Introduction

Voted Best conditioned golf course in the Western Cape, and one of the top 5 courses in the Country,  Pearl Valley Golf Estates is rated a must play golf course by local, international, amateurs and professional golfers. Situated between Paarl and Franschhoek only 40 minutes from Cape Town, Pearl Valley Golf Estates is ideally located for meetings, conferences, teambuilding or just an enjoyable day with friends and family. Two up market facilities cater for large scale conferences, banqueting and events.  Luxurious self-catering accommodation is available on the estate for long term rental, holiday letting or for stay-over conference accommodation. A full fleet of golf carts and superb playing surfaces make for an excellent round  of golf. The clubhouse overlooks hole 9 and 18 of the prestigious Jack Nicklaus designed course where you can enjoy our supreme selection of whiskies and wines or indulge in one of the chef’s signature dishes. All of the above along with the various amenities is what sets Pearl Valley Golf Estates apart as a destination of choice for groups and individuals.

 

Golf

altThe masterplan was shaped by the vision of golf legend Jack Nicklaus and his unique touch is evident throughout the course at Pearl Valley Golf Estates. Nicklaus, who was recently named ‘the most influential man in golf’ in a prominent international golf magazine, has used his wealth of knowledge and experience in the game to develop a truly stunning golf course...

 

Officially opened at the beginning of November, 2003 by Nicklaus and South African great, Gary Player, Pearl Valley Golf Estates was named ‘best new golf course of the year’ by Golf Digest magazine in 2005 and is currently ranked as the Best conditioned golf course in the Western Cape by Golf Digest for 2011/2012

During the 2008 South African Open, 2007 US Masters Champion Trevor Immelman was full of praise saying, “The course is in incredible condition, it really is. That’s the way I expected the course to be, to a high standard, and they have always turned out a fantastic course, for the members day-in day-out. I really feel like these fairways; they are some of the best, if not the best, that I’ve ever played on”.

Traversed by roads in only three places, with a state-of-the-art drainage system in place that allows play to continue just minutes after a severe down pour, the course is truly in a league of its own. To meet the ‘Golden Bear’s’ uncompromising standards of golf course design and aesthetic beauty, a combination of the deep, lush green on the fairways and greens, together with the brilliant white river sand lining the 81 bunkers was carefully planned to make Pearl Valley Golf Estates the most visually spectacular golf course in the country and arguably the world. The total length of the course off the championship tees is 6749 metres, whereas the members’ length ranges from 5878 from the blue club tees with senior/ladies championship tees at 5586.  The ladies course spans 4706 meters. Bunkers on Nicklaus’s signature courses are renowned for being shallow, long and relatively undaunting. Every hole is played against the spectacular backdrop of the mountains surrounding the estate and all are challenging due to the strategically set bunkers and fast greens. The prevailing winds throughout the area have also been taken into consideration with the course design; the winter being north-westerly and the summer wind from a south-easterly direction. All par 3s and par 5s play in different directions, ensuring that the same conditions are seldom experienced during a round. The 13th hole, par 3, is the ‘Signature’ hole of the course and perhaps the most scenic. The water cuts from the right and a greenside bunker awaits the cautious tee shot. This hole tests both your ball striking and your nerve. Hole 4 is also challenging with no room for error as you need to cross the creek three times on route to the green. This par 5 is listed as one of the best par 5’s in South Africa, a real ‘risk and reward’ classic!