The province of Mpumalanga – formerly Eastern Transvaal – sits to the north east of South Africa where it borders four other provinces as well as Lesotho, Swaziland and Mozambique. The spectacular Drakensbeg Escarpment separates the Highveld west of the region from the Bushveld east, where the Kruger National Park game reserve attracts tourists in great numbers.

Around 7,000 male golfers in the province are governed by the Mpumalanga Golf Union, which oversees the golfing activities of thirty-seven clubs, from Volksrust Country Club in the southwest to Chrome Golf Club in the northeast. Female golf activities in the province come under the umbrella of Women’s Golf Mpumalanga.

A couple of Mpumalanga courses stand out from all the others. The first of these is Highland Gate, a new millennium Ernie Els Signature design. The second is Gary Player’s sensational Leopard Creek course, which has appeared at or near the top of the national rankings ever since it was first unveiled in 1996.