Langebaan Country Estate

Just a little short article to accompany our YouTube channel.  Golf courses 35 and 36 of our Africa 100 challenge, today we're showing a wonderful golf resort, Langebaan Country Estate, we found on the West Coast of South Africa.  Not one but two golf courses on offer, with one being the Mashie Course.  A Mashie course is a term used in South Africa for a par three course, and this 18 hole par three course is a great way to get you into golf, practice your short game or do as we did and just go

along and enjoy playing it.  Carrying our own clubs, it was a good walk but also being a par 3 course, we didn’t need the whole bags worth of sticks either.  Flat to play and some real little challenging nuggets of holes, some narrowing some wide open but in all a good mixture.  It was a wonderful way to stretch our legs after being cooped up in Andi the Landy.  The mashie course also doubles up as a foot golf, with a separate green to kick the football to, it was great to see three teenagers playing behind us on the same course, just a different sport.

Not so much a hotel as a private house they rent out on the estate, it was much more than we needed, but it was also nice to play home again, as we settled in an enjoyed a ‘normal existence’, if only for a few days.  I cannot stress enough how much easier it is to get water from the tap, to turn the shower on with out having to hike for miles and best of all not have to pack up house after each night.  A real home from home place with the master suite being on a mezzanine level overlooking the living area.

Playing the 18 hole golf course at yet another Black Knight course, and is considered the jewel of the West Coast - But I guess the reality is there aren’t many more golf courses there anyway, especially as the week before we arrived, the only other real contender, Shelly Point Hotel and Spa, burned down with the golf closing in its aftermath.  Tragic as it was, our morbid curiosity took us over there to enquire.  Upon seeing the destruction, we felt it only fitting not to pursue this course in our quest to play 100 African golf courses, as a sign of respect.  

A pleasant tee time of 11am and the wind was getting up - naturally the first hole
was straight into the wind shooting towards a nice big green.  Crossing the road to number 2, things got very interesting as two type of buck, Springbok and Blesbok or was it Bontebok, clearly our buck knowledge is somewhat lacking!  Ground birds nesting at the side of the tee, this was turning into a mini safari.  Respect was given to the nesting birds by way of a temporary cordon off area.   Usually a par 5, it was reduced to a par 3, and probably about the only time an opportunity for an eagle came into play, but sadly had to settle for birdies!

From the following hole, the game slowed down, so we tried to enjoy the views instead, and as they were plentiful, that wasn’t too hard, for a short time at least.  Houses lining the fairways, a low unobtrusive design with even the two storey buildings not being too high - and with space between the houses and the golf course, it didn’t feel intrusive or overcrowded.   Tee boxes were decent and the green were nicely undulating, but as the game was getting really really slow, we missed hole 7, shame really as it was an ocean view one!  The golf cart was a bit dilapidated, the brakes didn’t work and the tyres were worn, but it did the job - it in many ways, it was just like being back in Andi the Landy!

Hole 10 was a nice interesting hole with water left and with the wind coming from
the left, the golf ball flight could be exaggerated as the wind carried it right, but no, I decided to play the wind game and mis-calculated its strength and stuck the ball straight into the water!  with a splash the birds scattered, as the beautiful springbok wander across the green and come to settle at the back of the 12th tee.

The 12th brings you a dog leg right, quickly followed by the 13th a dog leg left, with a nasty waste bunker on the inside of the dog leg, in fact there were a few waste bunkers at Langebaan. 

As a tree lover, I thought the lollipop trees were wonderful to look at and very structural especially as they were used to frame some of the tee boxes. 

The closing hole, 18, is a pretty one and forms the other side of the dreaded water on the 10th as I look longingly at the spot where my ball decided to take up scuba diving, without success.

We felt privilege playing such a lovely course with the wild animals roaming freely, all in a howling wind.

As Stephen won this one, in the overall match, the score stands at Stephen 18.5 and me now at 17.5 - a real nip and tuck scoring.

As the beach is so close, a quick walk to blow away the cobwebs before dinner and to discuss our game of golf was in order, and blow away the cobwebs we did, as the wind did not let up, coming off the sea with a vengeance and making it difficult to chat with its breathtaking gusts.  Departing the beach red faced and hungry, we were ready to tackle chefs choice dishes.

Dinner with a view, and the special of seafood, chef did a great job and we sat and enjoyed a glass of wine as we watched the sun set, whilst we tackled our next course of the chefs special lamb curry.

A great way to end a special few days at Langebaan, golfing and relaxing - just what the doctor ordered.

Check out https://youtube.com/@travellifestylegolf to see this article in moving pictures, fi this is apace you're thinking to visit, this article and video will help you decide.

Next up - overlanding and camping the Richtersveld