World class golf at unbeatable value, paired with safari and wine like nowhere else on earth: Gary Player's Links at Fancourt, the Crocodile River drama of Leopard Creek, the Cape Winelands, and a game drive to finish. The trip of a lifetime for a group, planned by one concierge.
Photograph: Leopard Creek Country Club, via Google
A buddies trip to South Africa is the rare golf week that delivers bucket list courses, exceptional value and genuine adventure in the same itinerary. The favourable exchange rate means a group plays world ranked golf, eats and drinks superbly and stays in fine lodgings for a fraction of what the equivalent would cost in Europe or the United States. No other golf destination pairs the game so naturally with two of travel's greatest experiences: a Big Five safari and the vineyards of the Cape Winelands. It suits the ambitious fourball or society that wants more than golf from a long haul trip, and does not mind a long flight to get it.
The golf splits naturally into two regions. The Cape and the Garden Route hold the densest cluster, anchored by Gary Player's Links at Fancourt, widely rated the finest course in Africa, with the Winelands courses near Cape Town and the clifftop drama of Pinnacle Point within reach. To the northeast, on the edge of the Kruger, Leopard Creek offers championship golf among the wildlife and the perfect excuse to fold a safari into the week. Combine the two and you have a trip your group will talk about for years.
The headline round and widely rated the best course in Africa, a Gary Player links built on flat farmland into rolling dunescape, opened in 2000 and host of the 2003 Presidents Cup. The five star Fancourt estate behind it has two more excellent courses, Montagu and Outeniqua.
A Gary Player design on the banks of the Crocodile River beside the Kruger, host of the Alfred Dunhill Championship and one of the most atmospheric rounds in golf, with hippos, crocodiles and big game often in view. The natural anchor for a golf and safari leg.
A Jack Nicklaus signature course in the Franschhoek valley, consistently rated among the country's best, framed by the dramatic peaks of the Winelands. The ideal golf base for a few days among the vineyards and restaurants of the Cape.
One of the most spectacular clifftop courses anywhere, perched above the Indian Ocean near Mossel Bay on the Garden Route, with holes running along the cliff edge. A thrilling round and a perfect companion to the Links at Fancourt.
Designers, pars and opening years verified June 2026 from the clubs and tour records. Leopard Creek access is generally via approved lodges and operators; confirm when planning. Always confirm fees and access directly before booking.
Arrive in Cape Town, settle into Franschhoek or Stellenbosch, and open with a round at Pearl Valley and an afternoon of wine tasting in the valley.
Drive the Garden Route to George for the Links at Fancourt, the marquee round, with a clifftop game at Pinnacle Point near Mossel Bay along the way.
Fly to the lowveld for a round at Leopard Creek among the wildlife, then a safari lodge for morning and evening game drives in the Kruger.
A last round and a celebration dinner before the journey home, or extend with a few days on the coast or in Cape Town to round off the trip.
South Africa is large, so a multi region trip uses internal flights between Cape Town, George and the Kruger lowveld rather than long drives. The Garden Route itself is a beautiful coastal drive. Flight connections and drive times are confirmed for each itinerary.
| Style | Per person, 2026 | What it usually includes |
|---|---|---|
| Cape and Garden Route golf | From around £1,800 to £2,600 | 7 nights, 4 to 5 rounds, good hotels, car or transfers, breakfast |
| Golf and safari combo | From around £2,600 to £3,500 | Cape golf plus Kruger safari, internal flights, game drives, most meals |
| Premium golf safari | From around £3,500 upward | The best courses, luxury safari lodge, fine lodging and dining throughout |
Indicative third party operator and resort package ranges for the 2026 season, excluding long haul flights, shown to set expectations only. We are a guide, not an operator, and never quote our own pricing. Always confirm directly before booking.
The Cape and the Garden Route are at their best from spring to autumn, roughly September to April, with warm, dry days, and the southern summer of December to February is peak. The Kruger and the lowveld, by contrast, are superb for both golf and safari in the cooler, drier winter from May to September, when game viewing is at its finest as animals gather at the waterholes. A trip combining the two regions works for much of the year, with the shoulder months of spring and autumn offering the best all round balance. Book Fancourt, Leopard Creek and the safari lodge first, as the best lodges and tee times go early, then build the rest around them.
Tell us the group size, the courses you want, whether to add a safari and roughly when. One concierge costs the whole trip to the head and replies within one working day, with no obligation.
South Africa is one of the best value buddies golf destinations in the world. A favourable exchange rate stretches the budget, the courses are world class, the weather is reliable, and no other golf destination pairs the game so naturally with safari and wine. A group can play Gary Player's Links at Fancourt, ride along the Garden Route, sip in the Cape Winelands and finish with a game drive in the Kruger, all in one trip. It suits fourballs and societies wanting bucket list golf with adventure built in.
Most trips build around the Links at Fancourt, Gary Player's links course on the Garden Route and widely rated the best in Africa, and Leopard Creek, the Player design on the edge of the Kruger that hosts the Alfred Dunhill Championship. In the Cape, Pearl Valley by Jack Nicklaus in the Winelands and the clifftop Pinnacle Point near Mossel Bay are essential, with Arabella and Erinvale rounding out a strong Cape cluster.
Indicative packages run from around 1,800 to 4,000 pounds or more per person for a week to ten days, depending on the courses, the lodging, whether a safari is included and the season, and excluding long haul flights. South Africa offers exceptional value for the quality, with a strong exchange rate, though a luxury safari lodge lifts the total. All figures are indicative; always confirm directly before booking.
The Cape and Garden Route are at their best from spring to autumn, roughly September to April, with warm, dry days, while the summer months of December to February are peak. The Kruger and the lowveld are excellent for golf and safari in the cooler, drier winter, May to September, when game viewing is at its best. A trip combining both regions works much of the year. Always confirm tee times and lodge availability before you travel.
South African course access, safari and golf deals and the trips worth taking. Every other week.