The Courses

Royal Cape Golf Club

Formed in 1885, the Royal Cape Golf is the oldest club in the whole of Africa. It is a championship course of great repute and has hosted the prestigious South African Open 11 times. Once you visit this pretty parkland golf course you'll see why. The tree-lined fairways are narrow with many water hazards and bunkers. The golf course is always well groomed and has mountain views from just about every hole. The greens are modern with bent grass.

This course is a challenge and demands a repertoire of shots; from accuracy off the tee box to pinpoint short irons. What starts off as a pleasant round of golf could turn into a nightmare - unless, of course, you consider yourself a pro! The Royal Cape Golf Course is fairly unprotected from the 'South Easter' and when the wind is blowing your handicap will be seriously challenged!

Pearl Valley Country Club – Ranked #5 Course in South Africa

Officially opened at the beginning of November, 2003 by Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player, Pearl Valley was named 'best new golf course of the year' by Golf Digest magazine in 2005 and the '5th best course in South Africa'.

To meet the 'Golden Bear's' uncompromising standards of golf course design and aesthetic beauty, a combination of the intense colours of the greens and fairways, together with the brilliant white river sand lining the bunkers was carefully planned, to make Pearl Valley the most visually spectacular golf course in the country. The total length of course is 6801 metres, whereas the members' length ranges from 4685 to 5876 metres. Bunkers on Nicklaus' signature courses are renowned for being shallow, long and relatively undaunting.

Every hole is played against the spectacular backdrop of the mountains surrounding the estate and all are challenging due to the bunkers and fast greens. All par 3s and par 5s play in different directions, ensuring that the same conditions are not experienced too many times in one round. Pearl Valley was host course for the South African Open from 2007-2009.

Arabella Golf Club – Ranked #6 Course in South Africa

Arabella Golf Club stretches through rolling fairways, deceptive bunkers and challenging water traps. It is a truly unique golf course set on the banks of the Bot River lagoon and fringed by indigenous fynbos and is ranked by Compleat Golfer magazine as the number one golf course in the Western Cape. It is also featured in Golf Digest's Top 60 courses outside of America. Designed and built in 1999 by celebrated South African golf course architect Peter Matkovich, this classic parkland course has spectacular views across the Bot River lagoon and the Kogelberg mountain range.

The pristine fairways are kikuyu, while the greens, which frequently receive high praise from professionals, are Dominant Bent. The golf course has been refined over recent years with the addition of several bunkers and the revamp of the par 4 6th hole in order to rid it of its blind tee shot. Awarded 5 Star Golf Experience for the first time in 2002, the course is complemented by a luxurious clubhouse with bar and halfway house, as well as a fully stocked pro shop and excellent practice area. The Arabella Golf Club has been the annual home to the Nelson Mandela Invitational charity golf tournament since 2003, hosting the likes of Jack Nicklaus, Ernie Els, Retief Goosen, Tim Clark, Lee Westwood and Sam Torrance.

Simola Golf & Country Estate - Ranked #15 Course in South Africa

Located high up in the hills above the Garden Route town of Knysna (South Africa's favorite holiday town), Simola Golf & Country Estate is a world apart. Fairways merge seamlessly with lush indigenous vegetation and forests creating an evocative vista of undulating green hills and dales descending gently down to the Knysna River. From its vantage point, the 325 hectare estate looks out a spectacular panorama encompassing the full expanse of the Knysna Lagoon, all the way to the Heads and beyond to the sea.

Keeping your head down at Simola can be a challenge; simply because the views around the course are awe inspiring, and with this, it is clear to see why Simola takes its place as one of South Africa's premier golfing destinations. It's also the first Jack Nicklaus Signature course on the Garden Route, reflecting the maestro's philosophy of attuning the layout and design to the natural lie of the land. The course offers challenging and rewarding golf amidst spectacular scenery. Set below the high ridges, it's free from the wind that so often plagues coastal courses. Fairways flow with the natural undulating contours of the terrain and the unusual configuration of five par 5s and five par 3s adds a new dimension to the game. It's par for the course that every hole boasts exceptional views; either out across the Knysna Lagoon all the way to the Heads or over the picturesque Knysna River as it twists and turns through the valley below.

The Links at Fancourt - Ranked #4 Course in South Africa

The Links is without doubt the most impressive piece of golf design and construction in South Africa. Fancourt owner Dr Hasso Plattner commissioned a course which would be a thorough test for every golfer but would also rank among the world's top courses. Player's design team spent months studying the classic links courses of Scotland and Ireland and then, armed with inspiration from the best that those countries had to offer, embarked on the ambitious task of recreating some of their finest holes on what was once an airfield.

The result is awe inspiring and has elicited praise from some of the world's finest golfers. It was the host venue for the 2003 Presidents Cup, which ended in an historic tie after a dramatic play-off between Tiger Woods and Ernie Els. In early 2005, it was the host venue for the Women's World Cup of Golf and in 2011 it hosted the SAA Open, the world's second oldest Open Championship.

