Top 100 Golf Courses of South Africa 2018 Ranking golf courses in South Africa is a relatively new business as Golf Digest produced its inaugural Top 50 for the country in 1998, more than thirty years after magazines in the United States had been producing state, national and international listings. Editor Stuart McLean, correspondent in South Africa, was the man who established that chart and he’s still responsible for the ongoing revision of what’s now become a Top 100 for South Africa. We also created our own Top 50 in 2008, though it was quickly doubled in size the following edition, and we’ve since extended our coverage down to provincial level, allowing us to showcase more than a hundred and twenty-five courses across nine distinct geographical regions in the rainbow nation. Within our latest Top 100, thirteen courses remain in the same position, forty move up, forty-four fall down and three – Simbithi, Rustenburg and Hans Merensky – drop out. The first of our chart non-movers is the Links course at Fancourt Hotel & Country Club, which retains its position as the number 1 in South Africa. The 5th staging of The Presidents Cup was held here in 2003, three years after the Gary Player-designed layout opened for play, and a reviewer described it last year as “fantastic” with “an incredibly unique feel to it” that was “unlike anything I have played before or since”. He continued: “there’s also been a real effort in the design to work with indigenous plants to encourage wildlife and support the local ecology, something I think more golf courses should try to do”. Rising one place to number 3, we have another Gary Player design, Leopard Creek in Mpumalanga, where the layout lies on the southern fringes of the Kruger National Park. It’s just re-opened after an extensive revamp carried out by Golf Data to reposition fairway bunkers, widen landing areas, replace Kikuya fairways with Bermuda grass and replant greens with Champion bent grass. The par three 12th – featuring an unusual Redan-style green – was also redesigned during a comprehensive 8-month upgrade of the property and we’re now looking forward to receiving some reviews for the newly refurbished course in the months to come. A couple of courses make noteworthy 3-position climbs within the Top 10 places in our new table. Humewood, located in the sand dunes of Algoa Bay, to the south of Port Elizabeth in the Eastern Cape, is now at number four, having risen eleven places to number seven when we last re-ranked two years ago. Designed by Colonel S. V. Hotchkin in 1929, this course was the only African entry to make the True Links book authored by George Peper and Malcom Campbell in 2010. Our US Consultant Fergal O’Leary is a big fan of this place, calling it “a massively underrated layout worthy of major championships… it epitomizes the low-key nature of those sleepy golf clubs you find in GB&I, no frills, no country club, just 100% commitments to true links golf”. Two places behind Humewood at number 6, the East course at Royal Johannesburg & Kensington Golf Club continues its advance towards the very top of the chart, following a wide-ranging upgrade that was completed at the start of this year. Golf Data’s Robbie Marshall worked with Royal staff and club officials on a number of reforms, such as pruning trees and installing new bunkers, with the aim of improving the overall presentation of the layout. A similar project is now planned for the West course. Also returning to the South African Top 10, the course at Glendower Golf Club leaps eight places to number 8, only one spot lower than the position it held in our inaugural chart of 2008. The last five South African Open Championships have been held on this old C. H. Alison design, with English professionals winning three of these events. Chris Paisley was the latest person to savour victory in this competition, claiming his maiden European Tour title at the 118th attempt back in January of this year. Glendower’s no stranger to hosting this prestigious national tournament actually, as the world’s second oldest Open also took place here in 1989, 1993 and 1997. Advancing six places to number 14, the course at East London Golf Club in the Eastern Cape is another layout which was redesigned by S.V. Hotchkin during his visit to South Africa in the late 1920s. Golf Digest SA Editor Stuart McLean says of this layout: “East London has always been one of South Africa’s classic coastal layouts, magnificently situated in big dunes overlooking the Indian Ocean. It would be no exaggeration to describe this property as the