Arabella Golf Club
The finest finish in the Cape. Peter Matkovich set Arabella between the Kogelberg mountains and the Bot River Lagoon near Hermanus, fairways framed by wild fynbos that build to one of the great closing holes in South African golf, the par 4 eighteenth along the water.
Photo: Arabella Golf Course via Google.
The verdict
Arabella is the showpiece of the Cape's whale coast. Peter Matkovich, the prolific South African architect, laid the course in 1999 on a glorious site near Kleinmond, with the Kogelberg mountains rising on one side and the wide Bot River Lagoon spread on the other, the whole framed by the wild fynbos that gives the western Cape its distinctive texture. It is regularly ranked among the very best courses in the country and is the natural golf anchor of a trip down the coast from Cape Town toward Hermanus and the Garden Route.
At a par of 72 of around 6,950 yards, Arabella is a genuine test that saves its best for last. The closing holes swing toward the lagoon, and the par 4 eighteenth, played along the water to a green hard against the lagoon edge, is rated one of the finest finishing holes in South Africa. With a fine hotel and spa on site and Hermanus and its whale watching a short drive away, Arabella is as much a resort escape as a golf round, a place to settle in for a few days of the Cape at its most beautiful.
Arabella at a glance
- Opened
- 1999
- Designer
- Peter Matkovich
- Type
- Parkland, lagoon
- Par
- 72
- Yardage
- Around 6,950 yds
- Green fee
- Around R1,535 high season
Designer, year, par and yardage verified June 2026 from Arabella and leading course databases. Arabella plays to a par of 72 of around 6,950 yards, about 6,360 metres. Green fees are indicative, around R1,535 for an international visitor in high season and lower for affiliated South African players, in the 2025 season. Fees change by season and year, so always confirm directly before booking.
The holes worth the trip
Arabella is a course of two halves of mood. The opening holes climb and roll through the fynbos beneath the Kogelberg, parkland in feel, with the mountains as a constant backdrop and the fairways generous enough to let you settle. The eighth, a beautiful par 5, is often singled out as one of the prettiest holes of its kind in the country, the strategy a matter of how much of the corner you dare to cut.
The finish is what people remember. The course turns toward the Bot River Lagoon, the wind off the water rising, and builds to the eighteenth, a par 4 that runs along the lagoon edge to a green set against the water, a closing hole that has been rated among the very finest in South Africa. It is a finish that asks for nerve as much as skill, the lagoon waiting all the way down the left.
For the travelling golfer, Arabella is the keystone of a whale coast and Garden Route trip. Pair it with the parkland and bushveld courses around Cape Town and the wider Cape and you have a week that mixes great golf with wine country, whale watching and some of the most beautiful coastline anywhere.
How to get on
| What to know | Detail |
|---|---|
| Access | Open to visitors and hotel guests, booked through the club, the resort or your trip planner; advance booking is recommended |
| Green fee | Around R1,535 for an international visitor walking rate in high season and lower for affiliated South African players, in the 2025 season (indicative) |
| Booking | Reserve ahead for the summer high season and the whale season; staying at the on site hotel and spa eases access and tee times |
| On the day | Carts and caddies are available; the lagoon wind can get up in the afternoon, so an early tee time is often the calmer round |
| Getting there | At Kleinmond in the Overberg, around 90 minutes by road from Cape Town and around 30 minutes from Hermanus along the whale coast |
| Best months | The Cape summer from around November to April for warm, dry days; the cooler, greener winter months are quieter and a little cheaper |
Access and indicative green fees verified June 2026 from Arabella and leading course databases; they change without notice, so always confirm directly before booking with the club or your trip planner. Check tee time availability.
Where to stay nearby
The easy base is the hotel and spa on the Arabella estate itself, set above the lagoon with golf access included, a relaxed Cape resort to settle into for a few days of golf, spa and the whale coast.
Nearby Hermanus, the celebrated whale watching town, and the wider Overberg offer guesthouses, boutique hotels and vineyard stays a short drive away, with Cape Town and its wine lands around 90 minutes back up the coast.
Looking for a base? See our recommended hotels and resorts at Arabella and around Hermanus and the whale coast.
Build a Cape and whale coast golf trip
Arabella is the most beautiful golf base on the Cape's whale coast, and it pairs with the great courses around Cape Town and the Garden Route. We sort the tee times, the lodge and the coast road, and price the trip to the head. Tell us roughly when and who is travelling and one concierge handles the rest, with no obligation.
Arabella questions
Who designed Arabella Golf Club?
Arabella was designed by the South African architect Peter Matkovich and opened in 1999. Matkovich routed it on a spectacular site near Kleinmond between the Kogelberg mountains and the Bot River Lagoon, edged throughout by the western Cape's wild fynbos.
What is the par and length of Arabella?
Arabella plays to a par of 72 and measures around 6,950 yards, about 6,360 metres. It builds to a celebrated lagoon finish, with the par 4 eighteenth running along the water rated one of the finest closing holes in South Africa, and a much admired par 5 eighth.
How much does it cost to play Arabella?
Indicative 2025 green fees are around R1,535 for an international visitor walking rate in high season, with lower rates for affiliated South African players. Rates change by season and year, so always confirm current prices and tee times directly before booking.
Where is Arabella and how do I get there?
Arabella is at Kleinmond in the Overberg region of the Western Cape, around 90 minutes by road from Cape Town and around 30 minutes from Hermanus, making it the natural golf anchor of a whale coast and Garden Route trip.
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Researched and written by the GolfForKings editorial desk. Design, par and yardage verified June 2026; indicative green fees verified June 2026. Last reviewed June 2026.