Golf holidays in South Africa
For the golf enthusiast, South Africa is a wonderful destination - and that's an understatement. The country boasts an ideal climate for spending time out on the fairways under the bright African sun, and golfers here are blessed for choice.
If you enjoy the challenge of a coastal course, there is a stunning selection available; if you prefer playing at altitude, where the ball flies that much further, the selection is just as good.
Probably the most famous golf course in South Africa is the Gary Player Country Club at Sun City, home to the the Nedbank Golf Challenge, that offers the largest first prize of any tournament in the world.
However, there are many other world-class courses that have featured on both the European PGA Tour as well as the local Sunshine Tour, and a wealth of excellent courses besides.
According to Golf Digest USA (2005), South Africa has five of the top 100 golf courses outside the US - see below - with Leopard Creek Country Club in Mpumalanga coming in at number 25.
South Africa has produced a number of golfers of the highest calibre, including Gary Player, Bobby Locke, Ernie Els and Retief Goosen, major winners all - and once you've experienced some of the courses we have to offer, you'll begin to understand why. Start planning your golfing safari now!
South Africa's top 10 courses
Leopard Creek
Rated the best course in South Africa, and ranked at number 25 in the world outside the US by Golf Digest USA (2005), Leopard Creek is situated on the border of the world famous Kruger National Park. Gary Player's design takes advantage of the natural environment, home to Africa's "big five" - lion, leopard, elephant, rhinoceros, and buffalo - and over 200 bird species, while protecting players by means of innovative architectural and landscaping techniques.
Gary Player Country Club
Host to the Nedbank Challenge, the Gary Player Country Club
at Sun City in North West province features two holes that rank in Golf Online's 2005 list of the 500 best holes in golf: the 520 metre par-five ninth, and the 402 metre par-four eighteenth. Golf Digest USA (2005) ranked the course at number 29 in the world outside the US.
Wild Coast Country Club
Designed by the world-renowned Robert Trent Jones, the course is set against the background of the Indian Ocean, making it beautiful - but punishing for those that stray into the rough. The club's signature hole is the par-three thirteenth, which measures only 146 metres but is a real tester, and was included in Golf Online's 500 best holes in the world.
Fancourt Hotel, Country Club and Golf Estate
Located on the stunning Fancourt Hotel, Country Club and Golf Estate in the picturesque southern Cape, The Links at Fancourt played host to a memorable 2003 Presidents Cup clash between the USA and the International Team, as well as the inaugural Women's World
Cup of Golf in 2005. Ranked 59th in the world outside the US by Golf Digest USA in 2005, the course is unique in South Africa. Gary Player's design took a marvel of construction to piece together, with over 700 000 cubic metres of earth being moved to create a typical Links style course on what had been a flat piece of land.
Durban Country Club
The course has hosted more South African Open Championships than any other in the country, the list of winners including Gary Player, Bobby Locke, Bob Charles, Ernie Els and Tim Clark. Built on old swampland surrounded by high dunes, the course blends into its surroundings as it undulates along the coastline a short distance from the Indian Ocean. In 2005 Golf Digest USA ranked it 62nd in the world outside the US, while three of its holes were included in Golf Online's top 500.
Arabella Country Club
Arabella Country Club has played host to the Nelson Mandela Invitational since 2003, drawing a number of the
world's top golfers to the Western Cape. Bordering the largest natural lagoon in South Africa, with the ninth, seventeenth, and eighteenth running parallel to the water, the course provides both a wonderful golf challenge and an eye-catching landscape. Designed by top local designer Pete Matkovich, the course was ranked 100th in the world outside the US by Golf Digest USA (2005).
Glendower Golf Club
Built in 1937, Johannesburg's Glendower Golf Club made an early impact, hosting The Transvaal Open only two years into its existence. The winner was Bobby Locke in what was then a world record score of 265. Since that time, the course has hosted the South African Open three times, and undergone major changes. Trees, water hazards - on 11 holes - and bunkers are plentiful. The signature par-four tenth was included in Golf Online's 500 best holes in the world in 2005.
George Golf Club
Situated not far from Fancourt on the Western Cape's beautiful Garden
Route, the picturesque, rolling course is packed with trees. The signature hole, the seventeenth, the last of four par-threes, was included in Golf Online's 500 best holes in the world in 2005.
Pecanwood Golf and Country Club Estate
Bordering Hartebeespoort Dam in North West province, the Jack Nicklaus-designed Pecanwood Golf and Country Club Estate is set against the backdrop of the beautiful Magaliesberg Mountains. Golf Digest voted it the best new course of the year when it opened in 1998.
River Club Golf Course
The very exclusive River Club Golf Course in Sandton, Johannesburg is highly rated for its always immaculate conditioning. Unfortunately, only members and their guests have access to this scenic layout.
SouthAfrica.info reporter
