The Eastern Cape coastline is one of the most unique and picturesque in the world. From the city of East London, not only is it easily accessible, but it also offers some more-than-decent golfing experiences.

Whether the courses are old or new, or a labour of love for a local community, incredible hospitality and breathtaking scenery are in abundance throughout. There is a variety of golf clubs in the region, but The Golf Mag is focusing on four courses of special interest to give you a great cross section of offerings.

This is one of South Africa’s true natural gems. Located on higher ground in Bunkers Hill with sweeping views of the Indian Ocean, the course has a real links feel to it with undulations mixing with local vegetation to present some memorable holes.

Founded in 1893, East London GC has hosted an incredible amount of national amateur events, all the way through to being a host of the Africa Open during the height of South Africa’s co-sanctioned swing with the then European Tour until 2015.

Maintaining this high level is no mean feat, but despite being off the more beaten track golf-wise, East London GC continues to go from strength to strength. It is ranked as a top-10 course in the country with a genuine contemporary appeal to complement its storied pedigree.

It’s an absolute must-play in the region and worth the trip all by itself.

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Set in a vast nature reserve roughly 40km outside East London just off the N2 highway, Olivewood is a fantastic modern addition to the region.

The secure estate is an oasis of biodiversity, with abundant birdlife and free-roaming wildlife like nyala, impala, bushbuck, duiker, blue wildebeest, zebra and warthog. Towering giraffes are also in the mix, with honey badgers and lynx also spotted occasionally on the estate.

Animals aside, natural coastal forests and local vegetation provide a unique aesthetic, which is brought further to life by the course routing and natural sloping of the property.

Adopting a distinctive ‘out and in’ set-up, the out will see you play the first eight holes away from the clubhouse and rolling down to the Chintsa River plain and lagoon. A decent introduction to the sloping of the course, it’s the turn back for home where the course really gets interesting.

The undulation changes create some challenging holes, and a memorable march (cart ride) to the 18th and the comfortable clubhouse. It is the kind of place where it may be best to book more than just one round.

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Travelling further up the coastline, Kei Mouth Country Club is another must-add to any trip to this area. The wonderful hospitality and incredible views from the course are just two of the many standouts here.

Originally built as a nine-hole layout upon the designs of the legendary Bob Grimsdell, the course developed an additional four holes to make a unique 13-hole course. The concept didn’t quite work as planned, with most golfers wanting to experience a conventional 18 holes of scoring which saw holes 1, 2, 3, 5 and 6 getting played twice to get them there.

Kei Mouth is the epitome of members of the community being invested and involved in their local club. The Covid-19 pandemic hit the club hard. With resources diminished, the maintenance focus went to the original nine holes only. As it was for many of the small clubs in the country, the pandemic made for a prolonged tough spell. Tremendous efforts from the locals who care so much about Kei Mouth CC came to the fore, though, representing what the course means to the people of the area, and this dedication has continued to this day.

Greenkeeper Clive Albrecht and his team, along with the assistance of East London Golf Club, managed to not only restore the charm and conditioning of the club, but also created new momentum to further enhance it for future guests. It is a truly vibrant club, with competitions and golf days taking place regularly.

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Situated on the airport side of East London, West Bank is another club with a proud tradition. Opened in 1907 as a nine-hole course, it was extended to an 18-holer in 1929. It was then modified in 1939 when the current clubhouse was also built.

Host of the 2019 Eastern Province and Border men’s champions, and numerous other SA amateur events over the years, it is by today’s standards a short and quick layout. Far from a pushover, though (especially when the wind picks up), the front nine runs parallel to the coastline, with the back nine moving more inland.

Along with the distinctive sea views throughout the round, West Bank is also well-known for the iconic Hood Point lighthouse on the property. The West Bank cemetery is also within the course boundaries and is set beside the lighthouse. Several World War II servicemen’s graves can be found in the cemetery

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EAST LONDON GC/OLIVEWOOD/KEI MOUTH TOURISM/WEST BANK GC/INKWENKWEZI