Updated March 2014. A most welcome re-addition to the EgoliGolf Web Site, Houghton Golf Club boasts not only an integral and important place in the history of South African Golf, but also provides an optimistic and exciting anticipation of future things to come at this outstanding venue! The Nicklaus Design & Construction Team have upgraded one of Joburg's finest courses with an empathy and nuance that only the more experienced and intellectual architect could achieve. Having worked as an Assistant Greenkeeper between 1994 - 1998 on the Nicklaus-designed PGA Centenary course at Gleneagles, host of the 2014 Ryder Cup, I truly believe Houghton is the better golf course...
William Wilson, WebMaster, EgoliGolf.
William Wilson, WebMaster, EgoliGolf.
Houghton Golf Club
Situated in Lower Houghton and surrounded by the leafy suburb of Norwood, the original Houghton Golf Club hosted the South African Open eight times since 1951. The European Tour utilised the venue for the Alfred Dunhill Championship and this is one of Johannesburg's outstanding golf courses. In 1926, Mr. A. M. Copland, the club's first professional, did a wonderful job of designing and laying out the course on a densely treed, undulating piece of land. Ponds and dams are a feature of the course, with an abundance of flowering shrubs, exotic plantlife, trees and a huge indigenous and migratory population of birdlife providing great variety and colour which will make your walk around this outstanding venue an extremely pleasing visual experience.
At lengths of 6542 metres from the championship tees, and a more friendly 6135 metres from the club tees, Houghton offers a tough but fair challenge to players of all levels. A mouthwatering selection of four par fives, ten par fours and four picturesque par threes await the discerning golfer who is fortunate enough to play this stunning championship layout. Perfectly manicured fairways, shaped by bands of kikuyu semi and fescue rough are framed by tall and majestic trees which make accuracy from the tee an absolute must if golfers are to safely navigate their way around this fine parkland golf course. Straight hitting will be rewarded with the chance to hit everything from fairway wood, long, medium and short irons into well guarded targets with water being a major factor on quite a few of these already challenging holes. Once there, the large, fast and undulating USGA Spec Bentgrass greens require good reading skills and an extremely smooth putting stroke.
Regularly rated in the top ten courses of South Africa, the 'old' Houghton was always a great test of golf. The 'new' Houghton is way beyond Five Star - it really is a question of 'when' and not 'if' this revamped historic and hallowed masterpiece in Joburg's Northern suburbs regains full Sunshine and European Tour recognition and once again hosts prestigious co-sanctioned events. The comfortable clubhouse with excellent bar, restaurant and conference facilities, is serviced by a highly efficient and friendly staff. After your round feel free to enjoy long, cold sundowners in the clubhouse or on the outdoor patio which offers stunning views of the golf course. The idyllic, tranquil settings create the perfect ambience for a tough, challenging, but ultimately satisfying, nineteenth hole!
To arrange your round of golf, company day, function or event call Keith Clarke on +27 (0) 82 657 6434, +27 (0) 11 025 2444 or Email; africa.alive@mweb.co.za |
|