2 - Beachwood Country Club

Location: Durban, South Africa

Rating: 7.2

Beachwood is where I spent my formative years growing up. Back in the day my mates and I used to go down and spend hours chipping and putting and messing around in the practice bunker there before being collected by our parents. It was part of Durban Country Club when this was their second course and what a second course to have, it was better than most in the Durban area.

As the years went on and Durban Country Club struggled financially it received less and less investment and the quality started to wane. Until recently it was bought by new owners but understand there is the intention to turn part of the course into property development. Sadly it looks like it will be no longer the glorious 18 hole course it once was.

In its glory days it was a beautiful mix of linksy holes with undulating fairways intertwined with holes weaving through the mangroves on marsh land. Situated a few meters from the beach it was always a tough challenge and some holes lined with thick bush provided no respite in tougher conditions.