+27 33 266 6294 or +27 81 033 1558
info@gowriefarm.co.za
+27 33 266 6294 or +27 81 033 1558
info@gowriefarm.co.za

Gowrie Farm was once the home farm of Charles Smythe, the first premier of Natal.  Charles grew up in Perthshire, Scotland before settling in the Midlands, which he wrote reminded him of Scotland with its grand scenery, its steep grass-covered hills, panoramic views with patches of forests and streams running over bolder structured beds, or leaping in cascades from high cliffs.

Gowrie Farm then formed part of what became Nottingham Road and later, the village of Nottingham Road, which sits in the heart of the beautiful Midlands of KwaZulu-Natal. 

It is a village with old world values, friendly people and long-standing institutions, like the legendary Notties Hotel & Pub and Rawdons.

In 2002, GMS Projects developed Gowrie Village on the old polo fields.  This was built to offer people a village lifestyle in Nottingham Road and to enable people from the area and afar, the chance to enjoy the Midlands.

In 2008, Gowrie Farm was opened, offering the opportunity for people to live in a secure estate on a working farm.  The first phase comprised 125 residential erven, open spaces, a working farm and a 12 hole golf course.  The golf course has developed a wonderful reputation, being the first short course in South Africa to be ranked by Golf Digest SA in the top 100 courses of South Africa (47 to 50 over the last 10 years).   It was also judged as one of the top 20 most fun courses to play in South Africa.  

Approval for the second phase of Gowrie Farm was obtained in March this year.  This entitles the developers to add another 29 properties to the estate and to extend the golf course to an 18 hole course by adding a further 7 holes.  The extension of the golf course will be designed again by Guy Smith.  As with the first 12 holes, Guy will follow the principles using Royal Dornoch of Scotland and Merion as his reference point.  The first new hole will be the existing third hole, with the present 11th hole being the new second hole. This will be played towards Brookdale and will be a strong par 4, followed by two medium-length par 4’s, a par 3 across the stream, a long par 5 and two par 4’s, with the 9th hole finishing behind the 4th tee, where the halfway house will be situated.
The second 9 holes will start by playing the 12th hole with a new tee.  This will be converted to a par 5; with the 11th hole being our present 3rd and then the short par 4th being the 12th hole.  This will be followed by the present 14th, 15th, 16th, 7th, 8th and 18th to give us a back 9 holes, with a par of 36 and a course par of 71. The developers are anticipating work to commence on the golf course before the end of the month, with the hope of opening the new holes in December 2023.
 
29 residential properties are to be released at the end of July 2022, 26 of which will be situated inside the new 7 holes, while 3 properties are positioned on the existing first phase.  Services are anticipated to commence in January 2023 and should be completed by September or October 2023 to allow for the commencement of the building of houses as the golf course opens.

The Golf Course

Golf Digest USA, together with Golf Monthly of the UK, rated Gowrie Farm as the 4th best short course in the world outside of the USA.  The developers are now releasing a second phase, which will include the extension of the golf course to an 18 hole golf course and a further 29 residential sites.

View the Golf Course

Gowrie Farm Golf Estate is situated on the R103, Nottingham Road, in the KZN Midlands.  We are open to the public for golf, accommodation, breakfasts, lunches, conferences and functions. Open 7 days a week.