Home to one of the world’s most challenging links courses, Humewood is consistently ranked as one of South Africa’s Top golf courses. The late Bobby Locke considered Humewood Golf Course to be the best in South Africa and said that it compared favourably with the top links courses in the British Isles. Humewood has hosted the South African Amateur 10 times and the South African Open 5 times.
Found in the coastal city of Port Elizabeth, the golf course is a genuine seaside links, with wide and undulating fairways, fast greens and thick coastal bush. A round is a must for any golfer visiting the ‘Friendly City’ of Port Elizabeth.
The course boasts a variety of animal life with an abundance of plovers, otherwise known as “kiewietjies”, one of which makes up the club’s emblem. And, after your round of golf, relax at the “19th” in the elegant Club House and indulge in a spectacular view over the links course itself as well as Algoa Bay.
Best course in South Africa
Best course in the World
The main road, Beach Road, which runs along the coastline from the CBD becomes Marine Drive. The course will appear on your right and is well marked.
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Par | Count | Min | Max | Avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Par 3 | 4 | 137 | 214 | 167 |
Par 4 | 10 | 320 | 459 | 410 |
Par 5 | 4 | 530 | 566 | 545 |
Min Elevation = 8m, Max Elevation = 27m, Difference = 19m, Total Ascent = 69m
Total Straight Line Walking Distance = 8390 yards = 4.8 miles
Elevation Profile based on SRTM 1 Arc-Second Global Dataset
62 by Daniel Greene in 2010 Vodacom Origins (8 birdies, eagle at 15).
62 by Jaco Prinsloo in 2023 Nelson Mandela Bay Championship (8 birdies, eagle at 17)
Lowest SA Open: 63 by Trevor Immelman in 2006
The shortest hole, 130-metre sixth, is one of the most fearsome with its narrow elevated green exposed to crosswinds. The long par-4 13th is unique, uphill over a rolling fairway to a green tucked into the protection of a dune. The par-5 17th is straight, but subject to crosswinds. A high ridge crosses the fairway in the driving area, and a burn fronts the green.
Five SA Opens: 2006 (Ernie Els), 1957 (Harold Henning), 1952 (Sid Brews), 1940 (Bobby Locke), 1934 (Sid Brews)
Goodyear Classic 1983 to 1992; Southern Cross Shield 2003
The men’s SA Amateur hosted a record 11 times (shared with East London GC), most recently 2017 (Christo Lamprecht); women’s SA Amateur four times.
Alan Jackson, who died in 2020 aged 92, was a member for 70 years and played in the 1952 SA Open. He won the 1954 SA Amateur at East London and represented SA in the first Commonwealth tournament at St Andrews that year. Terry Long, who died in 2019 aged 97, holds the SA record for matching or bettering his age more than 800 times. He won the club championship at 77.
Lengthy and spacious range with grass teeing area, including short-game facility.
1/ Humewood hosted the first 72-hole men’s SA Amateur Strokeplay in 1969. The second round witnessed a wind of such ferocity that the average score was in the 90s. Winner Dale Hayes shot 89 and kept his position. His winning total was 314.
2/ Humewood was the second course of Port Elizabeth GC when opened in 1931, becoming a separate club in 1952.
3/ Ernie Els set a SA Open 72-hole record of 24-under 264 in 2006 (67-66-66-65) when Humewood experienced four windless December days. Els then shot 263 at Durban CC in 2010 (65-65-67-66) and Retief Goosen equalled the old record of 264.
4/ A Scottish-type burn was built short of the par-5 17th green prior to 2006 SA Open. It has eliminated the run-up shot that was previously a feature of the hole.
5/ Members talk of two “courses,” West and East. When the westerly wind blows out to sea across Algoa Bay the downwind par 5s are reachable in two, while the par 4s into the wind can take three shots to reach. The easterly wind presents an opposite picture.
6/ Dr Lynn Slogrove has won 43 club championship titles in the East Cape, at Humewood (24), St Francis Bay (13) and St Francis Links (6).
2023 Andrew Ferrant & Lynn Slogrove
2022 JP van der Watt & Mieke De Ridder
2021 Roland Adonis
2020 JP van der Watt
2019 Francois van Coppenhagen & Mieke De Ridder
