A PASSION FOR EXCELLENCE
A LEGACY THAT WILL LIVE ON FOREVER
Golf is not just about scoring. It is a walk in the park, an experience for all of the senses and hours of incomparable therapy. Golfers should leave the course with an irresistible urge to return. That’s why each and every one of the golf courses designed by Peter Matkovich is a special creation, enhancing the unique features of each site and the character of the land. Each course tells its own story, and even if they’re just a few years old, Peter Matkovich Golf Courses look as if they’ve been there forever.
OUR DESIGN PHILOSOPHY
God and nature shape our design. The land and nature must determine the shape, style and direction of play. The design must aesthetically enhance the nature of the environment, not detract from it – as if time and nature itself have shaped the golf course. This is what makes every course different and unique.
Put GOLF back into the design
With the golf boom all over the world, and the number of new golf courses being built every year, there is a danger that some golf courses have just become an expensive landscaping exercise. The holes should vary, play into the prevailing winds then with them, up hills, and then down, long and then short, with greens of varying difficulty, all to test the golfer physically and mentally.
Consider who’s playing the course
Most golfers playing on courses are amateur players, with the average handicap of around 15. So a course should be designed with the average player in mind, rather than the top professional. It needs to be fun and enjoyable for every level of golfer.
Remember why we enjoy good courses
Every golfer wants to enjoy their game. That’s why we aim to build courses where every golfer can honestly enjoy their round and be challenged, even if they are not on top of their game.
Have a hands-on approach
Design and construction are part of a dynamic process, requiring constant on-site refinement. With this in mind, we will only take on a few projects at a time, ensuring full and proper attention to each course. We make regular site visits through every step of construction, to ensure that every detail is examined and addressed.
GALLERY
PORTFOLIO
Peter Matkovich grew up in Shabani (Zimbabwe), playing at Shabani Golf Club, an 18-hole course owned by the local mine. He played many of the magnificent courses in the area, all owned by the mines, and became a competitive amateur golfer. He turned professional in 1968 and played in Europe for three years, Australia for a year and the Sunshine Tour for over ten years. He played in two open Championships: Carnoustie in 1968 and St Andrews in 1970. In 1973, Peter and his family moved to South Africa and moved to the Umhlali Country Club, where he fulfilled the role of club professional, playing professional and course superintendent. Peter took on the job of designing and building new holes and redesigning many of the existing holes. The new course opened in 1975 and was Peter’s first foray into designing and building golf courses – an experience that was to ‘open many doors’ in the future. In the years that followed, Peter completed more than 20 world-class golf courses and renovated more than 20 others, cementing him as one of the leading designers in Southern Africa.
PETER MATKOVICH DESIGN – e-Brochure
