Fancourt, The Links course at George on South Africa's Garden Route, a leading buddies golf venue

Ranked · 7 courses · updated 2026

The Best Golf for a Buddies Trip in South Africa

South Africa is the great value bucket list of world golf: championship courses ranked among the best on the planet, set against the Garden Route coast, the Cape Winelands and the edge of the Kruger, at green fees that would barely cover a caddie elsewhere. For a group of mates it is hard to beat. Here are the seven courses we rate most highly for a buddies trip, ranked, with our verdict on each and how to play it.

See the ranking Plan a buddies trip

By Morten Andersen, Co-founder · Fact-checked by Fredrik Filipsson · How we rank · Last reviewed June 2026

Photograph: Fancourt, The Links, George, via Google

How we chose them

A buddies trip wants a different mix from a couples holiday or a corporate day. The group wants courses worth talking about over a braai, a base with good food, wine and a bar within reach, a spread of difficulty so the whole fourball stays in the game, and ideally a cluster that lets everyone play several rounds without long transfers. South Africa delivers all of it, but it is a big country, so the smart trip picks a region and plays it out: the Garden Route, the Cape and Winelands, or a Kruger and Sun City loop with a safari attached.

We weighed course quality and championship pedigree, how well each venue and its surroundings suit a group, the playability across a range of handicaps, and the strength of the wider cluster for building a multi round week. The Garden Route scores highest as a base because Fancourt anchors a run of fine courses down the coast; the Cape and the Lowveld follow with world ranked golf wrapped in a city, a vineyard or a game reserve. Every detail was checked at the time of writing. The order and the verdicts are our editors' view, so reasonable people will reorder the list. If you want any of these built into a costed group trip, that is exactly what our concierge does.

The ranking

Leopard Creek Country Club, Malelane

Lowveld · Gary Player · opened 1996 · Alfred Dunhill Championship host

South Africa's perennial number one, a Gary Player design from 1996 on the southern boundary of the Kruger, where the course backs onto the Crocodile River and the wildlife wanders the fairways. The par 5 13th and the island green 9th and 18th are famous, but the lasting memory is the setting: elephants on the far bank, the bush all around, a true safari and golf experience. Access is the catch, since Leopard Creek is private and play is by member introduction or an organized package, but for a group it is the ultimate bucket list round to pair with a Kruger safari.

Read the Leopard Creek profile

Fancourt, The Links, George

Garden Route · Gary Player · opened 2000 · 2003 Presidents Cup host

The finest test in the country and the heart of any Garden Route trip, Gary Player's Links course was carved from flat farmland at George into a rolling, links style examination that hosted the famous tied 2003 Presidents Cup. It is a stern, championship layout, walking only with caddies, and a fitting centerpiece for a group that wants serious golf. The Fancourt estate adds the Montagu and Outeniqua parkland courses and a hotel, so a buddies group can stay, play three layouts and never leave the property. The best single base in South African golf.

Read the Fancourt Links profile

Durban Country Club, KwaZulu-Natal

Durban · Laurie Waters and George Waterman · opened 1922

The grand old lady of South African golf, laid out in 1922 by Laurie Waters and George Waterman through the dunes along the Durban beachfront, with an opening stretch many rate among the best starts in world golf. The rumpled, seaside fairways and the classic clubhouse give it an atmosphere the resort courses cannot match, and it has hosted the South African Open more often than any other course. For a group it is a characterful, walkable round in the heart of a warm coastal city with plenty to do at night. A must for the connoisseur.

Read the Durban Country Club profile

Gary Player Country Club, Sun City

North West · Gary Player · opened 1979 · Nedbank Golf Challenge host

The host of the Nedbank Golf Challenge, the so called Million Dollar tournament, Gary Player's 1979 design at the Sun City resort is a long, demanding par 72 that the pros play to more than 7,800 yards. For a buddies group it is a big, bold day out wrapped in a full resort, with the Lost City course alongside, casinos, restaurants and the Pilanesberg game reserve next door. Less subtle than the Cape courses but enormous fun as a group, and an easy add on to a Johannesburg arrival or a Kruger loop. Play it from the tees that suit you.

