Humewood Golf Course

Humewood Golf Club in Port Elizabeth is as close to a traditional links course as you will get in Africa. The Humewood Links is retained its ranking at 9th of South Africa’s top 100 golf courses in 2023. The course has played host to a number of major South African tournaments including the South African Open.

It is situated amongst the sand dunes along the shores of Algoa Bay in Port Elizabeth. For visitors on a South Africa golf holiday, the course provides a supreme test of links-play skills. Golfers who have travelled along the Garden Route can finish their tour with at least one night in Port Elizabeth, offering a chance to play Humewood before they leave.

The fairways are exposed, undulating and wide to compensate for the stiff sea ‘breezes’. There are few bunkers with steep faces, and the fairways are firm and fast, giving you some much welcome extra yards of ball-roll. However, stray off the centre and the rough is thick coastal bush that swallows balls whole.  Being a traditional links course, with only one water hazard in the form of a small burn in front of the 17th green.

The course was built by an Englishman, Major Stafford Vere Hotchkin in 1929 and originally featured eight par 5’s giving an overall par 76 rating. Since then, the  course has been re configured and adapted to a traditional par 72 format, and additional bunkers added.

The par 3, third hole plays towards the sea, where the small green is protected by two large bunkers to the right and a hump short right of the green. Whilst the hump is a a good line to aim at, it requires supreme accuracy. Don’t pitch directly onto it – it you catch it slightly wrong, it can kick the ball towards the bunkers.

The signature hole 13th has been ranked as one of the top 500 holes in the world, this majestic par 4 runs all of 408 metres uphill. The severely sloped and undulating fairway adds to the difficulty of the hole, as well as a tough semi–blind approach shot to the tiny green which is set behind a mound on the right. Adding to your difficulties, here is a fairway bunker to the left of the green that will catch a miscued approach shot. Once you have putted out, be sure to look back towards the tee box for a superb panoramic view of the bay.

Abundant animal life is found on the course including monkeys, small buck, tortoises, meerkats and plovers. The crowned plover or “kiewietjie” is found on the club’s emblem. After a round, indulge in some superb views over the course and Algoa Bay from the “19th”.

The course centres around the old, white walled, double storey clubhouse. Elegantly set, the staff and members extend a warm welcome to our clients that visit as part of their South African golf holiday.

Port Elizabeth has a number of excellent B&B properties as well as larger hotels that we can recommend. It is also about an hour’s drive from the Addo National Elephant Park and a number of safari lodges such as Shamwari and Pumba. It is easy to combine a stay in Port Elizabeth with a couple of nights on safari. An hour’s drive from Port Elizabeth is the small village of St Francis which has a further 2 excellent golf courses including a Jack Niklaus designed course, St Francis Links.

For more information about golf holidays in South Africa and playing at Humewood, contact us here or call +44 208 249 5919  to speak to our specialist golf holiday’s team.