I have spoken often of the great pleasure in travelling the world reporting on the ancient club-and-ball game and also equally teeing-up in so many different countries.

This includes also teeing-up along the shoreline of the world’s oceans and seas and to then have the good fortune to enjoy a round on the opposite shoreline of the same ocean or sea.

An example of what I am referring is Australia’s Crescent Head Golf Club course and recently featured on this website (See: http://www.golfbytourmiss.com/2024/12/crescent-head-country-club-a-stunning-6-hole-gem-overlooking-the-mighty-blue-pacific/ ) and where the course is laid-out alongside the Pacific Ocean to the north of Sydney and also having enjoyed teeing-up on courses laid out far away to the east Australia and dotted along the Pacific on the western shoreline of California.

It’s been the same residing in Scotland and travelling to one my favourite courses and that being Askernish in the Outer Hebrides and knowing, as you look out over the might of the Atlantic Ocean, that I have teed-up on American courses laid-out along the shoreline in the eastern US states.

As well, I’ve been fortunate to play many of the Irish gems located along the famed Wild Atlantic Way such as Old Head, Ballybunnion, Waterville, Tralee, Dooks and Belmullet to name a few while it’s a same scenario with playing golf in Spain, Portugal and even along with Atlantic shoreline at Agadir in Morocco playing golf during Hassan 11 Trophee week.

There’s also the Indian Open and the third-largest of the world’s five oceanic divisions, covering 70,560,000 km² or approximately 20% of the water area of Earth’s surface. It is bounded by Asia to the north, Africa to the west and Australia to the east.

And in singling out the Western Australian coastline there is a number of courses along the Indian Ocean shoreline in Perth including the Sea View Golf Club and also the Links at Kennedy Bay, and rated among the top-100 in Australia.  I have played The Links at Kennedy Bay though not at the time realising that as I looked out over the coastline that just a few kilometers shy of 8,000 kilometers to the west is the Indian Ocean shoreline at the Princes Grant Golf Club in South Africa.

Prince’s Grant itself is located some 80 kilometers north of Durban and it was also in 2013 when I was afforded the opportunity in the days ahead of the Volvo Golf Champions to tee-up on another South African golfing gem.

I wrote recently of my experience that same week in teeing-up at Cotswold Downs but not being aware at the time that both courses had been designed by the renwoned Peter Matkovich with each laid-out on a rolling hills-like landscape though individually so striking in their own right.

(Cotswold Downs feature: http://www.golfbytourmiss.com/2024/12/cotsworld-downs-tops-in-a-stunning-south-african-golfing-masterpiece/ )

History of Prince’s Grant ….

By way of history, and quoting from GolfEstateProperties.com, Prince’s Grant was previously a portion of the farm named Hyde Park.  The first owner was George Wilson Prince who acquired the property by a Deed of Grant on 20th October, 1856 from Her Majesty Queen Victoria.

So, that explains the origin of the name Prince’s Grant.

The 3,354 acres of land was acquired by Mr Prince for the princely sum of just two pounds, five shillings and four pence sterling.

It was soon after this that the farm was acquired by India-born Babu Bodasing, who was aged 21 when in 1874 he arrived into South Africa as indentured cane cutter. In his remaining 45s year lifetime till his passing in 1919, Babu Bodasing managed to put together an unbelievable portfolio of properties in Natal and Hyde Park and they remained in Bodasing hands until the land on which Prince’s Grant is situated was sold to Prince’s Grant Property Share Block Limited by Raj Bodasing. The latter is still a shareholder and director of Prince’s Grant Holdings (Pty) Limited.

A number of features about the estate originate from the Babu Bodasing era including the 16th hole and known as “Paddyfield”. This was planted to rice by Babu Bodasing many years ago (See image 16th hole below).

The small house on the beach behind the 15th green was the first building on the property and is to be retained in its present form. The house, through which the fence runs, was the Bodasing family’s original beach cottage. It has been redesigned but the foundations remain those originally built by the Bodasings seventy or eighty years ago.

