Bankenveld Golf Club - Witbanks Hidden Gem

Bankenveld Golf Club -Witbanks Hidden Gem

Formerly a farm called Doornpoort, Bankenveld is a beautiful residential estate overlooking the Witbank Dam and Nature Reserve, with a Douw van der Merwe designed 9-hole championship golf course.

Construction of the course began in 2008, and it opened in May 2010. Among the first visitors a month later were members of the Italian rugby team who played a Test match against the Springboks in Witbank.

The clubhouse was completed in September 2014 and opened by Springbok legend Frik du Preez. With its own entrance, separate from the residential estate, the golf club is easy to access. The clubhouse is on an elevated point of the property and has a lovely restaurant attached to it.

The golf course has four holes built along the banks of the dam, and the opening holes before them have notable views over the estate.

The opening hole is a reachable par 5 playing downhill which converts to a 410-metre par 4 on the second nine. A feature of the layout is the variety of tee boxes, and some interestingly shaped greens.

Golf carts are preferred over walking as the opening four holes negotiate rural grassland countryside over undulating terrain, away from the residential homes. Various species of buck can be seen here.

These holes are among the longest on the course, the par-5 third being 480 metres climbing uphill to the green. On the high fourth tee golfers have superb views over the surrounding land. This is a steeply downhill dogleg left hole heading towards the eco estate and the Witbank Dam. The first time round it plays as a 410-metre par 4, and No 13 is a 484-metre par 5.

Bankenveld Golf Club is a safe, family orientated golf club

No 5/14 is a beautiful par 3 played from elevated tees down towards a large green with the dam as a backdrop. Tees range in length from 110 to 185 metres. The next two holes are par 4s which hug the shoreline, Number 7 being a stroke 1 at 413 metres. The 8th/17th is a short par 3 played over wetlands and a water hazard.

The round ends with a strong uphill par 4 back towards the clubhouse, 356 metres at No 9 and 385 metres at No 18. There’s a wetland area on the left of the fairway and a hidden pond to the left of the green.

Bankenveld has a Par 3 course for the 9/18 holes, using forward tees, a full-size driving range, a short-game facility with two big greens (one for putting and one for chipping) and designer Douw van der Merwe originally laid out 18 holes on the property (only nine holes were built) so there is plenty of unused space.

Bankenveld Golf Club is a safe, family orientated golf club that gears its services toward accommodating all members of the family. 

This vision is perfectly encapsulated by their logo which consists of four roaming elephants. Elephants are a strong family orientated species. The strong family structure is emphasized by the elephants grouped together as a family and of course the Oliphants river runs through the Witbank dam.

Contact 072 076 5890 or bookings@bankenveldgc.co.za