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) / Thinus Keller (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
-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.
Visitors welcome on weekdays and weekends.
Must book in advance. Maximum handicap: men 24; women 36.
Credit cards accepted. Contact club for full details, discounts, Stay&Play packages, etc. [Last updated: 2022].
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.
4th best course in South Africa (SA Top 100 website, 2022).
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
Ryder Cup: Rome plays host to the first ever Ryder Cup to be staged in Italy, with the USA defending golf’s greatest team trophy at Marco Simone Golf & Country Club (Sept 29-Oct 1).
Solheim Cup: also in September, also in southern Europe, the 18th Solheim Cup will be contested at Finca Cortesin on the Costa del Sol, with Europe defending after their surprise win in Toledo, Inverness Club (Ohio) in 2021 (Sept 22-24).
To secure the best rates and ensure availability, it's recommended to book your rental car in advance, especially during peak golfing season.
Car Rental in Belgium, Europe & Worldwide – Avis
Céline Boutier: with many successes as both an amateur and professional golfer, Boutier added a major championship title to her impressive résumé at this year’s Evian Championship.
Alex Cejka: buffeted by rain and high winds, especially on the high-scoring final day, Čejka prevailed over Pádraig Harrington in a playoff at Royal Porthcawl, to scoop the Senior Open Championship title.
Marco Simone Golf & Country Club: With a clubhouse that might befit a Roman Emperor, and a golf course to match, you can be sure of a memorable outing at Rome's most talked about golf facility.
Jim Fazio's original layout was much changed to create a modern Ryder Cup course ... now one of the Eternal City's (and Italy's) most revered.
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