A green on the course, the fairway mown in stripes, under the Hex River mountains

Nine holes beneath the Hex River peaks

A farmers' course since 1992, among the vineyards of De Doorns.

In 1989 three farmers asked De Doorns for a golf course. There was little money, less water and not much land. So the valley built it themselves, and finished for half the price.

The ninth from the air: the pond, the fairway and the clubhouse, De Doorns and the Hex River mountains beyond

Nine holes, one loop

Played twice from different tees, for a par of 70. Out among the vineyards and home to the clubhouse.

Home along the ninth

The last hole runs beside the pond, straight at the clubhouse.

The clubhouse

The practice green out front, the terrace under the palms, and a bar with a view.

Fly all nine holes

Drone footage: Monoform · the short link between the two shots is AI-generated

1992Founded by local farmers

9Holes, played as 18

70Par for 18 holes

~200Affiliated members

100Guests in the function room

Built by the valley, by hand

Farmers and a tractor on the bare ground where the course was built — Clearing the ground

People gathered on the building site — On the building site

A golfer tries a swing on the unfinished course — First swings, before the grass

Ribbon cutting on a green — Cutting the ribbon

1989

Niël Jordaan, Gideon Meissenheimer and Patrick Bettesworth open talks with the De Doorns Municipality about a golf course in the Hex.

1990

The go-ahead comes after a year of steering-committee meetings. The committee and their wives sell potjiekos tickets and hotdogs, and throw a cowboy ball to raise the money.

1991

François Malherbe designs the course. Farmers and farm workers build it themselves and finish early in 1991, for half the projected cost.

1992

The club is founded on 7 August 1992. Some onlookers called it a baby born dead. Nearly 200 members say otherwise.

Read the full story