Golfing

GOLF COURSES

Lost City Golf Course.

The Lost City Golf Course with undulating and rocky terrain has an 18-hole desert-style golf course that is surrounded by spectacular views across the bushveld. Wide fairways, a series of lakes that separates the ninth with the finishing hole, the course covers more than 100 hectares and incorporates 28 000 square meters of water features. The 72-par course has live 2-metre long crocodiles on the 13th hole with a green in the shape of the African continent. This makes it one of the most unusual, exciting and interesting golf courses in the world.

Gary Player Golf Course.

Designed by Gary Player, is an 18-hole par-72 walking course, with a 5km running trail along the course. Built in an extinct volcanic crater, this immaculate golfing paradise conforms to the stringent US PGA specifications and was recently named South Africa’s Best Golf Course in the World Golf Award 2015. It is also home to the annual Nedbank Golf Challenge which plays host to some of the world’s golfing legends.

Hans Merensky Golf Course.

a Golf course located on the border of the Kruger National Game Reserve offers more than just a challenging course for golf lovers worldwide. The wildlife alone is a sight for sore eyes, and you will often leave your experience with tales to tell the grandchildren. The course itself has been voted as one of the best walking courses located in South Africa. It even received the Diamond Arrow award for being the highest rated course located in the Limpopo Province. This excellent achievement received by the Golf course clearly signifies the quality of the course. The course is measured to be in the region of 6549 m in range and welcomes visitors every day of the week. Due to its location it is an International hotspot where you often experience more than just a game of golf but also your own version of a walking safari. Animals that reside in the course itself include, Giraffes, hippos, a variety of antelope, and be sure to keep an eye out when near the water as the resident crocodile aren’t the friendliest.

Skukuza Golf Course.

Skukuza Golf Course is the only Kruger Park golf course located in the park itself. It is a 72par, nine-hole, 18-tee course on the road to Paul Kruger Gate. Built originally in 1972, it is now open to the public. The course is as close-to-nature as you’ll get with beautiful bushveld trees, wonderful bird life and views over Lake Panic. The course is not fenced in, so a round of golf often provides wildlife sightings. The Skukuza Golf Course is situated on the outskirts of Skukuza Rest Camp. The rich wildlife sanctuary surrounding the golf course is home to the Big Five, a huge variety of birds and countless animals, which all conspire to provide the visitor with a harmonious close-to nature golfing experience. Since the course is not fenced-in, uninvited spectators are a common sight, hippo, impala, warthog and baboons to mention but a few. The Skukuza Golf Course has no bunkers, although ‘aerial bunkers’ abound because of the many trees found on the course.

Leopard Creek Golf Course.

The Leopard Creek Golf Course is, hands down, South Africa’s best wildlife / safari golfing experience. The course borders the Kruger National Park, separated by nothing less than the carving crocodile river. Golfing hazards take on a new dimension at Leopard Creek, for much of the water is home to the magnificent creatures for which the river is named, crocodiles. Innovative architectural and landscaping techniques ensure that the Leopard Creek golf course are naturally protected from animals. Sightings of crocodile, hippo, antelope, buffalo and elephant are commonplace, on the course or in the Kruger Park bordering the course. Leopards Creek is another of the Gary Player designed courses and the old master chose to go with a parklands layout measuring in at 6665m. Fairways are coated in a svelte Kikuyu and the greens with Bent. Player is particularly fond of his 18th that ends off with an island green as well as the 9th that includes a peninsula green.

Extreme 19th hole at the Legends Golf Course.

It is the longest and most challenging par 3 in the world, stretching 437 yards with a tee-box height of 1,410 feet. The tee, located at the top of Hangklip Mountain, is accessed only via helicopter. Because of its height, a tee shot takes almost 20 seconds to land. A spotter is given a rough direction via radio to look for the ball. The fairway is seeded with Cynodon grass and has been landscaped to direct the ball towards the green, which has been shaped to resemble the continent of Africa. The green is surrounded by a large waste bunker.