Pearl Valley Golf & Country Estate

About the club

The Pearl Valley Golf Club is located near Franschhoek, a beautiful and historic town on the Cape. The club is part of a housing development, but is framed by lovely views of the mountains and the lake. The contemporary layout, which opened in 2003, lies on level land, but Jack Nicklaus was able to turn it into something special. The club has what it takes to challenge the very best players, having hosted the South African Open from 2007 to 2009, the last tournament being so closely contested that it was decided with extra holes. To compensate for the lack of relief in the topography, Nicklaus' design works in doglegs, numerous water hazards, trees and mounding. Several of the better holes are short ones where the water is in play, but the standout is the par 5 13th, which is criss-crossed by a creek leading up to a postage stamp green.