which is a dogleg from right to left and offers a fitting conclusion to a round on this links layout in a stunning setting.
DID YOU KNOW?
- Dean Burmester won the 2021 PGA Championship with a score of 271 and George Coetzee was the victor in 2022 with 15-under 273.
- Each hole on the course is named, with the par-four 11th uniquely titled ‘Eish!’.
- St Francis Links remained in the top 10 of South Africa’s Top 100 Courses this year, in fourth place. The course was also named South Africa’s Best Golf Course at the 2021 World Golf Awards.
