Beset by problems in its early years, the Simola Golf & Country Estate was designed by Nicklaus Design and officially opened in 2007 after the development, which began in the 1990s, had been washed away a couple of times by torrential rains. Located high in the hills above Knysna, the layout had to be completely rebuilt following cruel rains in the late 1990s and again in the early 2000s.

With pleasant, though distant, views of the Knysna heads and river, the golf course has some appeal but in truth the golf here is rather drab and uninspired. There are some decent holes, but uncomfortable areas, like the stretch of front nine holes squeezed onto a tight parcel of downhill land, are far from ideal. Here open areas were heavily shaped to prevent future losses, but the subsequent tight, mounded holes are uncomfortable. The bunkering style and greens shaping also seems to lack imagination, and is too similar to other Nicklaus courses.

On the positive side the forested areas are better, the holes are more attractive and natural looking and provide the majority of the highlights.

For the developers of this golf estate, Simola was a triumph of persistence but you could almost argue that the land here was too steep to ever be considered for golf. What they got in the end was a nice looking Nicklaus course that is likely to please most homeowners, but unlikely to win any major awards or accolades.