Going for Golf

Hyatt Regency Oubaai Golf Resort & Spa

The magnificent Ernie Els design at Oubaai can now compete on a level footing with other golf resorts in the Garden Route with the opening of a new luxury hotel on what was previously just a golf estate for homeowners and members.

And the five-star Hyatt Regency Oubaai Golf Resort & Spa occupies an enviously special location on the Garden Route coastline. It’s only a few minutes away from George Airport, making it instantly accessible to tourists once they land; and an even shorter drive from a beautiful sandy and safe beach at Herold’s Bay, where Els himself has a holiday home.

The coastline here, between Glentana and the Wilderness, is strikingly rugged, the topography being high rolling farmland and woodland which comes to an abrupt halt as it reaches the Indian Ocean, and then falls steeply away to the sea. The resort was named after one of the rocky inlets known to local seafarers in years gone by as Oubaai.

A round of golf on the 18-hole championship layout is a scenic experience, what with sea views on one side, and a steep river gorge on the other. It was Els’ first signature design in his home country, opening for play in the last month of 2004, and as such it holds a special place in his affections. He enjoys playing there with friends and members during his end-of-year holidays, and in October this year the course will play host to its first Sunshine Tour professional tournament, the Vodacom Business Origins of Golf Tour Final. The six-event Origins Tour, with a pro-am format, is this year dedicated to Els (Origins goes Easy), and the Big Easy has committed to playing in the final.

The Hyatt Regency hotel opened exactly five years after the course and members’ clubhouse, and it forms part of an attractive village scenario at the entrance to the resort which offers a retail centre (the Village Market), restaurants, and, at the Lifestyle Centre, a gym, two swimming pools, tennis and squash courts, pro shop and golf academy with a range. The Oubaai resort is thus unique in several respects, first of all having a village where hotel residents and estate home-owners can mix off the golf course; and having two different starting points on the course for guests, visitors and members.

The course was deliberately designed as an out-and-back layout, similar to the links courses in the UK and Ireland, where you venture away from the clubhouse on the first, and don’t return until the end of the round. By contrast, nearly all South African courses have two loops of nine returning to the clubhouse.

The members have their own clubhouse with stunning views overlooking the 18th hole and the Oubaai cove, while visitors and hotel guests start their rounds at the far end of the course, on the 10th tee, a short cart drive from the village’s pro shop and practice range. Each nine ends with a par-five, so the course is splendidly balanced in that respect, whether you begin your round at the first or 10th hole.

Els used his imagination vividly in designing the course, because it is very different from conventional layouts in that it has five par-fives, five par-threes, and eight par-fours, still adding up to a par of 72. Being on open, exposed terrain, unprotected from the sea breezes, it has a links feel to it, and the fairway bunkering and grassy swales around the greens add to that look. While most golfers ride the course in carts, it is a reasonable walk for those feeling more energetic. And its conditioning is fabulous from tee to green.

The Hyatt Regency hotel has 100 bedrooms spaced out over a large area of the village, rather than in one block. All the rooms feature spacious bathrooms with glass-enclosed showers next to the bath. Adjoining the hotel is the Freesia Spa, part of Hyatt Pure, a worldwide collection of spas in urban and resort settings. Each spa in the collection is designed to embrace the local culture and provide an authentic indigenous experience.

The signature dining experience at the Hyatt Regency hotel is the Waterside Bar & Grill in the village, which offers an extensive outdoor seating area next to a small lake – which is very pleasant on summer evenings. Inside the hotel is Cucina Restaurant, where breakfast, lunch and dinner is served. The food here is on a par with the Waterside in terms of both its presentation and taste. And on a par with the whole Oubaai experience… outstanding.