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my top ten gary player
Gary Player, South Africa’s legendary Black Knight, has more than 300 courses bearing his name around the world. Here, he selects his 10 favourite courses and highlights some to look out for in the future.
1 THE LINKS AT FANCOURT
GEORGE, SOUTH AFRICA
We started with an old airport site that was also used as a trash dump. We spent considerable time studying historic Scottish links courses and created a landscape that is so reminiscent of those timeless links that you actually think you are in the UK as you play around this course.
fancourt.co.za
2 THE ACE CLUB
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, USA
This was such a beautiful piece of property, and there is no real-estate component there to interfere with the golf experience. I am particularly proud of the dramatic bunkering, which we have continued to tweak and improve.
theaceclubonline.com
3 HIDDEN TIGER GOLF CLUB
ANHUI PROVINCE, CHINA
A hidden gem in the fast growing golf industry in China. We had a wonderful site with which to work. It is set alongside Tai Ping Lake and has the well-known Yellow Mountain as a backdrop.
hiddentigergolf.com
4 MAZAGAN
EL JADIDA, MOROCCO
This is a windy site overlooking the ocean, and we were able to design a links-style course with several dramatic holes along the Atlantic. It is not often you get that opportunity as a designer anymore.
mazaganbeachresort.com
5 BLAIR ATHOLL
JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA
This golf course is near and dear to my heart, as it was done on my former farm and primary residence. The scale of this layout is huge, which matches the incredible long-distance views of the African countryside.
blairatholl.co.za
6 BLACKSEARAMA
VARNA, BULGARIA
Sitting on a plateau overlooking the Black Sea, this was the first championship course in Bulgaria. I’d like to think we set the stage for future golf development and tourism in the former communist country.
blacksearama.com
7 SAADIYAT BEACH GOLF CLUB
ABU DHABI, UAE
One of the most dramatic courses we have done and the only seaside course in the UAE. It has stunning views of the blue waters of the Arabian Gulf.
sbgolfclub.ae
8 RIA BINTAN GOLF CLUB
BINTAN, INDONESIA
This course is always impeccably maintained and is only a short ferry ride from Singapore, one of my favorite places.
riabintan.com
9 COSTABAJA GOLF RESORT
LA PAZ, MEXICO
This course only opened late last year, but has quickly become very popular in Mexico. It is in a desert environment on the Sea of Cortez. I love the colour contrasts you experience throughout the golf course, and you can view the sea from 14 holes.
costabajaresort.com
10 GARY PLAYER STUD FARM COLESBERGG, SOUTH AFRICA
I personally designed and built my own golf course on my ranch in South Africa, which happens to be my heaven on earth. I have gone to great lengths to experiment with sustainable design techniques because the environment is so important to me.
garyplayerstud.com
Works in progress
THE CLIFFS AT MOUNTAIN PARK
(TRAVELERS REST, SOUTH CAROLINA, USA)
A beautiful mountain setting: so much so that we actually moved our design office there. It will be ready in October.
THRACIAN CLIFFS (VARNA, BULGARIA)
I tell people this site is better than Pebble Beach, and it is so true. The golf course is set amongst 60-metre white cliffs on the Black Sea.
ANSUNG CITY
(ANSUNG CITY, SOUTH KOREA)
This is one of our Black Knight Design brands done by our design team. I am less involved but I am very proud of the work our designers do. It is opening this summer. p
the black knight
Q. How do you define this list?
A. Of course, this is a very difficult question to answer because I’ve designed more than 300 courses around the world and I’m proud of all of them. One way to organise this list would be from a geographic standpoint, as we have worked in 35 countries, and I very much enjoy taking golf to new places. The properties I’ve listed are not in any ‘favourite’ order, but represent some of my best work around the world.
Q. Which among them is your greatest creation and why?
A. I would have to say my Stud Farm course has proven to be my biggest contribution, because my company and the golf industry can refine many techniques used there to build more sustainable courses that save water, one of the world’s most precious resources.
Q. Among the courses that you’ve designed, which is the most satisfying?
A. Once again, a very difficult question, a little like, ‘which is your favourite child?’ However, I would have to say The Links at Fancourt, because we took an eyesore of a site and made it beautiful, and also because it hosted the 2003 Presidents Cup, which brought wonderful and positive exposure to my home country, South Africa.
Q. Which site presented the most challenging conditions in terms of your work as a designer?
A. Once again, The Links at Fancourt ranks at the top. It was an incredible design and engineering feat.
Q. What do you look for when you approach a new project and what helps define your design concepts?
A. Any good designer will tell you that the site drives everything, but in all cases we are looking for clients who appreciate sustainable design as much as we do.
garyplayer.com
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