Selborne Golf Estate

The verdict

Selborne matters as much for what it started as for how it plays. When it opened in 1987 it was South Africa's first residential golf estate, the template that the country's now famous estate courses would follow, laid out on what had been a dairy and Jersey cattle farm at Pennington on the KwaZulu-Natal South Coast. The result is a mature, heavily wooded parkland that feels a world away from the highveld, with the warm subtropical climate keeping it green and playable for most of the year.

It is not a long course by modern numbers, a par 72 of about 6,040 meters, and that is part of the appeal. The challenge comes from tight, tree lined corridors, water in play on a string of holes, and small greens that ask for accuracy rather than power. Pair it with the resort hotel and spa on site and Selborne is an easy, characterful round to fold into a South Coast itinerary, particularly for couples and groups who want golf at a gentle, sociable pace.

The holes worth the trip

Selborne is a positional course, and the player who plots a route home will score far better than the one who simply unloads the driver. The corridors are framed by mature indigenous trees and stands of subtropical planting, so the tee shot is about finding the correct side of the fairway for the angle in, not raw distance. Miss into the trees and you will spend the round chipping out sideways.

Water is the second defense, threading into several holes around the property and tightening the second shot on the par 4s and the lay up on the reachable par 5s. The greens are on the smaller side and well guarded, which puts a premium on a controlled, well flighted approach and a sharp short game when you miss. The mid round stretch, where the routing turns through the densest bush and crosses water more than once, is where a steady card can come undone.

It is a fair, honest test rather than a brutal one, and that is exactly why it has endured. Selborne rewards the thinking golfer and the accurate iron player, and it gives a relaxed, scenic walk that suits a holiday round far better than a championship slog.

Where to stay nearby

The simplest base is the Selborne Hotel and Spa on the estate itself, which puts the first tee and the resort facilities on your doorstep and suits couples and groups who want everything in one place. The wider South Coast adds a string of beach towns with guesthouses and self catering options, all within a short drive of the course.

For a fuller KwaZulu-Natal golf trip, an hour's drive north opens up Durban and its heavyweight, the classic Durban Country Club. Combine the South Coast with the Garden Route or the Western Cape to pair Selborne with the likes of Simola and the clifftop Pinnacle Point for real contrast.

Looking for a base? See our recommended hotels and resorts near Selborne.