Read the Gary Player Country Club profile

Pearl Valley, Cape Winelands

Paarl · Jack Nicklaus · opened 2003

A Jack Nicklaus Signature design from 2003 set among the vineyards and granite peaks of the Paarl valley, routinely ranked among the country's top handful and the standout course of the Winelands. The conditioning is immaculate, the mountain backdrop is superb, and the layout rewards good ball striking without beating up the higher handicaps. For a group it pairs perfectly with a Stellenbosch and Franschhoek wine base, an easy drive from Cape Town, so the days are golf and the evenings are some of the best food and wine in the country. The smart Cape Winelands anchor.

Read the Pearl Valley profile

Arabella, Hermanus

Western Cape · Peter Matkovich · opened 2000

A Peter Matkovich design beside the Bot River lagoon near Kleinmond, an hour from Cape Town on the whale coast road to Hermanus, with a closing stretch along the water that ranks among the most scenic in the Cape. The course is generous off the tee and a real pleasure for a mixed group, while the resort hotel and spa make a relaxed base. Pair it with the Hermanus whale watching in season and a Hemel en Aarde wine tasting and you have a memorable couple of days. A scenic, sociable round on the road south from the city.

Read the Arabella profile

Pezula, Knysna

Garden Route · David Dale and Ronald Fream · opened 2000

Perched on the cliffs above Knysna in the heart of the Garden Route, Pezula is a Golfplan design by David Dale and Ronald Fream that runs along the headland with sweeping views over the lagoon and the Indian Ocean. It is a scenic, undulating test that completes a Garden Route cluster with Fancourt down the coast and Simola across the lagoon, so a group can stay around Knysna and play three contrasting courses in a few days. The oyster bars and the forest add to the appeal. A spectacular finish to a Garden Route week.

Read the Pezula profile

Designers, opening years and host events verified June 2026 from the clubs and leading databases; visitor access, group rates and tee times vary by season and party size. Always confirm visitor access and fees directly before booking. Check tee time availability.

Plan your South African buddies trip

Tell us the group size, the rough dates and whether you want a Garden Route cluster around Fancourt, a Cape and Winelands base, or a Kruger and Sun City loop with a safari, and we will build it. One concierge secures the tee times, sorts the lodging and the group dinners, and costs the whole trip to the head, with no obligation.

South African buddies golf questions

Where is the best base for a buddies golf trip in South Africa?

The Garden Route is the strongest single base: Fancourt at George anchors a cluster that runs to Pezula and Simola at Knysna and Pinnacle Point at Mossel Bay, all within an easy drive and wrapped in coastline, wine and game. Cape Town and the Winelands suit a group that wants city nights with Pearl Valley and Arabella close by, while a Kruger and Sun City pairing builds a trip around Leopard Creek and the Gary Player Country Club with a safari attached.

Is South Africa good value for a golf trip?

It is among the best value premium golf destinations in the world for travelers paying in dollars, pounds or euros, with green fees at world ranked courses a fraction of comparable layouts in the United States or Europe, and a favorable exchange rate stretching the budget across lodging, food and wine. Fees still vary widely by course and season, so always confirm directly before booking.

When is the best time for a golf trip to South Africa?

The South African summer, from October to April, is peak for the Cape and the Garden Route, with long days and warm weather, though the Cape can be windy. The Lowveld around Leopard Creek and the KwaZulu-Natal coast play well in the cooler, drier winter months from May to September, which also pairs perfectly with the prime safari season. Always confirm conditions before booking.

The Tee Sheet

South African golf news, resort openings and the group deals that matter. Every other week.

Researched and written by the GolfForKings editorial desk. Designers, course details and host events verified June 2026. Last reviewed June 2026.