northwards towards Worcester, the Hex Valley and Cederberg and say goodbye to Cape Town.
We stumbled upon a nice 9 hole course at Hex Valley. The Hex Valley gets its name from the Dutch or Afrikaans name Witch or Hex and marks the end of the Karoo area. The valley is only 25km long valley and at its widest point 4 km across and is set within the second highest mountain range in the Western Cape.
Having the opportunity to travel around the mountains of the Cape area has already yield some stunning images, some scary drives and this time around we get all of the above… plus we get shaken up like salt cellars as we bump along some of the deeply rutted washboard roads whilst enjoying some spectacular scenery.
This nine hole course is set within fairly flat land in the valley, with plenty of water and deep craggy mountains looking down upon us as we start on, unusually, the 7th hole. It was a bit busy the day we went so we played out of sync with a par three start of 152 yards over, yes, you’ve guessed it - water. In high spirits a birdie ensued. I was beginning to think this is the turning point in the match, and I might start to believe in witches after all!
Some of the bare patches clearly show the hotter and more difficult to manage weather contains. Strange really as water was in play for many holes. Hole three was an interesting hole of almost two fairway sitting staggered but side by side. This hole takes on the edge of the elevated dam and in taking this route takes on the corner of the dam and therefore inevitably keeps you away from the oncoming fairway! Slightly confusing if you’d not played the course before, but once you climb the elevated tee, it becomes clear - take on the water or sneak a slither off the oncoming fairway, if you’re a short hitter, there’s more than one way to skin a cat, right? There were a couple of times, we felt the course could do with some ‘next tee’ signs. A very slight breeze didn’t really make us feel much cooler in the oppressive heat lingering in the bottom of the mountains, but those views were so real they were almost unreal, the kind of unreal you experience when you look at a painting and think - no way is that real! The craggy faces of the mountains take on sinister dark crevices, to shining light upon the myriad of colours bouncing back from the suns rays.
next stop in Worcester allowed us to indulge in the scenery once again. In Worcester, we’ve actually taken a little loop and are now back at the start/end of Route 62, and being the longest wine route in the world, the varying in diverse cultivated and uncultivated lands it’s always worth a second look.
Our first tee didn’t endear us to the members as a couple of older guys came and said they had the same tee time, so being kind, we let them play through as they said they were quick… hum… Eventually, after a few holes, as we were filming and working, they did get away, and we could play at our own pace once again, but better still we could do filming without other golfers in the way!
A slightly cool and breezy start to this fairly new course (1988) which was one of Peter Matkovich early designs in conjunction with Gary Player - I think the only time they did collaborate on a course design?
Set in a crescent shape in amongst the shrubbery, it was easy to play front and back nine as two separate games. Holes 1 and 2 take you away, with hole 3 doing a 90 degree turn across the top of the crescent to bring you back in line and to come back down the other side of the crescent.
One of the easiest course to truly appreciate the shapers in the golf design sphere, the course is so clearly cut in amongst the shrubbery, a bit like a heathland course, its a pleasure to play. Hole 4 is a great example of this as the risk and reward was to take on the inside of the crescent, or bail left. A nice simple design make more spectacular with the planting.
From hole 5 the water starts to make an appearance, with its menacing position being not visible from the tee, and after hole 7 the course takes on a more traditional style - maybe I’m thinking that as I’m thinking about the great heathland courses in the UK?
Target golf on hole 12 with the water inlets giving little let up for any wayward shots. At this stage the road noise also comes into play as the new location is next to the N1. Sadly the road also spoils the overall vista view with mountains being replaced by a shopping mall and the view behind us being obscured by huge water tanks - I guess they have to go somewhere and I’d like to think that there are plans for the screening of these in time?
Water and the dense shrubbery don’t work with wayward shots, but I did love the overall effect of the Worcester golf course, with its heathland appeal and in truth for only 30 years old, its settling in nicely.
Naturally, and as eluded to, Stephen won this one taking the score to level at 16.5 each.
a few things I loved about this room, one being the ensuite of two showers and two sinks. With it being ‘tiled’ in natural stone, it was a bit dark though and the raised bath also surrounded in stone looked dated and out of place as well as taking up too much room - but then the bed was really comfortable and the room huge. We needed to get some rest as the next day, again after a good breakfast we’re off to play another course and say a sad goodbye to our lovely hosts at the 19th
Golf Villa.
Ceres comes into full view as you teeter over the top of the pass just before
it sweeps down and around giving us closer views of the golf course as we arrive. Ceres is known as the sweetest valley, and is a large fruit growing area and famed for the juices which adorn many a South African breakfast table. After the greek goddess of fruits, the name Ceres makes sense.
Unusually apparently, a windy day, so windy the microphones didn’t really work and the prolific sprinklers were fun to doge as the wind changed their direction at the drop of a hat. When I say fun to dodge, my knee wasn’t allowing me to dash in and out before the sprinklers came and got me wet again, so hobbling along became as funny as dodging the sprinklers themselves! Especially when speed up as per the video!
Under the watchful eye of the stark granite mountain sides, we played this nine hole course. A course with potential to make something much bigger with the houses already under construction, with the eerie grey mountains casting shadows across the course.
nicely. Crossing over of dry streams the agapanthus shine brightly and offset the newness and maybe starkness of some parts of the course. The wind made the par 3 5th a bit more of a challenge, so much was the wind that an extra club was needed and we both reached the green for a two putt and a steady par.
A few smaller trees have been planted and once these reach the full height of maturity, will certainly make the course play, feel and look very different, and dare I say much better too as it beds in.
The greens had a little movement and were so nice to putt on.
Hole 7 takes you back over the railway line to hit towards the cool granite mountainside. With a brook running down the left hand side and wispy grass off the tee shining gold in the sunlight, the modern housing looks out of sorts in their American grey shades clap board style. A bit like the ones you’d see on a board room model, they don’t yet quite sing in harmony against the natural mountains, the course and planted grasses. That said they also looked neat and I wonder if there were more houses, whether that would make the overall appearance better or worse?
some renovations. Using the older facilities, I think I would have preferred the new ones to be up and running already, but we couldn’t fault the
location. A mirror reflective brackish pond was used for swimming and the mountains for walking around, marvelling at their height and in places steepness, it was great to wander around and explore these wild mountains.
On the road to Citrusval at the base of the Cederberg Mountains, our eyes
were sparkling at the glinting colours in the sunshine bouncing off the rocks and in the planting. It was a picture only captured by those wiling to open their minds and let nature in.
Not being able to relax once the tarmac road ends and the African massage comes into play once more, we take on the Middleberg Pass and back down the other side of this narrow, but ‘fixed up in places’ road. then you’re back on tarmac. Confusing as we drive from tarmac to dirt track on and off before arriving and staying in the Cederberg to explore this beautiful part of the world.
2 comments:
Very nicely written !! Could feel your pain at times 😂😂 I did the driving down Akkedis pass and loved it ! Was a good challenge !!!
Its a nightmare road!! but good to write about
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