From Drakensberg Peaks to Big Five Vistas:Golfing South Africa Beyond the Cape – Our Top 10 Golf Courses in South Africa
South Africa’s golfing story doesn’t end in the Cape. Head east and north and you can play beside the dunes of the Eastern Cape, through coastal forest in KwaZulu-Natal, or within sight of Kruger National Park. Add Sun City and Johannesburg’s established parkland courses, and there is plenty to tempt you beyond the Cape and Garden Route.
These are ten are our top picks for a golf holiday in the rest of South Africa, plus the Lost City course as an extra Sun City option. Choose a region or two, then allow enough time to enjoy the area between rounds. Plus these golf courses are easy to incorporate into a golf and safari itinerary for South Africa, if you wish.
Leopard Creek
Side Note on Rankings& Playing Lengths
We use the rankings from the Top 100 Golf Courses in South Africa 2026 edition, updated every year. However our top ten golf courses list differs slightly from the Top 100 ranking, because we focus on the top courses which are easily accessible to the golfing visitor; in the most attractive areas for touring. Rather than the many highly ranked golf courses in in the upmarket ”lifestyle’ estates of Johannesburg.
(For your reference, you’ll find the 2026 Top 100 Golf Course Rankings at the end of each course description.)
Playing length varies by tee. Visitor access also differs, particularly at Leopard Creek, so confirm your preferred courses with us before building the holiday around them.
Durban Country Club’s dune terrain remains its great attraction. The original Laurie Waters and George Waterman layout sits close to the Indian Ocean, with rolling fairways, elevated greens and a succession of holes that reward placement as much as power.
Following the 2022 floods, Durban Country Club rebuilt all eighteen greens and opened up views across the dunes. So the course reopened in 2024 and has bounded up the rankings again.
It’s a prestigious private club with a very colonial air, evident it its traditions and gabled clubhouse. The golf course boasts a naturally undulating dune layout near the sea, with holes flowing through dense tropical vegetation. The course is scenic, with the Indian Ocean and Durban seafront visible from several tees, but also demanding. To score well you have to play well.
Its strong opening stretch – especially the 2nd, 3rd and 5th holes and short par-four eighteenth make it a memorable round. The foliage on the course is breath-taking. Virtually every tropical plant imaginable creates a colourful, scented backdrop to your round.
Durban Country Club’s third hole is a legend in itself. Locals say it’s where eagles soar… and where your scorecard might just go south!
Arrange visitor golf in advance at this private club; a spotter is required for each visiting fourball.
Golf Safaris in KwaZulu Natal
These KwaZulu natal golf courses such as Durban Country Club, Zimbali and Mount Edgecombe are also perfectly for combining with a safari afterwards at Phinda or one of the other KZN Game Reserves.
Durban • Coastal parkland • Par 72 • 6,148 m • Carts available • Top golf courses in KwaZulu Natal• No 4 inSA Top 100 Courses Ranking
2) Leopard Creek Golf Estate near Kruger Park
Leopard Creek’s setting is difficult to rival. Gary Player’s course follows the southern edge of Kruger National Park, with bushveld, water features and the Crocodile River shaping the experience. The thirteenth green, high above the river, offers a particularly memorable view into the park.
He planned the course to be both a challenge for the best golfers, and fun for the average player. Thoughtful bunkering and changes in elevation keep the golf absorbing, but visitor access needs careful planning.
Typical bushveld ‘koppies’ overlook the course from the east, providing an ideal backdrop for this magnificent course.
Note on Playinghere
This is a private club and so non-member visiting golfers must stay at one of a small number of associate lodges and we book the golf round through that lodge. Rounds are offered only on certain days in limited off-peak periods and subject to club availability.
So do confirm with us that playing at Leopard Creek is possible, before organising your whole golf holiday around it.
