The Wild Coast Sun celebrates 40 years of operation at the end of this year, with the Robert Trent Jones Jnr designed championship golf course among the jewels in the crown of the resort located on the unspoiled coastline between KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern Cape.
The Wild Coast Sun, part of the Sun International stable, has remained a popular holiday destination since it first opened its doors to the public on 1 December 1981. A large part of the resort’s attraction is the testing 18-hole par-70 layout which meanders across magnificent expanses which include ocean views and stunning natural surrounds.
The course, which was opened at a cost of R2 million in May 1983, remains a favourite on the South African golfing scene and the Wild Coast Sun Country Club forms part of the South African PGA circuit, having hosted the likes of the Vodacom Origins of Golf Tour and the annual Wild Waves Golf Challenge.
South Africa’s Top 100 courses ranks the Wild Coast Sun at No 28, stating the course “remains one of the most exhilarating golfing experiences in South Africa”.
“Built on rugged undulating terrain next to the Indian Ocean, it offers a combination of quirky and dramatic holes, and was one of the first in the country by an American course architect.”
The course is short by most modern standards at only 5,329 metres (5828 yards), due in large part to a total of six par 3s, but don’t be fooled and think the course is a walkover – especially if the wind picks up.
South Africa’s Top 100 Golf Courses records that while there have been numerous scores of 61 and 62 since Doug McGuigan recorded the first 61 in 2000, it was only in October 2019 that the course registered its first 60, by Jean Hugo en route to victory in that year’s Wild Coast Sun Challenge. But just to show its worth, while Hugo recorded a 60 and a 65 across his first two rounds, his closing third round saw him register a 74.
A number of Southern African and global stars have graced the course over the years including the likes of Mark McNulty who is a six-time winner at the course, as well as the late, great Spaniard Seve Ballesteros.
The Wild Coast Sun resort is located on the Mtamvuna River which serves as the boundary between KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern Cape. The resort is officially listed in the Eastern Cape, and while the course is often defined as being part of the KwaZulu-Natal South Coast courses, the club is affiliated with the Border Golf Union of the Eastern Cape.
Renowned international golf course architect Trent Jones Jnr, when designing the hilly layout, worked hard to ensure full use of the unique natural topography and geography, for a course that blends in magnificently with its natural surroundings. Almost four decades on, one would have to search far and wide for a course more in tune with its natural habitat.
Wild Coast Sun, General Manager, Peter Tshidi, said: “The Wild Coast Sun prides itself on the myriad sporting and entertainment activities on offer in one of the most unspoiled stretches of coastline in South Africa. Visitors can experience deep-sea fishing charters, rock, surf, fly and spear fishing, scuba diving, hiking trails and horse rides on the beach. Yet, our championship lay-out is truly something special, and playing golf surrounded by the stillness of only the wild and birdlife is an experience to savour.
“If you are a keen and passionate golfer, a turn at the Wild Coast Sun layout is an absolute must,” he added. “Our course is famed for its magnificently curated fairways and greens that cross rugged terrain of hills, ravines, rivers, dams, waterfalls and the lagoon, until the final 18th hole, with its unforgettable views of the Indian Ocean.”
To mark four decades in operation, Wild Coast Sun’s birthday theme is “life starts at 40 – let the good times roll,” added Tshidi.
To use Sun International’s newly launched direct booking hotel reservation platform to book your stay at Wild Coast Sun, click here.
