Durban Country Club vs Simola: Which Golf Trip Wins?
One is the grand old stage of South African golf, a 1922 dune course that has hosted more South African Opens than anywhere else. The other is a Jack Nicklaus Signature perched above the Knysna lagoon on the Garden Route. Different coasts, different eras, similar money. Our verdict up front, then the head to head.
Photo: Durban Country Club via Google, by Dean van Zyl.
The verdict
For the golf itself, Durban Country Club wins, and it is not close. Laurie Waters and George Waterman laid the course over heaving coastal dunes beside the Indian Ocean in 1922, Colonel S V Hotchkin of Woodhall Spa fame refined it in 1928, and the opening five holes remain one of the great starts in golf: the par 5 third, tumbling along a dune valley, is the most celebrated hole in the country. The club rebuilt all 18 greens after the 2022 floods and reopened in March 2024, so the grand old course is in the best condition of its modern life. The international visitor fee is about R1,950 in 2026.
Simola wins on the trip around the round. The Nicklaus Signature, opened by the Golden Bear himself in September 2005, rides a ridge high above the Knysna River with the Outeniqua mountains behind, an unusual card of five par 5s and five par 3s, and a hotel and spa on the estate. At about R1,790 for unaffiliated visitors in peak season 2026, cart and halfway house included, it slots naturally into a Garden Route swing past Pezula and Pinnacle Point. Architecture pilgrims fly to Durban; Garden Route travellers book Simola and never feel shortchanged.
Head to head
| Durban Country Club | Simola | |
|---|---|---|
| Designer, year | Laurie Waters and George Waterman, 1922; revised by S V Hotchkin, 1928 | Jack Nicklaus Signature, opened September 2005 |
| The course | Par 72, about 6,150 meters from the tips; natural dune land along the ocean, the famous par 5 third, greens rebuilt for the March 2024 reopening | Par 72, 6,401 meters from the yellow tees; ridge top routing with five par 5s and five par 3s above the Knysna River |
| Pedigree | Host of more South African Opens than any other club, a fixture of the country's top course rankings for a century | The third Nicklaus Signature course in South Africa and the first on the Garden Route |
| Access | Private members club that welcomes visitors; book ahead through the club | Estate course open to the public; hotel guests get the easiest tee sheet |
| Indicative cost | About R1,950 for international visitors, 2026 | About R1,790 for unaffiliated visitors in peak season 2026, cart and halfway house included |
| Season | Year round; Durban winters, May to September, are mild and dry, summers hot and humid | Year round Garden Route climate; October to April is prime, winters mild with some rain |
| Getting there | Minutes from the Durban beachfront, about 30 minutes from King Shaka airport | Above Knysna, about an hour from George airport along the Garden Route |
| The vibe | Old world clubhouse, championship ghosts, a members club proud of its history | Resort estate: hotel, spa, infinity pool, carts essential on the hills |
| Best for | Course collectors, students of classic architecture, a city stop on a wider tour | Garden Route road trips, couples, golfers who want the stay built in |
Course facts verified June 2026 from club published information. Always confirm fees and visitor access directly before booking.
Who should pick which
Pick Durban Country Club if you keep a list. This is where Gary Player won his first South African Open, where the championship returned again and again for a century, and where the land does things modern earthmoving cannot fake. The fairways pitch and roll like a links, the bush presses in, and the third hole alone justifies the flight. It pairs well with the KwaZulu-Natal coast or as the opening act of a longer tour that runs to Leopard Creek and the Kruger lowveld; our South Africa golf holidays page maps the routes.
Pick Simola if the trip is the Garden Route. Knysna sits at the heart of the country's great coastal drive, and Simola gives the town a marquee round with a hotel attached: play the ridge in the morning, the lagoon and the oyster bars in the afternoon. Serious golfers fold it into a week that also takes in the Links at Fancourt up the road in George, the toughest examination in the country, with Pezula and Pinnacle Point as the scenic supporting cast. Both courses on this page sit in our ranking of the best golf courses in South Africa, and the wider country guide lives at golf in South Africa. Weighing the two giants instead? See Leopard Creek vs Fancourt.
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Durban and the classic courses, the Garden Route and its resorts, or the full tour with safari attached. Tell us roughly when and who is travelling and one concierge costs it to the head, with no obligation.
Durban Country Club vs Simola questions
Can visitors play Durban Country Club?
Yes. Durban Country Club is a private members club but welcomes visiting golfers who book ahead through the club. The international visitor green fee is about R1,950 in 2026. The course reopened in March 2024 after a full rebuild of the greens following the 2022 floods. Always confirm directly before booking.
How hard is it to get a tee time at Simola?
Not hard. Simola is an estate resort course open to the public, with unaffiliated visitor fees of about R1,790 in peak season 2026, cart and halfway house included. Staying at the Simola hotel makes the tee sheet easiest, especially in the December and January holiday weeks.
Which course is the better test of golf?
Durban Country Club, by consensus and by our reckoning. Its dune land produces stances, bounces and recovery puzzles no modern course manufactures, and a century of South African Opens is its own evidence. Simola is the more forgiving resort examination, though its five par 3s ask for precise iron play all day.
Can one trip include both?
Yes, with a flight between Durban and George, or Durban and Cape Town with the Garden Route drive eastward. A ten night route covering Durban Country Club, the Garden Route trio of Simola, Pezula and Pinnacle Point, and the Links at Fancourt is one of the best value great course tours in golf.
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Researched and written by the GolfForKings editorial desk. Course facts and indicative fees verified June 2026. Last reviewed June 2026.