As well, Babu Bodasing is honoured with one of the streets on the estate is named after him.

Construction of the golf course commenced in 1992 and it was opened for play in June 1994. The clubhouse was officially opened by famed South African professional Hugh Baiocchi, the club’s first director of golf, in November 1994. At the time of the club’s opening Baiocchi had won some 24 times in his pro career including six of those from 1973 to 1983 on the European Tour. Three of those two dozen career victories were soon after turning 50 in 1997 and 1998 while he also lost two play-offs in ’97.

The article I am quoting says that in Hugh’s first days at Prince’s Grant, the Pro Shop consisted of a wooden wendy house (children’s small play house) perched on top of the tenth tee.   That is very different to today as you can see from an images above of the clubhouse and combined lodge.

The Prince’s Grant Golf Course ….

Prince’s Grant is among eight golf courses, including the Duban Country Club and venue for the 2013 and 2014 Volvo sponsored event, that is laid-out over-looking the Indian Ocean on the KwaZulu-Natal province coastline, and with Prince’s Grant the most northern.

Much like Cotswold Downs, Prince’s Grant is laid-out on steep rolling countryside, through valleys and over hills and each hole very much akin to a postcard setting.

Though not real sure why the opening hole, a downhill par-4 playing to 351-yards is named Temper Tantrum as the tee is located to the right of the 10th tee, and with both tees side-by-side you’re standing on the widest point of the golf course.

The first is a downhill hole that turns slightly to the right and where the majority of the trouble is down the right side of the hole and where find no fewer than seven bunkers placed right of the fairway and a further two round the green.

There’s water guarding the green at the par-4 second hole while the third is a par-3 measuring 151-yards and named ‘Look Down’ where you’ll find a pulpit hole with the green fronted by a stream.  There is also water to be found at three locations at the par-5 sixth hole, named ‘Career Best‘ and measuring 431-yards and where there’s no future if you’re shot is short in going for the green.

‘Out Again’ is the name of the 352-yard, par-4 10th hole, and as mentioned above, you’re teeing-up standing at the widest part of the course though in contrast to the first, you’re hitting more uphill though like the opening hole there is also six bunkers lying in wait for any shot right.

The Prince’s Grants signature hole is undoubtedly the par-5 15th named ‘Umvoti’.  It’s a ‘make sure your camera phone is fully charged‘ hole as the view off the tee is good enough to take your focus off golf and just looking out, as you do, over the expanse of the Indian Ocean.

Back to the golf and the challenge to find the fairway at this 421-yard gem and ranked the 10th hardest.  While not wanting to be anywhere left the key is also avoiding four bunkers guarding the right side of the fairway and if you’re managed that, then there’s eight bunkers made-up of a row of three, a row of two and then a second row of three short right of the putting surface.

Cross Tappie Toerie Road and you’re on the short 288-yard, par-4 No. 16 handicap 16th that doglegs slightly right-to-left and with no newer than seven bunkers down the right of the hole and then two more on the right side of the green.

The 17th is the last of the par-3s playing to 153-yards and ranked 12th hardest and a hole that has a long narrow green with a steep drop on the left into a mangrove swamp while the last, named ‘Cobble Stone’ and with the 18th an uphill 442-yard par-5 challenge and the No. 4 index hole that brings to an end the wonderful experience of playing Prince’s Grant.

Course Record

A round of an eight-under par 64 by South African Jbe Kruger, 2009 SAA Pro-Am Invitational

Prince’s Grant Invitational

The 72-hole Prince’s Grant Invitational for leading male amateurs was resumed in May 2022 after a five-year absence and won by Jordan Wessels on level par 288. Past champions include Brandon Stone (2011/12), Haydn Porteous (2013) and Charl Schwartzel (2002).

The tournament pays tribute to the SA Amateur champion, who is granted honorary membership, and clubhouse memorabilia includes photographs of past champions. There is a large painting of 19th century golfer Freddie Tait in the clubhouse entrance. The Freddie Tait Cup is awarded to the leading amateur in the SA Open.

• Thank you to Prince’s Grant for use of the photographs.