Arabella Golf Course Review
Arabella Golf Club was opened in 1998 and is situated just over an hours drive from Cape Town in South Africa.
Designed by legendary South African course designer Peter Matkovich, Arabella is flanked by the Bot River on one side and Mount Hebron nature reserve on the other.
Arabella Golf Course
Overall Review
Highlights
- Beautiful views and scenery.
- 5 star service from staff, especially if one stays in the hotel.
- Arabella is always in superb condition.
Cost
- Arabella is open to all golfers. It is not restricted to hotel guests only. Green fees are approximately $100-$125 (depending on currency fluctuations) and includes a cart with GPS.
- Hotel guests qualify for discounted green fee rates.
- The course is open 7 days a week, 365 days a year.
- There are Winter 4 Ball special deals available on certain days of the week.
Pace Of Play
- Slow (allow 4:45-5 hours for 18 holes). Pace of play in South Africa is generally quite slow.
- Carts are not mandatory, but there are relatively big walks between green and tee, so we recommend taking a cart.
Course Par and Overall Yardage
| Par | Ladies | Silver (Seniors) | Gold (Club) | Black (Championship) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 72 | 5,107m | 5,403m | 6,082m | 6,381m |
Quick Facts
| Course Details | Arabella Golf Club |
|---|---|
| Address | P.O. Box 788 Kleinmond 7195, South Africa. Take the R44 to Kleinmond. |
| Tel No. | +27 28 284 0105 |
| Website | www.arabellacountryestate.co.za |
| Course Architect | Peter Matkovich |
| Golf Director | Michael Munro |
Arabella Detailed Review
Arabella burst onto the scene in the late 90’s and has had a phenomenal reputation since day one.
Besides the world class golf course (it is frequently ranked in the top 10 in South Africa), Arabella has a 5 star hotel and spa that boasts a number of restaurants and facilities making your stay just that little bit more memorable.
The original layout was carved out of stony farmland by Matkovich and plenty of clearing needed to be done to create this gem of a design. There was an enormous amount of earth moving that took place as well as felling of invasive trees that crowded the area.
Arabella has hosted the Nelson Mandela Invitational hosted by Gary Player between 2000 – 2006. The event then became the Gary Player Invitational which spent another two years at Arabella.
It has also hosted a number of Sunshine Tour events although it is highly unlikely it would host any big event due to the slight lack of practice facilities in particular.
8th hole green, a tough Par 5 wedged between long fairway bunkers and water both sides.
Layout
At 6381 meters (6980 yards) off the tips being a Par 72, the layout is fairly short by modern standards. A traditional mixture of four par 3’s and four par 5’s along with ten par 4’s are fairly easy, provided the dreaded south easterly winds don’t blow.
Despite the course being relatively short, the par 3’s actually provide a stern test even for a professional golfer. The shortest of them is 160 meters and the balance measure between 175 to 200 meters.
The par 4’s are an eclectic mix of both long and short (a couple of them being drivable for the longer hitter) as well as doglegs either way, so it doesn’t necessarily favour a drawer or fader of the golf ball. As with most well designed golf courses there is a premium on accuracy off the tee with a number of hazards and out of bounds flanking the fairways. Whilst most of the holes are flat there are a handful that have elevation changes creating a good test in depth perception and judging the elements.
Conditioning
Arabella has always been known for its magnificent manicuring and course conditioning. This particular element is critical in a golfers experience and Arabella doesn’t disappointed.
Fairways that are well knitted and have superb grass coverage, bunker edging that has been trimmed on a regular basis, bent grass fringes that surround each green and are as smooth as the greens themselves.
Bunker sand is perfectly white and compact providing good lies more often than not and lastly the greens run like a billiard table. Just superb.
15th Hole at Arabella
Playability
Measuring only 6381 meters off the tips and more like 6150 off club tees, Arabella does provide fair playability for all skill levels.
Practically all of the holes allow for a run up to the green on approach and don’t demand a long carry to safety whether that be to fairway or green.
Fairly generous fairways and greens don’t add that additional pressure of having to strike the ball perfectly each and every time.
Facilities
When combining the hotel, spa and golf course, the overall facilities are fantastic – truly 5 star!
However, in terms of the golf course facilities, these are slightly disappointing, particularly for the more serious golfer. Whilst there is a driving range, it only measures a maximum of 220 metres and doesn’t allow you to hit long irons, fairway woods or drivers. There is a large putting green and chipping green, but no greenside bunker to hit out of before teeing it up.
That being said, the pro shop is exquisite and provides a wide array of apparel, accessories and memorabilia.
Favourite Hole
One standout hole is the par five 18th. A visually enticing and intimidating hole that runs parallel to the Bot River back towards the hotel.
A fairway bunker runs all the way up the righthand side and fynbos protects the left off the tee. Two good shots and it allows even the higher handicapper a shot at birdie, but stray offline and that will turn into a bogey. Spectacular yet challenging.
Par 5, 18th hole at Arabella
Least Favourite Hole
While there are no really bad holes, the 1st Hole is slightly on the weak side. A very short par 4 up the hill with a wide fairway and slight dogleg left. There are no fairway bunkers or green side bunkers, just a false front and that falls off to the left. A generous start to the round.
Toughest Hole
The par four third is the toughest hole on the course. Measuring at 420 metres off the tips and into the prevailing wind, the dogleg left has water running all the way up the left from tee to green and catches many a golf ball. Narrow entrance to the green provides a tough up and down to save par or bogey.
