Oubaai golf course is an up-market golf estate built on an elevated headland high above the South African coastline in the Garden Route. Although its final three holes jut out toward the sea, most of the golf is inland of the wonderful clubhouse and bordered by a deep river valley and surrounded by the Outeniqua Mountain Range.

Oubaai’s design team included champion golfer Ernie Els who thankfully had a strong input, particularly on the green shaping which is the strength of the layout. Several nice short par fours with strategic bunkering and a terrific par three across a deep ravine are part of a very solid outward half. This course offers a wonderfully stimulating and enjoyable golfing experience.

Fairways at Oubaai golf course are generally wide with large landing areas but do not think this makes it an easy course to score on as strategically positioned fairway and greenside bunkers increase the degree of playing difficulty.

The first hole is a long par 4. Teeing off over a small pond on the right you want to be careful given the positioning of the bunkers on the left and right. The undulating L shaped green will bring a challenging putt.

The 7^th Par 5 is a massive hole with no water hazard however it does have 5 fairway bunkers strategically placed on the right and one on the left. The last 2 bunkers are around the green on the left and right sides. The green is narrow but deep enough that you have some green to play with on your approach shot.

The signature hole is the par-three 17^th, played downhill to what is termed an “Infinity Green” with the sparkling Indian Ocean as a backdrop. If conditions are kind, it should be relatively straightforward to avoid the four bunkers protecting the green, to card a three here.