The Links at Fancourt is a private club, with play restricted to members and their invited guests but there are limited times available to guests staying at Fancourt's hotel. There is little doubt that a round is enhanced greatly by the expert caddies at the club. These caddies are among the best in the world and are sure to assist any standard of golfer negotiate his or her way around The Links. When playing The Links, it is difficult to believe that one is not in Scotland or Ireland until, that is, one notices the imposing Outeniqua mountain range that rises impressively in the background.

Montagu Course at Fancourt - Ranked # 10 Course in South Africa

The Montagu is a much celebrated parkland course and has been ranked as the number one golf course in South Africa in the past. It has recently undergone major renovations with several holes being redesigned and has two completely new holes – the 1st and 9th.

"With golf critics becoming more discerning and the increase in new modern courses, we believed it was time to rejuvenate the Montagu layout and improve the course immeasurably," says Resort General Manager, Ingrid Diesel. "We believe the new look course, which has now grown in superbly, has been restored to its former glory where it will once again hold its head high amongst the best in the world."

Pinnacle Point Golf Course – Ranked #7 Course in South Africa

The Pinnacle Point Golf Course is an immaculate 18 hole championship golf course, co-designed by renowned golf architect Peter Matkovich and professional golfer Darren Clarke. The golf course stretches along four kilometers of spectacular coastline and boasts dramatic cliff-side holes and over 1000 acres of unspoiled beachfront. Located near Mossel Bay in the Southern Cape along the Garden Route in South Africa, the Pinnacle Point Golf Course is comparable with the best in the world and truly is a design masterpiece.

Peter Matkovich, the golf architect responsible for many of South Africa's premier golf courses including Arabella, Leopard Rock and Steenburg, has described Pinnacle Point as "the most dramatic golf course site I've ever encountered anywhere in the world!" The emerald green fairways and tees provide the perfect surface for making shots and the bent grass greens will ensure a challenging and entertaining game. The views are awe inspiring, with dramatic coastal views of the ocean from all areas of the course. Some of the holes are situated along the cliff side. The natural beauty of the indigenous flora and fauna complete this unique golfing experience.

STOP PRESS- Pinnacle Point named one of "10 Courses to Watch" in Golf Magazine's 2008 list of World Top 100 Courses!!! ("Folks might soon start calling Pebble Beach the 'Pinnacle Point of America' instead of the other way around.")

The Lost City Golf Course - Ranked #9 Course in South Africa

The Lost City Golf Course is an 18 hole desert style golf course with spectacular views across the bushveld. Unique to this par 72 course are the 38 real crocodiles at the 13th hole making this one of the most unusual golf resorts in the world, let alone in Africa! The golf course covers more than 100 hectares and incorporates 28,000 square metres of water features...not surprisingly golf carts are compulsory.

The desert style design of the golf course has an exotic allure all of its own. Designer Gary Player has acknowledged it as one of his favorite courses. The Lost City Golf Course is flexible: playing off the forward tee a course length of 5953 meters, extending to 6983 meters off the back tee. The course provides spectacular views. Playing the back nine is like going on a golf safari. It has often been noted that the game is more exciting when played downhill and this is certainly the case here. In addition to the previously mentioned 13th, holes 11, 14, 15 and 16 are all played from elevated tees offering thrill, excitement and challenge to the golfer along with some of the most spectacular African views to be had on a golf course.

Gary Player Country Club- Ranked #3 Course in South Africa

South Africa's famous Gary Player Country Club features an 18 hole golf course with a par of 72 and is home to the prestigious Nedbank Golf Challenge. Continually ranked the best golf course in South Africa, it is acknowledged as difficult and demanding. The course requires stamina and accuracy - the comparatively flat nature of the golf course is misleading. Water hazards, cunningly sited bunkers and pins hidden away on kidney shaped greens make up for the lack of gradient.

Multiple tees make it enjoyable and playable for both the keen novice and the skilled professional. First timers will quickly learn that the course can be unforgiving of wayward shots. Off the back markers the course measures over 7000 metres which makes it one of the longest in the world. But a variety of tees make it possible to shorten the course and render it playable for all levels of golfer. A distinguishing feature is its green's complexes, with strategically placed bunkers, swales and mounds that protect the super slick clover shaped greens. With pristine kikuyu fairways and excellent bent grass greens the course is kept in perfect condition all year round.

Leopard Creek Country Club- Ranked #1 Course in South Africa

It all started with a passion for golf and the African bushveld. The dream turned to reality in 1995 when Johann Rupert created Leopard Creek and, with Gary Player, designed a championship 18 hole golf course as its centrepiece. They wanted a course which friends could play and enjoy yet which could also test the best of players. Leopard Creek opened in 1996 as an exclusive club for like minded individuals sharing common values. Membership was by invitation only. We have worked closely with the management teams at both LCCC and Lukimbi Safari Lodge to secure very rare, guaranteed visitor tee times at South Africa's #1 rated course.

Innovative architectural and landscaping techniques ensure that the golf course and lodges are harmonious with the environment while lakes and small streams have been diverted through the development to create scenic vistas and interesting golf strategies. Golfing hazards take on a new dimension at Leopard Creek for much of the water is home to hippos and the creature for which the adjacent river is named - crocodile.