Kruger Border Near Malelane • Bushveld parkland • Par 72 • 6,501 m • Carts available • Top golf courses in South Africa • No 5 inSA Top 100 Courses Ranking 2026
3) St Francis Golf Course at St Francis
St Francis Links is a Jack Nicklaus design set among coastal dunes near St Francis Bay. Rolling fairways, substantial bunkers and contoured greens create a demanding round, with wind adding another consideration to club selection.
The course is not considered a true links course by the purists, given its rather disconcerting use of a number of water features.
The layout combines every element of shot making with its undulating terrain, greens and surrounds as well as its variation in length and direction.
Choose tees that suit your game and allow yourself time to appreciate the duneland setting. Visitors can walk or hire a cart. It works well as an Eastern Cape coastal stop, perhaps before or after an Eastern Cape safari, only 2 hours’ drive away.
St Francis Bay • Links-style • Par 72 • 6,553 m • Walking or carts• Top golf courses in Eastern Cape • No 7 inSA Top 100 Courses Ranking 2026
4) Gary Player Country Club, Golf at Sun City
Home to the Nedbank Golf Challenge, Gary Player Country Club offers the chance to play one of South Africa’s best-known tournament courses. (Past winners include Tommy Fleetwood, Max Horma, Lee Westwood, Ernie Els, and Nick Price.)
Its bushveld setting and water-protected greens provide plenty of interest, with accurate approaches more useful than simply hitting the ball a long way.
At over 7,000 metres from the published back-tee reference, it is a substantial test, with the roughs being especially punishing. It places a premium on accurate approaches, with plenty of bunkers and water hazards to test even the best. Though visitors can choose a more suitable set of tees for their level of play.
Although this tree-lined parkland course is fairly flat, the many water hazards, cunning sited bunkers and hidden pin placement make up for the lack of gradient.
The par-five ninth, with its island green, is a highlight. This is a strictly walking course, so plan accordingly. A stay at The Palace of the Lost City can be combined with a few nights on safari in nearby Pilanesberg.
Stay at the Palace at the Lost City Hotel and then perhaps enjoy 2-3 nights on safari in the adjacent Pilanesberg Game Reserve?
Note on the two Sun City Courses
The Gary Player golf course is the more difficult of the two courses at Sun City, the other being the Lost City course, which we review below
Closure Times – The Gary Player course is usually closed on Mondays. Plus check tournament preparation and before fixing dates.
Sun City • Parkland • Par 72 • 7,162 m • Strictly Walking-only • Top golf courses in South Africa • No 10 inSA Top 100 Courses Ranking 2026
Sun City course
Also at Sun City: Lost City Country Club, Golf – #81
Lost City offers a useful contrast to Gary Player Country Club. Gary Player’s second Sun City design runs over more undulating, rocky terrain, with broad fairways and expanses of sand creating a desert-style appearance against the surrounding bushveld.
It lies adjacent to thePalace at the Lost City Hotel within the resort. Like an oasis in the arid bushveld, the course offers many surprises.
The short par-three thirteenth is its best-known talking point: the green is shaped like the African continent, with crocodiles in the adjoining enclosed waterhole. (Within the water hazard are plenty of crocodiles, some nearly two metres long! So it’s best to leave your ball if you hit a wayward shot into the water.)
Baobab trees and cacti are among the aesthetic attractions, and baboons are often seen on the course.
Elsewhere, elevation changes, water features and views towards The Palace of the Lost City keep the round interesting. Carts are available here, making it an alternative for golfers who prefer not to walk.
Sun City • Desert-style parkland • Par 72 • 6,683 m • Carts available • Top golf courses in South Africa • No 77 inSA Top 100 Courses Ranking 2026
Sun City course
5) Royal Johannesburg & Kensington East
Royal Johannesburg’s East Championship Course is a good reason to spend longer in Johannesburg than an airport overnight. Originally designed by Bob Grimsdell and extensively revamped in 2017 by Robbie Marshall, it offers an established parkland setting with mature trees and a serious championship test.
