The surroundings aren't exactly vintage South Africa: Even though a glimpse to the North reveals soft slopes, cone-shaped hills and some bushveldt, the Roodepoort golf course lies in thesuburban belt at the outer edge of the greater Johannesburg area, surrounded by villas and bungalows and with car dealerships, nurseries and shopping malls in viewing distance.

The steep, reddish northern slope of the famous Riff, the rocky watershed on which Johannesburg was built and that is the backbone of South African history with its ample gold deposits, provides some visual relief from the suburban monoculture of white-plastered houses, muddy driveways and unavoidable bougainvillaea.

In the middle of this sea of concrete, turbulence and middle-class, the Roodepoort golf course lies serene and confident, like a green island.

The humming noise of car traffic will follow you during your entire round, but you'll quickly forget about it.