The Sunshine Tour gets back into action this week with The Hyundai Open at Ebotse Links, which is perhaps one of Peter Matkovich’s most beguiling designs, and one which prompts perennial discussions about what makes a ‘true links’.

In this extract from the book he co-authored with Jamie Thom entitled South Africa’s Greatest Golf Destinations, Stuart McLean writes:

“When Peter Matkovich first saw the colossal sand hills on the site of a disused quarry where he was meant to build Ebotse, he made a decision that was to save the developers a big chunk of their projected budget. Instead of removing the sand at great expense, the sand was dispersed and shaped into uneven, flowing mounds between holes, giving it a links-like character.

“It is not a deliberate attempt to build an artificial links by adding dirt; instead, the mounds lend distinctive character to each hole, and the result is a uniquely rugged golf course for Gauteng, in contrast to the pretty parkland layouts that are typical of the region. The Ebotse course is not all high dunes, but has a rumpled and distressed look, with jagged mounds and steep slopes adding definition to the terrain.”

Built on the site of an old mine, the course at the Ebotse Golf & Country Estate is regarded as a real environmental success story. Before construction began, the property was cleared of old kaolin deposits, much of the alien vegetation was removed and an old quarry pit filled in. Once this was done, Matkovich had pretty much a blank canvas to work with.

A staggering two million cubic metres of soil from the old sand quarry was then moved around the estate, allowing the architect to fashion elevation changes of up to 25 metres on a generally flat landscape as he sculpted the fairways in the style of an old Irish links.

The front nine weaves through a housing development, with the final two holes of this circuit returning to Rynfield Dam, where the clubhouse sits overlooking the shimmering waters. The back nine holes are set in more open terrain and holes 11 to 13 play round a smaller body of water at the driving range before the final two holes on the card wrap around the dam on their way back to the comforts of the clubhouse.

And standing on the first tee, with dunes lining each side of the fairway, and another towering behind the green, it’s easy to convince yourself that you could be on in the British Isles.

The opening holes at Ebotse are actually even more dramatic to play than those on some of the best true links. Matkovich’s love for links golf, and his eye for detail, has seen him capture many of the quirky attributes that are a fascinating part of ancient designs. The winter months are possibly the best to experience the joys of links golf in its purest form. When the fairways harden the tee shots run much further and bring bunkers into play. The bent grass greens provide slick surfaces, similar to the fescue greens of the UK. However, those at Ebotse are more receptive to a well-struck shot.

DID YOU KNOW

• Course record: 61 by Doug McGuigan in 2013; Jayden Schaper twice in 2018; Christiaan Bezuidenhout 2019
• Ebotse Links has a unique range where golfers hit range balls into the large central dam near the clubhouse; the floating balls then drift back to shore to be collected
• Sean Bradley had a remarkable 63 in the 2022 Fortress Invitational: He began with a double-bogey six, yet played the front nine in 31 with five birdies and a hole-in-one at eight