best golfing site in the country. It is close to the city, between the Buffalo and Nahoon Rivers, yet exists in a space apart that has been thankfully undisturbed by development.” One place behind East London at number 15, the course at George Golf Club in The Garden Route soars nine places up the listings. The layout’s classic tree-lined design dates back to the 1930s, when Dr Charles Molteno Murray set out the fairways, but the property benefitted greatly from an upgrade in 1999 when an area of alien vegetation in front of the clubhouse was cleared and replaced with a lake that now borders the opening and closing holes. “George doesn’t have bells and whistles” according to one reviewer, “but it is a proper golf course which should be enjoyed whilst walking and basking in the beauty of this part of South Africa.” The Ernie Els-designed course at Highland Gate Golf & Trout Estate was one of our highest new entries two years ago when it debuted at number 33 and it now progresses another thirteen places to the number 20 slot in our revised standings thanks to a "Better Billy Bunker" installation. Situated a relatively short two-hour drive west of Nelspruit in Mpumalanga province, the course is fast gaining fame on the tournament circuit after recently hosting the Vodacom Origins of Golf event on the Sunshine Tour and the Els for Autism Final. Corporate golf days and local fund-raisers at the club are also popular, acting as a catalyst to attract golfers from all over the country to play this new layout. In the lower half of the Top 100, several courses make double digit jumps up the table, including the early 1990’s layout from Peter Matkovich on the San Lameer Estate in Southbroom (up eighteen to 59), the Fred Hawtree-designed Rocklands course (formerly known as Woodlands) at Country Club Johannesburg (up thirteen to 61), and the old Bob Grimsdell course which Sean Quinn of Golf Data redesigned a while back for the Wedgewood Golf & Country Estate outside Port Elizabeth (up twelve to 85). The most impressive upward move is made by King David Mowbray in Cape Town (up twenty places to number 75). The club only formed two years ago, when King David Golf Club and Mowbray Golf Club merged, and the amalgamated club now operates from the Mowbray clubhouse, a building that was reconstructed after a devastating fire in 1993. The club replanted its putting surfaces with paspalum a decade ago but this didn’t work out as well as intended. Three years ago, course consultant Mark Muller and greenkeeper Tinus Fouche started interseeding the greens with bent and poa, which thrives in the winter and spring, allowing the paspalum to dominate during the rest of the year, and this has resulted in far better all-year putting surfaces. The first of three new entries arrives at number 60 and it’s the course at Vulintaba Country Estate near Newcastle in Kwazulu-Natal. Stuart McLean recently visited the remote 9-hole course in the Drakensberg and he told us it was “possibly one of the best 9-holers in the world”. Stuart continued: “I had been there when it opened about eight years ago. It was a Peter Matkovich design known as Dunblane with the intention to increase to eighteen holes. New owners decided nine holes were enough, and brought in another designer, Douw van der Merwe, to change two of the holes and build additional tees”. We ‘re happy to have this course fly into our new Top 100 at a prominent position and fully expect to see it hold its own in future chart editions. Incidentally, Stuart has also alerted us to another interesting project that is ongoing this year and that’s the rebuilding of Soweto Country Club in Johannesburg. The PGA Tour in America has donated more than a million dollars towards building eighteen new holes on the original site to uplift golf in the heart of the black community. The original course was designed by Gary Player and the Black Knight design team is leading the redesign at no cost as their contribution towards the overall upgrade of this historic club. Rank/ Click this link to see full details of our 2018 Top 100 Golf Courses in South Africa We’re re always pleased to receive feedback after updating national listings so by all means get in touch if you’ve any strong feelings about our re-evaluated South African standings. Have we missed a course that truly deserves recognition or have we included one which really shouldn’t be there? Maybe we’re flying the flag a little too high for a particular track or there’s another layout lying too low in the chart? Whatever your thoughts, please click the “Respond to this article” link at the top or at the bottom of this page to share your views with us. The more informed opinions we receive the better. Jim McCann Editor Top 100 Golf Courses

