From mountains high and rivers deep to stunning coastlines, arid desert, picturesque winelands and wildlife-rich savannahs, bush and estuaries, few places in the world can match the grandeur and magnificence of South Africa’s landscape.
Its geography encompasses an amazing diversity of scenery – and it’s easy to incorporate sightseeing as part of a golf holiday with courses right by many of its natural treasures. It isn’t just the scenery that is so compelling, either. The Cape region has been recognised as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO for its rich floral diversity, making it a global biodiversity hotspot.
Think of Cape Town and its iconic Table Mountain will almost certainly spring to mind. Enjoy wonderful views of the mountain from the fairways and greens of courses including Metropolitan Golf Club, Rondebosch Golf Club, Milnerton Golf Club and Royal Cape Golf Club, host of the South African Open on 10 occasions and the oldest golf club in Africa.
Rolling hills carpeted with vineyards and fringed by mountains form the backdrop to a number of courses in the Cape Winelands, a short drive from Cape Town, among them Steenberg, Stellenbosch, De Zalze, Boschenmeer and Devondale golf clubs. Pearl Valley’s Jack Nicklaus course is surrounded by the beautiful Simonsberg Mountains and lies on the banks of the Berg River.
The spectacular coastline of the Garden Route, which stretches for over 200km, attracts visitors from all over the world. Play golf in between taking in its splendour at Boesch Hoek Golf Club, George Golf Club, St Francis Links, Cape St Francis Resort, Simola and Oubaai hotels, and Fancourt, where an hour’s drive inland will take you to the fascinating underground rock formations of the Cango Caves in the foothills of the Swartberg mountain range.
Sweeping bays line the coasts of Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal. Several courses offer Indian Ocean vistas from high vantage points, including the Wild Coast Sun and San Lameer resorts, Umdoni Park Golf Club and Prince’s Grant Estate, notably from the elevated 15th tee. A two-hour drive north is UNESCO-listed iSimangaliso Wetland Park, a wildlife haven and one of Africa’s largest estuary systems with the continent’s southernmost coral reef just offshore.
Still in KZN, the scenic Valley of 1000 Hills is just 35km west of Durban and close to Cotswold Downs Country Club. Another two hours inland takes you to the mighty peaks of the Drakensberg mountains, which lord over Champagne Sports Resort.
Play amidst a bush landscape where animal encounters are the norm rather than the exception at Leopard Creek Country Club and the Hans Merensky Hotel & Spa, next to Kruger Park, or alongside dramatic rock formations at Sun City’s two Gary Player courses.
At Legend Golf & Safari Resort, in Limpopo, you can even take a helicopter to the summit of Hanglip Mountain – not to survey the countryside, but to tee off to a green shaped liked Africa 400 metres below on its par-3 Extreme 19th hole.
It will be tough, but just remember to focus on your game and not let the awe-inspiring settings of South Africa’s golf courses distract you.
View to 1st tee
Hanglip Mountain
Transfrontier Park
Mpumalanga, Drakensberg