As the 2025 season meanders to an end, attention is already turning to 2026 and the first major of the year at Augusta National. It might seem like only yesterday that Rory McIlroy finally overcame his demons in Georgia to complete the career Grand Slam, but golf never really sleeps, and new narratives will quickly replace the old. As always, talk has already moved to who might be next, with betting slips and predictions beginning to circulate long before the azaleas bloom.
2026 Masters Outlook
If you’re betting on sports in the run-up to that spring showdown, you’ll find Scottie Scheffler hovering around 3/1 to win.
Despite McIlroy’s heroics this year, most sports tips still have the American as the man to beat.
Dreams do come true. pic.twitter.com/6WiHrVIjNl
— Rory McIlroy (@McIlroyRory) April 14, 2025
It will be a conversation heard in clubhouses across the world as the festive season approaches and a new year draws ever closer. Yet while all eyes are fixed on Augusta and the northern calendar, another story is unfolding far from the spotlight. Hidden in the South African Midlands, a course once known only to purists is emerging as potentially Africa’s best-kept secret.
From the Midlands mist to the Sunshine Tour spotlight
In September, Gowrie Farm Golf Club in Nottingham Road staged its first Sunshine Tour event, the Vodacom Origins of Golf, marking a milestone for this quiet Midlands course. The week arrived wrapped in mist and expectation as players from across the tour came to see what the talk was about. For years, Gowrie had been more of a rumour than a regular stop, a course admired by those who knew it but largely unseen by those who didn’t.
When Haydn Porteous won, ending a nine-year wait for victory, it felt like more than just a comeback. It was a moment that confirmed Gowrie’s place on the map and a statement that it could hold its own among the best in the country.
A course with soul
Gowrie Farm might seem obscure, but it could easily be described as one of the Rainbow Nation’s premier layouts. The course is the vision of Guy Smith, a Pietermaritzburg attorney and designer who believed golf should return to its roots: walked, not ridden, and guided by the land rather than machinery.
Smith drew inspiration from the ancient links of Scotland and early American masterpieces like Pinehurst and Merion, creating a layout that flows naturally through the rolling terrain of the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands. Push-up greens, subtle fairways, and bunkers tucked close to the putting surfaces define a course that feels timeless and unmanufactured.
Smith’s philosophy was simple: golf should be felt, not forced. Every round at Gowrie reflects that belief, rewarding imagination, patience, and an appreciation for the landscape itself.
Dale Hayes and Gowrie’s second act
When Dale Hayes, one of South Africa’s most respected golf figures, joined as a partner during the club’s 18-hole expansion in 2024, Gowrie Farm gained not only experience but influence. The former European Tour winner helped refine the course for modern play without sacrificing its authenticity or rhythm.
That same character caught the attention of several DP World Tour commentators, who played the course in March. Anthony Wall, in particular, singled out Gowrie Farm for its mix of purity and challenge.
Their verdict was clear: Gowrie Farm feels ready for the world stage.
Ready for the world stage?
South Africa has always known how to produce special golf courses. From Fancourt Links to Leopard Creek, the country has proved that greatness often grows far from the obvious centres. Gowrie Farm now belongs in that conversation. It offers something harder to find, a course that feels both old and new, shaped by the land itself and defined by its honesty rather than artifice.
For now, it remains a quiet masterpiece, half hidden in the Midlands mist and still beyond the wider golfing gaze. But after its assured hosting of the Sunshine Tour, the thought of Gowrie Farm stepping onto the DP World Tour no longer feels far-fetched; it feels only a matter of time.