A good halfway house can turn a great round of golf into a memorable one. It might be a cold beer on a Scottish links, a burger with a spectacular view or a hot drink to warm you up before the back nine. Whatever is on offer, the best halfway houses give golfers a chance to forget about the scorecard for a few minutes and enjoy the experience. We recently asked the Top100 Golf Courses community to share their favourite halfway houses, uncovering plenty of memorable stops around the world. We've picked five of their recommendations, alongside five more renowned halfway houses that are well worth knowing about. What is a Halfway House? A halfway house is a food and drink stop positioned around the turn of a golf course, usually between the ninth and 10th holes. Some are little more than a hut serving snacks and drinks, while others have become destinations in their own right, offering everything from full meals and cocktails to fires, views and plenty of local character. Five Halfway Houses Chosen by the Top100 Community Sunningdale Golf Club (England) There is a reason the halfway hut at Sunningdale has become one of the most famous refreshment stops in golf. The small Swiss-chalet-style building has been in place since 1903, sitting where the ninth holes of both the Old and New Courses meet their respective 10th holes. But the building itself isn't the main attraction. That would be the sausage sandwich. Sunningdale's legendary hut serves a simple sausage on buttered bread, with other food and refreshments available alongside it. The hut has become such an established part of the experience that the club's own tradition says everybody stops, but does so speedily. It's not fancy, and that's rather the point. After nine holes of heather-lined fairways, a hot sausage sandwich and a cup of tea can feel like exactly what golf ordered. Nairn Golf Club - The Bothy at Nairn (Scotland) The Bothy at Nairn has a history that goes well beyond golf. Built in 1877, the stone building and neighbouring icehouse formed part of the Easter Delnies Fishing Station, one of five salmon fisheries operating along the coast between Nairn and the mouth of the Findhorn. In a good season, the fishery could catch up to 5,000 salmon, with ice collected from local rivers and a specially made pond and stored in the icehouse to keep the catch fresh. The buildings have since been given a new lease of life, with the Bothy converted into a halfway house where golfers can stop for snacks and refreshments at the turn. On a cold day beside the Moray Firth, there's also a fireplace to warm up beside. The historic stone building, Highland setting and views across the course provide plenty of atmosphere. One of our community members put it rather simply: a dram of whisky and a fire are hard to beat. Hard to argue with that. Turnberry Ailsa (Scotland) Turnberry's halfway house is about as far removed from the traditional golf hut as you can get. The Ailsa's ninth hole now finishes beside the famous Turnberry Lighthouse, which doubles as a halfway house for golfers. The lighthouse itself dates back to 1873, while the golf course's dramatic ninth was redesigned as part of the Ailsa's major renovation. Inside, golfers can stop for food and drink before heading to the 10th, but the real attraction is outside. From the lighthouse, there are views across the Firth of Clyde towards the Isle of Arran and Ailsa Craig. It's a halfway stop that feels more like a destination than a quick pit stop. When your halfway house is a historic lighthouse overlooking one of Scotland's most spectacular stretches of coastline, you've got a pretty good excuse to take your time. Ardglass Golf Club (Northern Ireland) At Ardglass, the halfway-house experience is wonderfully straightforward: have a Guinness and enjoy the view. The course's old cottage halfway house at the back of the 7th green has become one of its most memorable features, with golfers able to stop for a pint before continuing their round. A recent visitor described it as a gorgeous cottage with Guinness, while another praised the combination of a Guinness, sausage roll and views over the Irish Sea. It fits Ardglass perfectly. The County Down links is already one of the most dramatic places to play golf in Northern Ireland, with the Irish Sea never far away. Add a pint of Guinness just before the turn and you've got a halfway house that feels