Main Road,
St Francis Bay, Eastern Cape 6312
Office
+27 (0)42 200 4500Pro shop
+27 (0)42 200 4500Fax
+27 (0)42 294 0749Website
Visit websiteGolf pro
Jeff Clause (CEO and PGA, Director of Golf) / Norman Riley (Head Professional).The Course:
18 holes. Seaside links. Undulating terrain - a few slopes to climb, with several longish green-to-tee walks.
Surroundings:
Coastal duneland.
Designer:
Jack Nicklaus
Above distances are for the championship course. Also at St Francis Links is the 18-hole Par-3 course (par-27; 2035 m from back tees).
-34.160775
24.816377
83 km W of Port Elizabeth
From the N2 highway, 11 km west of Jeffreys Bay turn-off, take exit 665 (Hankey / St Humansdorp) and follow the R330, direction Humansdorp. After 3.3 Km at T-junction turn left and follow the R330 direction St Francis Bay. After 16.4 km at "St Francis Links" roundabout, on the edge of St Francis Bay, turn right into golf.
St Francis Links
St Francis Links Golf Course: If the Eastern Cape needed another big-dimension "trophy course" to lure visitors away from the Western Cape's Garden Route, then it surely arrived in the shape of the Jack Nicklaus designed St Francis Links. Certainly not for the faint-hearted, this is pure links golf, in the great Scottish tradition.
On this challenging layout, sensational bunkering is used to define many of the holes. These ever-present hazards are a throw back to days of old, when the sand scrapes of the earliest links courses were lined with thick, shaggy grass, as thick as that found if you stray too far beyond the rolling, tumbling fairways. If you do miss the fairways and modest amount of first-cut rough, then the rugged terrain and dense vegetation will probably require you to "re-load" and hit the next one a bit straighter.
Mixed into this fabulous but occasionally daunting layout are some testingly tight short par-4s, snaking par-5s, water protected par-3s and as many accuracy demanding approach shots as you dare to imagine. Added to the unique features of the handsomely rugged and demanding design, there are many views to enjoy across the stunning duneland, out onto the Indian Ocean and inland to faraway mountains.
Mid and low handicappers will love it here, especially once some "local knowledge" has been acquired after a round or two. For higher handicappers, and all golfers if the wind is blowing hard, ensure there are a few spare balls in your bag and not a little humility in your soul, as you take on this wonderful links-style course.
Stay&Play at St Francis Links: luxury onsite accommodation available, see Where2Stay section below.
Photos courtesy of Mrs. Sarah James.
Visitors welcome on weekdays and weekends.
Must book in advance. Maximum handicap: men 24; women 36.
Contact club for full details, discounts, Stay&Play packages, etc. [Last updated: 2023].
Walking permitted. Golf carts (fitted with GPS) available for hire.
Good
St Francis Links offers fully equipped accommodation in 2, 4, 6 and 10 bedroom homes/units, with self catering facilities. If you don’t want to cater, the club can! Breakfast is available at the clubhouse at least 6 days a week.
Seven duneland ridges run east-to-west across St Francis Links, dunes that have formed over the last 6,500 years. Even older than the dunes, at c.8,000 years old, are some stone-age archaelogical sites around the golf course.
South Africa's 3rd best course (SA's Top 100 Courses, 2024).
Main Road, St Francis Bay 6132.
+27 (0)42 294 0028
Visit websiteSt Francis Links now offers luxury accommodation on the estate in newly built luxury rooms in 2, 4, 6 and 10 bedroom homes/units, with self catering facilities. If you don’t want to cater, the club can do that for you, with breakfast available at the clubhouse seven days a week.
St Francis Links
St Francis Bay
No
63 Lyme Road, St Francis Bay
+27 (0)42 294 0082
Visit websiteThatchwood Country Lodge is situated at the entrance to the village of St Francis Bay over looking the St Francis golf course. In a relaxed home from home atmosphere, nothing is overlooked - but the golf course.
No
St Francis Links (next door); St Francis Bay
No
Women’s (British) Open: the last women’s major championship of the season is hosted by Royal Porthcawl GC. It’s the first time this fabulous seaside links course has hosted the event (July 31-Aug 3).
Walker Cup: the 50th playing of this prestigious men’s amateur event sees the GB&I go head-to-head against the defending USA team at Cypress Point Club, California (Sept 6-7). After that, all eyes turn to Bethpage State Park on Long Island, NY, where the American and defending European professional teams engage in the 45th Ryder Cup (Sept 27-29).
Lottie Woad: 21-year-old Woad burst onto the professional scene in July, with wins in the Women’s Irish Open (as an amateur) and three weeks later in the Women’s Scottish Open (as a professional). She nearly picked-up a major championship, placing third in The Evian in the same month.
Pádraig Harrington: the ever-likeable Irishman added the (British) Senior Open Championship title to his stellar array of tournament successes. His win came on Sunningdale’s spectacular Old Course. Harrington had already bagged the U.S. Senior Open title in June this year.
The Dutch: "It's no' just a game", as they say in Scotland, and that's certainly true at The Dutch. With 5-star services throughout, a lavishly comfortable Loch Lomond-inspired clubhouse, and a superbly designed and presented golf course, one could not ask for more from this top-end private club.
Join us at The Dutch from August 21–24 for the Festival of Golf, featuring the HotelPlanner Tour. Experience four days of top-tier sport, live music, incredible food, and unexpected surprises. Explore the grounds, connect with others, embrace new challenges, and dive into an unforgettable celebration. Click here to buy tickets.
Here at Prince’s Golf Club you'll find 27 excellent holes of links golf. Just over the fence and sharing similar terrain is Royal St George’s; but Prince’s is far from overshadowed by its venerable neighbour. The three nine-hole loops at Prince's, laid out over gently undulating terrain, are sure to bring a smile of satisfaction to all lovers of links golf.
Stay&Play at Prince's: excellent onsite Lodge accommodation available
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