Golfing while on an African Safari

Most travel to Africa to see the Big 5 on safari, but that doesn’t mean golf enthusiasts shouldn’t miss out on adding truly brag-worthy golf experiences to their trips. The key for hitting the links is time management and where you stay. Luckily African Travel specializes in choosing the right safari that balances time between game drives and pursing your passion and has strong relationships to get on the desired courses. Now you just have to choose your desired experience and we’ll do the rest. Here are five top African golf destinations to get you started.

Teeing up at Kruger National Park

If wildlife viewing and seeing the Big 5 is the most important part of the trip then head to the Sabi Sands Game Reserve in Kruger National Park. You’ll be rewarded with epic animal sightings on game drives and on the golf course, especially at Leopard Creek where the hazards take on new meaning. The river view alone is filled with sightings of crocodile, hippo, buffalo and elephant.  We often tailor our Southern Explorer to play the Gary Player-designed course and take a swing at their million dollar hole.

 

Golfing on the Garden Route

For those that love a good road trip, the Garden Route from Cape Town to Port Elizabeth has surprising natural contrasts, some of South Africa’s best seaside resorts and South Africa’s top courses. Tailor the South Africa’s Natural Wonders trip with added stops in George to play at Fancourt and Knysna to play at Pezula Championship Golf Course before going on safari.  Fancourt alone has three Gary Player golf courses ranked in Golf Digest’s Top 20 courses in the country, including the #1 The Links.

Golf Safari by Rail

For a memorable journey that can cater to golfers and non-golfers alike, the Rovos Rail nine-day golf safari by train ticks off game viewing, exploring South Africa’s top cities and numerous golf stops across South Africa. Travel from Pretoria to Sun City, home to the Lost City and Gary Player Country Club. Cross the Drakensberg Mountain ranges and the Valley of a Thousand Hills to Durban. And game view in Zululand at one of the country’s oldest reserves, Swaziland and Kruger Park. 

The Insta-worthy golf experience along the Equator

The sheer beauty of Africa’s second-highest mountain is usually the main draw, but the area around Mt. Kenya also has another photogenic spot golfing by the Equator at the Fairmont Mount Kenya Safari Club. Most come to the nine-hole golf course to boast of playing the only African golf course bisected by the Equator as well as sharing fun stories of how monkeys stole their ball. While visiting on one of our Kenya safaris, it’s worth adding a day to play between the Northern and Southern hemisphere if you have the time and sense of humor.

Cape Town Winelands and Beach

The first recorded instance of a golf game in South Africa happened in Cape Town in 1885 so it’s only fitting for golf lovers to explore the city’s nearby golf courses. Easy daytrips are available from the coast to the winelands. There’s no better way to start the day than with a round of golf at Steenberg Golf Estate before exploring the Constantia Valley, one of Cape Town’s rising stars for wine.