This traditional parkland course offers stunning vistas where mature trees abound. Its demanding back nine begins with two long par fours at the tenth and eleventh.
The club welcomes visitors, with advance booking essential. If you have time for another round, the West course offers a second option and ranks No. 25 in the 2026 national list.
Note: We can recommend several boutique hotels close by for a 2-night golf stay. There are also a number of other highly ranked course in Johannesburg or nearby. See our list later.
Johannesburg • Parkland • Par 72 • 7,001 m • Carts available • Top golf courses in South Africa • No 12 inSA Top 100 Courses Ranking 2026
Chat to one of our experienced consultants that’s here to help and guide you.
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6) Zimbali Country Club on the Dolphin Coast of KZN
Zimbali’s Tom Weiskopf course (former British Open Champion) makes full use of its coastal forest setting near Ballito on KwaZulu Natal’s coast. More open holes contrast with others routed through woodland and wetlands, while substantial changes in elevation make judgement of distance especially important.
The mix of forest and sea views is the main attraction, and it makes an appealing round of golf during a coastal stay.
The Zimbali course has two distinct sides. Some holes lie in open former sugar cane fields. Many others cut through the indigenous forest and coastal wetlands. It boasts spectacular sea views from the 14th to 18th holes. The par 3 13th hole is probably the most scenic on the course, bordered by natural wetlands. The stylish Country Club completes the experience.
Note on Accommodation: You can now play again at Zimbali as a visitor (from 2026 onwards). So we can arrange a stay at Sala Beach House or the Oyster Box. If you want to stay close, then the modest 4-star Zimbali Lodge or Capital Zimbali Resort are on site.
This is the original Zimbali Country Club, separate from the Ernie Els Signature course at Zimbali Lakes
Near Ballito • Coastal parkland • Par 72 • 6,467 m • Carts available • Top golf courses in KwaZulu Natal• No 18 inSA Top 100 Courses Ranking 2026
7) Humewood Golf Course in Port Elizabeth (Gqeberha)
Humewood is a genuine seaside Links course on the sand dunes beside Algoa Bay, in Gqeberha, (formerly and still known as Port Elizabeth). However, Humewood broke away from the traditional links design of 9 holes out and 9 holes back. Instead, each of the 9 holes returns to the Clubhouse.
Wide, undulating fairways, firm greens, and steep-faced bunkers give it much of its character. The wind can change the challenge considerably from one day to the next. Gqeberha is known as the ‘windy city’ after all.
Thick, coastal bush provides a less forgiving boundary to the playing corridors, as the rough really is rough. So accuracy still matters despite the generous-looking fairways. This is a course for golfers who enjoy judging a running shot and adapting to the conditions. Both walking and cart hire are possible.
Golf & Safari
It makes a useful golfing stop when visiting the Eastern Cape, perhaps for a safari with many game reserves only a little over an hour’s drive away.
Gqeberha • Seaside links • Par 72 • 6,342 m • Carts available • Top golf courses in Eastern Cape • No 19 inSA Top 100 Courses Ranking 2026
8) Champagne Sports Golf Resort
Champagne Sports Resort offers a very different setting from KwaZulu-Natal’s coastal courses. Hugh Baiocchi’s design follows the rolling terrain beneath the peaks of the central Drakensberg, with mountain views, rivers and dams giving the round its character. This course must be one of the most scenically memorable golf courses in South Africa.
It undulates up and around the contours of a valley which nestles under the dominant Champagne Peak, with several holes offering blind tee shots.
The resort still lists 84 bunkers, with white silica sand, and its wide fairways offer some room from the tee. Water and the changing contours bring their own challenges.
Though the drama of the mighty mountains dominates the eye, the course also enjoys gentle vistas. The lower hills create a kaleidoscope of colour blessed with trees, rivers and dams to add even more of a challenge.
Stay a few nights if you would like to combine golf with mountain walks and time to enjoy the glorious scenery. Cathedral Peak Hotel to the northern side of the Drakensberg also offers a charming 9-hole course, if you’d like to split your stay.
