Lost City Golf Course
Lost City is the second course at Sun City, two hours northwest of Johannesburg, a Gary Player desert layout opened in 1993 alongside his famous Gary Player Country Club. A par 72 of about 6,983 yards cut through bushveld and rock, it is best known the world over for the par 3 thirteenth, whose forward waste area is home to a pit of live crocodiles.
Photo: Francois Stemmet via Google.
The verdict
Lost City opened in 1993 as the second eighteen at Sun City, Gary Player's resort complex built around the fantastical Palace of the Lost City. Where its sister course, the Gary Player Country Club, is a long championship test, Lost City is the desert sibling, routed through rock outcrops, bushveld scrub and waste areas under the big Highveld sky. It is a resort course with genuine character and a strong holiday test.
The course is famous for one hole above all. The par 3 thirteenth carries a rocky waste area in front of the green that has been turned into a crocodile enclosure, around forty live Nile crocodiles basking below the tee shot. It is a flourish that has become a landmark, but the rest of the round earns its place too, with desert framed holes, generous fairways and greens that reward a controlled approach.
Lost City at a glance
- Opened
- 1993
- Designer
- Gary Player, 1993
- Type
- Desert resort
- Par
- 72
- Yardage
- About 6,983 yds
- Green fee
- From R1,750
Designer, opening year, par and yardage verified June 2026 from the resort and leading course databases. Lost City was designed by Gary Player and opened in 1993 at Sun City, a par 72 of about 6,983 yards through bushveld and desert. Indicative green fees change by season and year, so always confirm access and any green fee directly before booking.
The holes worth the trip
Lost City plays as a desert resort course, wide off the tee in most places but defended by waste areas, rock and the bushveld that frames the holes. The fairways are generous, the greens are large and the run of the ball is fast on the firm Highveld turf, so distance control on the approach is the key to scoring.
The set piece is the par 3 thirteenth, around 180 yards over a rocky pit stocked with live crocodiles to a green beyond. It is the most photographed hole in South African resort golf, and it concentrates the mind whatever your handicap. Beyond the theatre, the par 3s and the reachable par 5s give the round its rhythm.
The closing holes wind back toward the Palace through the scrub and the rock, with the bushveld and the resort towers on the skyline. It is not the equal of the championship course next door for sheer examination, but it is more fun for many visitors, and the crocodile hole alone makes it a round you remember. Play both Sun City courses and you have the full range of Gary Player design.
How to get on
| What to know | Detail |
|---|---|
| Access | Open to resort guests and visiting golfers; book a tee time in advance, especially over South African holidays |
| Green fee | Indicative 18 hole rate around R1,750 for day visitors and R1,250 for resort residents in 2025, including a cart and halfway house lunch (indicative, 2025) |
| Booking | Reserve through Sun City; stay and play packages combine both resort courses with the hotels |
| On the day | Carts included; the crocodile enclosure on the 13th is fenced; bring sun cover for the exposed bushveld |
| Getting there | About two hours by road northwest of Johannesburg and OR Tambo airport, in North West province |
| Best months | The cooler, dry April to September Highveld winter for the most comfortable golf |
Access and fees verified June 2026; policies and rates change, so always confirm directly before booking. Check tee time availability.
Where to stay nearby
Most golfers stay inside Sun City itself, from the landmark Palace of the Lost City to the Cascades and the Sun City Hotel, all within the resort and minutes from both courses. The complex combines the golf with a casino, water park and the surrounding Pilanesberg game reserve, making it an easy family and golf combination.
Sun City pairs naturally with a Pilanesberg safari for a golf and game trip, or with Cape Town and the Garden Route for a fuller South African tour that adds the Cape's coastal courses and wine country. The malaria free Pilanesberg on the doorstep is a particular draw for travelling families.
Looking for a base? See our recommended hotels and resorts at Sun City and around Lost City.
Build a South Africa golf trip
We secure Lost City and Gary Player Country Club tee times, pair them with a Pilanesberg safari or the Cape and book the lodging around them. Tell us roughly when and who is travelling and one concierge costs it to the head, with no obligation.
Lost City questions
Who designed Lost City Golf Course and when did it open?
Lost City was designed by Gary Player and opened in 1993 as the second course at Sun City in South Africa's North West province.
What is the par and length of Lost City?
Lost City is a par 72 of about 6,983 yards, a desert resort course routed through bushveld and rock.
Does Lost City really have crocodiles on a hole?
Yes. The par 3 thirteenth plays over a rocky enclosure that is home to around forty live Nile crocodiles, the most famous hazard at Sun City. The pit is fenced for safety.
Can visitors play Lost City?
Yes. Lost City is open to resort guests and visiting golfers; tee times should be booked in advance, and stay and play packages combine it with the Gary Player Country Club.
Related
The Tee Sheet
Tee time windows, course access changes and the trips worth taking. Every other week.
Researched and written by the GolfForKings editorial desk. Opening year, designer, par and yardage verified June 2026; indicative green fees verified June 2026. Last reviewed June 2026.