distinctly of its surroundings. Sometimes you don't need to reinvent the wheel. Blair Atholl Golf Estate (South Africa) Blair Atholl might have been one of the less obvious names to appear among the community recommendations, but the descriptions made it impossible to leave out. The halfway stop sounds less like a quick break and more like an event. One golfer highlighted the chicken burger, a chef cooking a barbecue beneath the trees and a deck sitting beneath a stream. Another mentioned silver-service high tea. That's quite the halfway-house menu. It's also a good example of why the best stops aren't necessarily the most famous. A halfway house can become memorable because of the food, the setting or simply the feeling that you're being looked after rather than rushed back onto the course. Five More Renowned Halfway Houses St Andrews Links - The Old Course (Scotland) If we're talking about halfway houses, it makes sense to visit the place that has a claim to starting the tradition. In the 19th century, David "Old Da" Anderson sold ginger beer and other refreshments from a cart on the Old Course at St Andrews. It has been described as golf's first refreshment stand. The modern version sits behind the ninth green and keeps the tradition going, albeit with a rather more substantial menu. The pork and haggis sausage roll is a popular choice, while the club's own Tom Morris 1821 Lager provides a suitably Scottish accompaniment. It's difficult to think of a more fitting place for a halfway stop. The Old Course is steeped in golfing history, and even the break between nines has a story of its own. Pine Valley Golf Club (New Jersey, United States) Pine Valley's halfway house is memorable before you've even ordered anything. Rather than a conventional hut, it is built into the base of an old water tower, which golfers encounter around the eighth hole and again near the 12th tee. It's an appropriately unusual feature for one of the world's most unconventional golf courses. The tower doubles as a stop for drinks and snacks, giving golfers a chance to take a breather before continuing around Pine Valley. It even boasts an impressive collection of golf balls from around the world. There aren't many halfway houses that can claim to be built inside a water tower. Quivira Golf Club (Baja California Sur, Mexico) Quivira has taken the halfway-house concept and spread it across the entire round. The Jack Nicklaus-designed course has multiple all-inclusive comfort stations, each offering golfers food and drinks as they make their way around the Cabo San Lucas layout. The most spectacular is The Cliffs, perched almost 300 feet above the Pacific, where golfers can stop for a breakfast burrito and take in the views over the ocean. Then there's The Oasis, the main halfway house near the ninth green. Here, the emphasis is on the food, with freshly prepared Baja cuisine including tacos and tostadas, alongside a full tequila bar. A final stop, Cañada, sits near the 16th tee, while another comfort station beside the oceanfront practice facility offers snacks and cold drinks before golfers even reach the first tee. The food and refreshments are included in the green fee, making Quivira's comfort stations much more than somewhere to grab a quick drink. Tacos, tequila and spectacular Pacific Ocean views make the breaks almost as memorable as the golf. Whistling Rock Country Club (South Korea) At Whistling Rock, there isn't just one halfway house to look forward to. The South Korean club is made up of three nine-hole loops, each with its own themed tea house: Cocoon, Temple and Cloud. The three buildings are each distinctly different. One is a rounded structure between a lake and forest, another is a formal wood-and-glass building, while the Cloud tea house sits high among the trees. The result is a halfway-house experience that feels distinctly different depending on which nine you're playing, with each tea house adding another layer to the Whistling Rock experience. Royal Dornoch Golf Club (Scotland) Royal Dornoch's halfway house is proof that sometimes the best idea is a simple one. The stop sits behind the ninth green of the Championship Course, with views back across the links towards the Dornoch Firth. And then there's the traditional order: hot chocolate with Bailey's Irish Cream, a combination that makes considerably more sense when you're standing on a Scottish links in a North Sea wind. It's a small detail, but one that has become part of the Royal Dornoch experience and exactly the sort of halfway-house tradition golfers remember.

