Golf & the Big Five — In One Trip
No other country on earth pairs world-class golf with a Big Five safari the way South Africa does. The Rainbow Nation is also the Rainbow of Golf — more than 500 courses across an extraordinary diversity of terrain — and its golfers have collected 18 major championship trophies between them. Gary Player, one of only five golfers in history to complete the career Grand Slam, is joined by Bobby Locke, Ernie Els, Retief Goosen, Trevor Immelman, Louis Oosthuizen, and Branden Grace on an honour roll few countries can match.
The courses are as varied as the country — inland links that feel transplanted from the British Isles, cliff-top layouts with Pebble Beach-worthy ocean holes, bushveld courses where wild game walks across the fairways, and mountain-top tees reached by helicopter. Gary Player's Fancourt Links (rated #1 in South Africa) is inland-links golf at its finest; Arabella on the Bot River lagoon is routinely ranked in the country's top five; Pezula sits atop the Knysna Heads with panoramic Indian Ocean views.
Three golf trails define the country. Cape Town & the Western Cape is the crown jewel — Table Mountain, the Winelands, and the 300-kilometre Garden Route running east to Port Elizabeth (IAGTO Golf Destination of the Year, 2014). Johannesburg & the North adds Sun City and the bushveld game lodges along the Limpopo. And Kwa-Zulu Natal around Durban rounds out the trio with some of the country's most under-rated layouts. Add wine tasting, whale watching, shark cage diving, and safari drives — South Africa is the rare destination where your non-golfing partner will have an even better trip than you do.
South Africa Itineraries
Our signature South Africa itineraries — each blending golf with safari, wine, and coastal adventure. Every trip is fully customizable.
South Africa's Greatest Courses
Gary Player's masterpiece, cliff-top drama above Knysna, and a Cape Winelands parkland ranked Western Cape's best — South Africa's top rota.
Three Golf Trails
Each South African golf region offers a completely different experience — from the Winelands around Cape Town to bushveld safaris up north.
Cape Town & the Winelands — The Crown Jewel
The most photographed coastline on Earth is also the start of South African golf. Cape Town sits between Table Mountain and two oceans, with the V&A Waterfront, Robben Island, and Cape Point within day-trip reach. Inland, the Cape Winelands — Stellenbosch, Franschhoek, Constantia — host Pearl Valley Jack Nicklaus and a cluster of boutique courses among 300-year-old wine estates.
An hour east, the Overberg brings Arabella Golf Club (regularly rated #1 in the Western Cape) on the Bot River lagoon, and nearby Hermanus — one of the world's best land-based whale-watching spots (June–October). Shark cage diving in Gansbaai, the colourful Bo-Kaap quarter, and Franschhoek's wine tram all make this a 5-7 night base on any itinerary.
Top Attractions
- Table Mountain Cableway
- V&A Waterfront
- Cape Point & Cape of Good Hope
- Boulders Beach penguins
- Robben Island
- Stellenbosch & Franschhoek wine
- Hermanus whale watching
- Shark cage diving, Gansbaai
Garden Route — IAGTO's Destination of the Year
A 300-kilometre coastal drive between the Indian Ocean and three mountain ranges, the Garden Route was named IAGTO's Golf Destination of the Year in 2014 — and the courses keep getting better. The jewel is Fancourt in George with its three Gary Player-designed layouts: the Links, the Montagu, and the Outeniqua. Further east, Simola and Pezula sit above Knysna with dramatic views over the lagoon and the heads.
Between rounds: Knysna oysters on a sunset cruise, ziplining through the Tsitsikamma rainforest canopy, the world's highest commercial bungee jump at Bloukrans Bridge, Addo Elephant National Park, and the surfing mecca of Jeffreys Bay. Many clients combine a Garden Route road trip with a Cape Town stay plus a safari lodge — the full South African experience in 10-14 nights.
Top Attractions
- Knysna Heads & oysters
- Tsitsikamma Canopy Zipline
- Bloukrans Bungee
- Addo Elephant Park
- Featherbed Nature Reserve
- Outeniqua Steam Train
- Cango Caves, Oudtshoorn
- Monkeyland & Birds of Eden
Johannesburg, Sun City & Safari — Bushveld Golf
Joburg is South Africa's commercial heart and the launchpad for its safari country. The Sun City resort — two hours north — offers two Gary Player courses including the Gary Player Country Club (host of the annual Nedbank Golf Challenge) and the desert-style Lost City Golf Course with a crocodile-filled water hazard.
Further north, the Limpopo Golf and Safari Route pairs bushveld courses with Big Five private game reserves — the Leopard Creek Country Club on the Kruger National Park border is the most famous, regularly ranked #1 in South Africa. Pair 2-3 rounds up north with a luxury safari lodge (Sabi Sand, Timbavati, or Madikwe) for the signature South Africa combination.
Top Attractions
- Kruger National Park
- Sabi Sand Game Reserve
- Sun City Palace & Waterpark
- Pilanesberg National Park
- Apartheid Museum, Johannesburg
- Cradle of Humankind
- Soweto Cultural Tour
- Blyde River Canyon
Featured Accommodations
From the iconic Fancourt Hotel on the fairway to private Big Five game lodges — South African hospitality is genuinely world-class.
Best Time to Play South Africa
Western Cape: September – March
South Africa's summer. Cape Town and the Winelands bask in 70-85°F sunshine and long evenings. Best for golf, wine, and beach days. Book 6-9 months ahead for premium tee times at Fancourt and Arabella.
Durban & KZN: April – October
The east coast flips the calendar. Dry winter months (June-September) deliver the best golf conditions in Kwa-Zulu Natal, while summer rains drench it. Pair Durban with a Cape Town visit in September — the overlap month works for both.
Safari & the North: May – September
Winter in the bushveld is game-viewing prime time — grass is short, animals congregate at water holes, and malaria risk is lowest. Sun City plays year-round. Combine a July-August safari with Durban golf for the ideal winter trip.
Whale Season: June – October
Southern Right whales migrate to Hermanus to calve between June and October — one of the world's best land-based whale-viewing windows. The annual Hermanus Whale Festival is in late September.