The Goat Track

The 2004 U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills is legendary, but Sunday was pure psychological warfare.

By the final round, a combination of brutal winds and baking sun turned William Flynn’s masterpiece into a literal parking lot.

How bad did it get?

78.7: The field's scoring average on Sunday, nearly 9 strokes over par, securing its spot as the hardest weekend round in modern U.S. Open history.

29: The number of players who carded a score in the 80s (including Ernie Els turning in an 80 from the final group).
0: Players broke par on Sunday.

It got so extreme that they were forced to hand-water the 7th green between groups just to keep balls from rolling off the putting surface entirely. Retief Goosen’s 11 single-putts on Sunday to edge out Phil Mickelson remains one of the most clutch, underrated grinding performances in major history.

Was this crossing the line, or is this exactly what a U.S. Open should be? 👇

Welcome to Royal Durban Golf Club, one of the most unique golfing canvases in South Africa! Established in 1892, this historic gem sits entirely within the infield of the Greyville Racecourse right in the heart of Durban.

It’s completely flat, entirely exposed to the coastal wind, and features thick, penalizing Kikuyu rough that will test every single club in your bag. No trees, no elevation changes—just pure, raw golfing character and a deep sense of history.

But whether you beat the course or it beats you, the real magic happens after the final putt. Royal Durban’s 19th hole is legendary for its warm KwaZulu-Natal hospitality, rich tradition, and the perfect cold pint to cap off a memorable day on the fairways.

Hit save for your next KZN golf trip itinerary!

Have you ever braved the Greyville wind at Royal Durban?

In this episode, we sit down with Golf Digest editor and the mastermind behind the South African Top 100 courses ranking system, Stuart McLean.

We pull back the curtain on the entire ranking process to discover exactly who assesses the courses, how the scoring categories are structured, and how panelists separate a great overall experience from a course’s true architectural ranking.

Stuart also opens up about the future of the evaluation system, the complex reasons why some clubs choose to opt out of the rankings entirely, and wraps up by sharing a few of his absolute favorite golf destinations across South Africa.

This week we talk all things SA TOP 100 with editor Stuart Maclean including:

- Stuart’s background in playing and assessing some of the world’s greatest courses.

- How are courses actually rated? Panels, categories and criteria

- Courses which opt out of the ranking.

- The public review options on SA TOP 100 (including rating the hot chips 🔥).

A very curious sighting yesterday at

The full story is that sadly a local resident had been washed down the river a few days before and police suspected he had been taken by a croc.

Police divers and conservationists identified a very bloated croc - shot it and then airlifted to flat ground where they undertook an autopsy.

The residents remains were discovered inside.

RIP