Other Courses Nearby Golf in South Africa is a celebrated affair, thanks to the country's stunning landscapes and excellent weather, making it a prime destination for golf enthusiasts. Among the top courses that stand out for their design, history, and unique challenges are Blair Atholl, Glendower, The River Club, Royal Johannesburg & Kensington (East), and Steyn City. Here is an introduction and a brief overview of each of these prestigious courses: Blair Atholl Golf Course Nestled in the serene landscape near Johannesburg, Blair Atholl Golf Course is a testament to luxury and challenge in golf. Designed by Gary Player, one of South Africa’s most famous golf icons, the course spans over 7,500 yards. Known for its lengthy play and the integration of natural features such as rivers and lakes, Blair Atholl combines beauty with the rigor of the sport. It's a private estate that exudes exclusivity and offers a tranquil escape with picturesque views at every turn. Glendower Golf Club Located in the heart of Edenvale, Glendower Golf Club is a classic parkland course known for its meticulous maintenance and historical significance. It was established in the early 1930s and has since hosted numerous prestigious tournaments, including the South African Open. The course features well-placed bunkers and challenging water hazards, requiring precision and strategic play. The lush, rolling fairways and mature trees make it a visually appealing course as well. The River Club The River Club in Sandton is not just a golf club but a reimagined lifestyle complex. While it's more known for its high-profile corporate and social gatherings, the golf course itself offers a unique experience. It’s recently been redesigned to incorporate modern golfing trends while maintaining its classic charm. The River Club remains an exclusive venue, focusing on privacy and high standards of service. Royal Johannesburg & Kensington (East) The Royal Johannesburg & Kensington Golf Club is one of the most prestigious golf clubs in South Africa, with a rich history dating back to 1890. The East Course is particularly renowned, regularly hosting the Joburg Open as part of both the PGA European Tour and Sunshine Tour. This course is characterised by its challenging layout, with long fairways, deep bunkers, and the infamous stretch known as the "East Beast". Its history and the quality of play make it a revered course among both local and international golfers. Steyn City Steyn City Parkland Residence is not only a luxury residential estate but also home to a magnificent golf course designed by the celebrated golfer, Jack Nicklaus. This course is famous for its beautiful landscaping and innovative design that respects the natural environment. It offers a challenging yet enjoyable game for golfers of all levels, with water features and strategic bunkering enhancing both the difficulty and the aesthetic appeal of the course. These courses not only highlight the variety and depth of golfing experiences available in South Africa but also underscore the country’s love for the sport, blending challenging gameplay with stunning environments. Find out more about travel to playModderfontein Golf Club Why not register today to be the 1st to Receive World Rankings releases for 2024. Lockhart Travel Club Concierge Services FAQ What is the Lockhart Travel Club? Lockhart Travel Club is dedicated to offering its members unique opportunities for world-class golf exploration and adventure. It connects members with like-minded individuals worldwide, aiming to fulfil their desire to play at the best golf courses globally. The club originated from Robert Lockhart's passion, a Scotsman who introduced golf to America in the late 19th century, and it continues to embody his spirit of golf travel​ (Lockhart Travel Club)​. Who are the members of the Lockhart Travel Club? Members are individuals from some of the world's greatest clubs, sharing a common passion for golf and adventure. The club welcomes golfers eager to travel, play, and check off their bucket list of courses. They are driven by the opportunity to see and play the best courses worldwide, taking advantage of the club's network​. What kind of experiences does Lockhart Travel Club offer? In 2023, the club provided opportunities to play in various top-ranked courses and locations, including the Sand Hills of Nebraska and Colorado, the best of Japan and Korea, the English Heathlands, the classic courses of France, and the best of New Zealand’s North Island. The 2024 schedule promises unique experiences in 19 different countries, including Thailand & China, Brazil, South Africa, the Northeast USA, and Australia​. How do I join Lockhart Travel Club? Interested individuals can inquire about membership by contacting the club directly via their official email. The club values connections among golf enthusiasts and strives to plan unique, unforgettable opportunities for its members throughout the year​. For more detailed inquiries or to apply for membership, please refer directly to the Lockhart Travel Club's official website or contact their membership services. Lockhart Travel Club About Us: Learn more about the club Top 100 Golf Courses - Lockhart Travel Club: Explore member experiences and trips.