Fact File
Par – 71
Rating – 70
Length – 6208m
Best Time to Play – All year round
History
The original course was designed by Ken Elkin and opened in 1973. Rob Richardson was brought in to re-do the layout in 2009, and he remodelled the tees, bunkers, greens and irrigation system.
The Course
It’s a parkland layout, but due to the dry nature of the climate, there aren’t too many trees on the course, although there is water on three of the holes. Features of the course include wide, generous fairways, large greens and plenty of birdlife. There are some beautiful holes and some challenging ones, including the par-4 14th. It’s a reachable par-4 with a big ‘risk and reward factor’. You can play safe with a 4-iron and then hit a wedge onto a very undulating green, which is protected by a huge bunker in front, or you can hit a driver and try to reach the green. But, a miss will cost you dearly. Then there’s the par-3 third hole, which is very picturesque, with a water feature flanking the green on the left and behind. Although requiring just a short iron, it provides a real challenge in distance control. Generally, the course is a decent test of golf, although not too difficult for the high handicap golfers, as it’s not particularly long – none of the par-4 holes are over 400 metres, whilst the three par-5s are 457m, 494m and 477m. It’s a course of two seasons. In summer, it’s lush and green and the rough areas are normally very tough, whilst in winter, it is dry and hard with almost no rough. It’s a very user-friendly course, and beginners will not find it too intimidating, whilst the lower handicap golfers will find it challenging, due to some of the tougher pins and back tees. Due to the fact that it’s fairly short, Richardson created some really tricky bunkering around the greens, which has resulted in a big emphasis being placed on distance control and accuracy.
Signature Hole
The signature hole is the par-4 fifth hole, which is the stroke 1 and most difficult hole on the course. It’s a decent challenge, according to the locals, and they reckon the best way to play it is to start by hitting your drive down the left-hand side of the fairway. Bunkers line the right-hand side of this fairway, so that’s the drive you are looking for. It also opens up the green for your approach shot, which is a daunting enough prospect, because you need to clear a water hazard short of the green. That’s not the only concern – there are also bunkers on both sides of a large green, so precision is key.
Rates (18 holes)
Hotel guests – R300
Foreigners – R370
Cart Hire – R220
Caddie – R120
Directions?
From Hosea Kutako International Airport, travel along the B6. At the first T-junction, turn right into Sam Nujoma, before turning left into Jan Jonker at the first traffic light. Jan Jonker takes you around the mountain, bypassing the city on your right. At the next traffic light, take the feeder road to the left. You are now in Robert Mugabe, where you drive to a traffic light and continue up to a T-junction. Turn right into Sean McBride and go down and cross both four-way stops, which is on the B1. Turn left at the traffic light onto the B1 and shortly after, you will see the sign indicating a right turn for Windhoek Country Club.
Contact
Tel: +264 61 205 5223, wccgolf.com.na