Houghton Golf Course, Houghton,
Johannesburg, Gauteng: 2nd Avenue, Houghton, Johannesburg. Centrally situated in
Johannesburg's wealthy suburb of the same name, the Houghton Golf course has hosted no
fewer than eight South African Opens since the Second World War.
Gary Player won three of his 13 South African Opens at this leafy, parkland course, while
Ernie Else set a 15-under-par record score of 273 here in the same tournament in 1993, his
victory then catapulting him into the international limelight. Houghton received a rare
honour in February 1995, when it was chosen to host the inaugural Alfred Dunhill Challenge
between southern Africa and Australasia, the southern hemisphere's answer to the Ryder
Cup.
At 6 434 metres, Houghton is not an overly long course by highveld standards, as the ball
flies a long way in Johannesburg's rarefied atmosphere. But short does not always
translate into easy, and some exciting tee shots and approaches are required if you are
attempting to master the holes. The predominant grass is Kikuyu, which when closely mown
provides a truly magnificent surface from which to play. Houghton is renowned for its
conditioning a wealth of wonderful par-four holes.