Central Drakensberg • Parkland • Par 72 • 6,694 m • Carts available • Top golf courses in KwaZulu Natal• No 20 inSA Top 100 Courses Ranking 2026
9) Prince’s Grant on the Dolphin Coast of KwaZulu Natal
Prince’s Grant lies between sugarcane country to the one side, and the Indian Ocean on the other on KwaZulu Natal’s Dolphin Coast. Peter Matkovich’s design makes effective use of the rolling coastal terrain, combining broad views with holes that ask you to think carefully about your next shot.
The artful design of greens, hazards and bunkers makes it an interesting challenge for the higher handicap and provides ample reward opportunities for the top golfer.
The par-five fifteenth is the memorable one, playing from an elevated tee towards a green beside the sea. It is an attractive course to include in a North Coast stay, particularly if you enjoy changes in elevation and a coastal backdrop. Visitors can book a round in advance or stay at the lodge on the estate.
Near KwaDukuza • Coastal parkland • Par 72 • 6,158 m • Carts available •Top golf courses in KwaZulu Natal• No 31 inSA Top 100 Courses Ranking 2026
10) The Woods at Mount Edgecombe on the Dolphin Coast
Another highly rated course on the Dolphin Coast, north of Durban, is Mount Edgecombe. Here you have a choice of two championship courses – Woods at Mount Edgecombe (Number 53) and Lakes at Mount Edgecombe (Number 72)
The Woods at Mount Edgecombe has a parkland layout with many exotic trees. It begins with four short holes, then builds in difficulty right to the finish with some imposing water hazards. With four sets of tees, the course is playable by golfers of any handicap.
Mount Edgecombe • Parkland • Par 70 • 6,008 m • Carts available • Top golf courses in KwaZulu Natal• No 54 inSA Top 100 Courses Ranking 2026
More ideas for your golf holiday
Get our free Guide to the Top 25 golf coursesCourses in South Africa for more course ideas and help deciding which regions to include.
Designed by Robert Trent Jones Jr, Wild Coast Sun makes full use of its dramatic coastal setting, with fairways rising and falling through hills, ravines and indigenous vegetation above the Indian Ocean. It isn’t particularly long, but changes in elevation and coastal winds make club selection important. When the wind gets up, as it does from time to time, the Wild Coast course can present a very difficult challenge
However the generous fairways and large greens offer some reassurance, though wayward shots can find unforgiving rough.
Two consecutive holes are particular highlights. The par-five twelfth, aptly named Green Mamba, starts from an elevated tee and follows a fairway winding through the valley below. It’s considered one of the most breathtaking golf holes in Africa.
The club’s signature par-three thirteenth plays across a waterfall to a green framed by rocks. Together, they capture the course’s appeal: memorable scenery and golf that rewards careful judgement.
Near Port Edward, South Coast • Coastal parkland • Par 70 • 5,849 m • Carts compulsory •Top golf courses in KwaZulu Natal• No 52 inSA Top 100 Courses Ranking 2026
Download our Guide on Top 25 Golf Courses in South Africa
Tell us which courses appeal to you when you would like to travel and how much golf you want to play. We’ll help you choose an appealing route, recommend places to stay and combine your rounds of golf with a safari. Or time exploring the coast and mountains. Cedarberg Africa has been planning golf holidays in South Africa since 1995.
Top 10 Golf Courses in South Africa beyond the Cape – was written by Kate of Cedarberg Africa
Kate Bergh co-founded Cedarberg Africa with her sister Ginny and has lived in South Africa for over 30 years. She helps people to plan trips around their interests, combining time exploring South Africa’s wildlife and wild places with activities such as golf.
After 30 years of fine-tuning experiences, we know the sweet spots – both on the course and beyond.
Her husband is a keen golfer and has played several of these courses, but she sticks to hiking and biking.
