Gary Player Course in Soma Bay

How the course plays

The Gary Player Course is a desert course by the sea. The routing runs in the shape of a stretched figure of eight. You start at the clubhouse, play out to the coast and come past the clubhouse again after nine holes.

Kikuyu grass grows on the fairways. The greens were reseeded with paspalum in 2021. Nine holes have a water hazard, and the course counts the Red Sea among them. Added to that are 68 bunkers.

The wind has the biggest influence on your score. It blows in Soma Bay all year round and, according to the operator, changes constantly. That is why the golf course plays differently on every day.

Depending on the tee the course is 4,900 or 6,400 metres long. You decide on the first tee how hard it becomes.

The operator describes the course as a test for experienced golfers with a low handicap. With the forward tees it is said to be fair for beginners too. If you are playing there for the first time, I would rather take a tee further forward than at home.

Six holes that you remember

Every hole has a description of its own on the page of the course. These six show how varied the round is.

• Hole 2The longest par 5 of the course measures 614 yards from the back tee. It leads past two sphinx figures at the entrance of the Sheraton.
• Hole 5On this par 3 the green juts far out into the sea. From the back tee it is 207 yards.
• Hole 8You walk through a tunnel and then almost 40 metres uphill to a long par 3.
• Hole 14The course calls the second par 3 by the sea its second signature hole next to the 5th. A shot that is too long ends in the Red Sea.
• Hole 16The green lies as if in an amphitheatre in front of a vertical rock face. The idea comes from a visit by Gary Player in July 1998.
• Hole 18The raised green of the last hole lies in front of the water cascades and the clubhouse.

At hole 4 and at hole 14 there is a halfway pavilion each. Hole 13 lies more than 20 metres above the sea. From hole 11 you look over the south-east coast of the peninsula to the mountains between the Nile valley and the Red Sea.

Practising before and after the round

The practice facilities are among the greatest strengths of Soma Bay. They have floodlights and are open until midnight in summer and until 10 p.m. in winter. So you can still hit balls after dinner.

• Driving rangeThe range is around 300 metres long and has tees at both ends. You hit from grass or from mats at target greens.
• Scoring ArenaThe area for the short game covers 5,000 square metres and has more than 20 practice zones.
• Golf AcademyAccording to the operator, PGA professionals teach in the academy. A single lesson lasts 45 minutes.

Next to the golf reception and the first tee lie a putting green and a small area for the short game. There you warm up before the round. The pro shop lies in the middle of the course. It sells and rents out equipment and has a café with a view of the first tee.

Rules and booking

Tee times are available from 7 a.m. to sunset. The page of the course names no minimum handicap, no dress code and no rule on soft spikes. That is why I would ask about them when booking and take the membership card of your golf club with you.

Besides the golf cart, the course rents out trolleys. At temperatures above 30 degrees the cart is a question of common sense for me. In winter the round is easy to walk.

Mirco’s tip

I would only buy a green fee package once your tee times are confirmed. The packages are valid for 14 days and are not refunded. They do not replace a tee time.

How you secure tee times is explained in the guide on the preferred tee time.

Prices

Prices according to the golf course, as of 13 November 2026. Prices change. You learn the current prices from the golf course before booking.

Hotels nearby

These places to stay lie in Soma Bay.

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