Nedbank Golf Challenge: Gary Player Country Club just got a whole lot tougher
The 2025 Nedbank Golf Challenge at Gary Player Country Club introduces strategic course modifications to enhance player challenge and spectator excitement, including changes to the par three seventh, par five ninth, and par four 15th holes Picture: Grant Leversha
Image: Grant Leversha
As the Nedbank Golf Challenge (NGC) begins on Thursday at Gary Player Country Club (GPCC) at Sun City, it will come with a host of new challengers for players.
As one of the marquee courses in South Africa, GPCC is continually striving to provide a sterner test for the top golfers in the world.
The 2025 edition will be no different, with a number of changes to some of the most well-known holes that may just prove pivotal in determining the outcome of the tournament.
In an exclusive interview with IOL, NGC tournament director Ken Payet spoke about the changes to the famed layout made alongside Gary Player.
Nedbank Golf Challenge Enhances Player Challenge and Spectator Excitement with Strategic Course Modifications
“When it comes to the Nedbank Golf Challenge, we’re synonymous with providing both a great spectacle and challenge for the players,” said Payet.
“Mr Player has been instrumental in making these changes. These players are the best in the world, and we want to keep challenging them while also keeping the balance that it remains exciting for the fans to watch.”
One of the first big alterations came at the par three seventh.
“We felt that the hole was just lacking. And also, there was just a lot of teeing areas for the players. So we decided to make a bigger tee complex and go back 25 metres.
“We also took away a front left bunker. So, an opportunity for the players to, especially with the longer shots, run up to the green and make it a little easier.”
The signature par five ninth was also one of the targets for modifications.
“The second change was the ninth, and to me, the best hole in the world, the best par 5 in the world. And we just made it better. We took away the right-hand fairway bunker. And just felt that fairway bunker was just visually impeding the players’ visual to try and make sure that they hit a driver down the right-hand side.
“And we want to encourage the players to go for the green in two because the spectators surround the ninth green, which is a very popular spot, so they want to see birdies and eagles.”
The final bit of tweaking came at the already challenging par four 15th.
“The last change that we’ve made this year was hole 15. We just felt that, especially with the prevailing wind, although a difficult hole, we wanted to make it a lot more tough. So we’ve gone back 45 metres, we built a new tee, and it’s going to play very, very differently this year.”