The River Club Golf Course

The River Club Golf Course: Located in Johannesburg's leafy northern suburbs (in fact in the suburb of River Club), the eponymous golf course is regularly rated one of the top layouts in South Africa. However, unlike others in the top echelon, this is a fully private course, only open to its members and their guests.

If you should get the opportunity to play here, you will find a classical parkland fusion of tree-lined fairways, picturesque but threatening water hazards, and top quality greens and bunkering.

The terrain is gently undulating, with the layout containing many attractive dog-legging holes and some inspired par-3s. The course never wanders too far from the elegant clubhouse, not even on the arguably more interesting back-nine. At the par-4 13th, par-3 14th and par-5 15th you come closest to the Braamfontein Spruit, a tributary of the Jukskei River (see Did You Know section below).

This thoroughly enjoyable and challenging layout packs quite a punch at the end with the long par-3 17th requiring a serious carry over water, and a real do-or-die finale at the par-4 18th, with a potentially long approach into a well-bunkered and water-protected green. Benefitting from many fewer rounds being played on its pristine fairways, River Club often tops the list of Joburg's elite in terms of quality of upkeep and presentation.