Blink once, and you may miss a zebra crossing the fairway far below Sardinia Bay Golf & Wildlife Estate’s clubhouse.
Blink twice, and you may not recognise the fairway.
The speed at which the golf club is introducing new elements and giving old ones a new lease on life is something to behold.
Course steward and resident Stephen Daly and his team have been relentless in their pursuit of perfection at the Gqeberha course.
Both the clubhouse and the track have undergone big changes in the past six months to keep the offering fresh while increasing its curb appeal.
The biggest project has been building a new green on the seventh hole, scheduled for completion later this month. It will redefine the Par-3’s character.
Many found the sharp slope on the original green too tricky, leading to the decision to replace it with a larger, less undulating putting surface.
Its new length, depending on pin placement, will be between 135 and 140 metres rather than the 140 to 170 regulars have become accustomed to.
That should be about a club less than before, or the same stick with a three-quarter swing if throttling your shot suits your game better. But the real gift is a more receptive green.
“Our prevailing wind is a westerly, so it was a really challenging hit into it,” Stephen says.
“Hopefully, it’s a little bit fairer now. Some people say it will be easier, but I’m not so sure. It depends on pin position.”
Around 130 tonnes of soil were trucked in to level the slope of the fairway, which often sent balls into the bush on the left.
Some vegetation has been trimmed to fashion a pathway for golf carts heading to the eighth tee. This gravel trail connects to the existing paved section.
However, it is not the end of the road for the old green. It will now be used exclusively for for the popular Sundowners Deck Shootout on Friday afternoons.
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The tee boxes serving the 4th and 13th, used for the first time at the club’s recent Ladies Open, have been levelled and manicured to offer different angles into the green below.
The flag is out of the player’s view when positioned to the left, meaning shots must be weighted perfectly to clear dense bush and a water hazard. This type of layout gives the nine-hole course more variation, Stephen says.
The clubhouse, too, received a makeover to accommodate growing membership numbers.
New furniture in the dining area has transformed the interior and plans are afoot to remodel the bar counter and kitchen.
“It makes it feel bigger. It’s allowed us to reconfigure the space and it’s worked well,” Stephen says.
Where the club could accommodate up to 40 people in the past, 56 fitted in comfortably for the Ladies Open.
The back deck has been extended a wee bit to create more space for those attending Sundowners sessions, while a beautiful garden leading to the entrance on the right-hand side of the building now greets visitors.
The cherry on top has been the addition of three new golf carts.
Ongoing improvements to the golf offering constantly add value to the 100-hectare property, recognised as one of the most sought-after lifestyle addresses in the Eastern Cape.