The Gary Player Country Club course is difficult and demanding. Since 1979 it has been the venue for the Nedbank Million Dollar Golf Challenge. The full 6 938 metre course is undoubtedly the toughest on the continent.

Like most Southern African golfing links, the course uses kikuyu grass on the tees, fairways and semi-roughs. Golfers from elsewhere have to adjust their technique to suit the surface.

The comparatively flat nature of the course can be misleading. Water hazards, cunningly sited bunkers and pins hidden away on kidney shaped greens make up for the lack of gradient.

The first of the water hazards comes on the 2nd hole, a par five which requires the initial drive to hug the left of the fairway to simplify a long, second shot over water. Those with confidence can pick up a birdie here.

At the 4th, the first of the short holes, the choice of tees provides some interesting possibilities, but the pin is often placed in the top right corner of the green and looks deceptively easy to reach. 

The 431 metre 8th hole calls for a really good tee shot over a valley of shrub to an island of fairway.

As for the 9th, only top players dare go for the green in two as the 2nd shot will carry over the water. The more pragmatic are forced to lay up short, then rely on a pitch and putt at the end.

At the 13th a first-time golfer realizes that this course is very unforgiving of wayward shots. The fairway traps here can be fiendishly obstructive, and steering away from them a little too much can land the ball in the rough on the right.

Many a fine player has crumbled at the 18th hole, a 422 metre par four. It is boomerang-shaped, with a water hazard lying in wait in the second half. Great care has to be taken with the tee shot because if it is too long, the ball goes into the water; it is too short, the second shot to the green takes on frightening proportions, and there are bunkers on both sides of the green to add to the problems.