South Africa golf holidays

From Royal Cape to Fancourt's Links and St Francis, played in winter sun.

20 hotels · 29 courses · from £125pp · ATOL Protected

Plan my South Africa trip Talk to a golf expert · 01277 284284

South Africa is the rare golf destination that gives you everything in one trip: championship links, mountain-backed parkland, the vineyards of the Cape Winelands and a coastline that runs from Cape Town to Durban. The light is clean, the fairways are generous and the green fees buy a standard of course you would pay far more for in Europe. From the slopes of Table Mountain at Royal Cape and Milnerton to Gary Player's heathland masterpiece at Fancourt's The Links, this is a country built for golfers who also want to travel well.

It is also a winter-sun country in our calendar: while Britain is grey, the Western Cape and Garden Route are warm, bright and made for golf.

We have arranged South Africa golf since 1981. Every itinerary is hand-built and hand-priced around your dates, your group and the courses you want to play.

Why play golf in South Africa

  • World-class variety in a single trip: ranked links at St Francis Links and Fancourt's The Links, clifftop drama at Pinnacle Point and parkland in the Winelands.
  • Cape Town's own cluster: Royal Cape, King David Mowbray, Milnerton, Steenberg, Westlake and Metropolitan, all within easy reach of the city.
  • The Winelands on the doorstep, with De Zalze, Pearl Valley, Stellenbosch and Erinvale set among the vines and mountains.
  • Excellent value for the calibre of course, so your budget stretches to better golf and better hotels.
  • A genuine winter-sun escape: warm, dry and playable through our November-to-March winter.
  • A country that rewards combining golf with safari, wine and coastline, all of which we build into one seamless itinerary.

The courses you’ll play

The Cape Town courses give you a fast, rewarding base. Royal Cape Golf Club is the country's oldest and a quiet pleasure; King David Mowbray, Milnerton and Westlake sit under the mountain, while Steenberg in Tokai and Metropolitan round out the city. Out in the Winelands, De Zalze, Stellenbosch, Devonvale and Pearl Valley thread between vineyards near Paarl and Stellenbosch, with Erinvale and Somerset West at the foot of the Hottentots Holland. Along the Garden Route you have Oubaai at Herolds Bay, Pinnacle Point above Mossel Bay, Pezula at Knysna and the celebrated trio at Fancourt (Outeniqua, Montagu and The Links). Eastward sit St Francis Links and St Francis Bay; up in Durban, Durban Country Club and Beachwood. We hand-pick the rotation that suits your group.

Where you’ll stay

In Cape Town we know the city well, from The Bay Hotel above Camps Bay beach and The Vineyard Hotel in leafy Newlands to The Commodore on the V&A Waterfront and Thirty On Grace for a more private, guesthouse stay. For the golf and wine country, Spier and The Oude Werf sit in Stellenbosch, with Willowbrook Country House and Erinvale Estate Hotel & Spa in Somerset West for those playing Erinvale. The Garden Route brings Fancourt itself, African Oceans Manor at Mossel Bay and Cape St. Francis Resort for the links. Along the coast there is Harbour House in Hermanus, The Farmhouse at Langebaan, and in KwaZulu-Natal Beverly Hills at Umhlanga and The Benjamin in Durban. We match the hotel to the golf and the journey.

Best time to play golf in South Africa

South Africa sits in the southern hemisphere, so its seasons are the mirror of ours. For the Western Cape, the Winelands and the Garden Route, the prime golfing window is the dry, sunny half of the year that runs through our autumn, winter and early spring, roughly October to April. This is when Cape Town, Stellenbosch and Fancourt are at their warmest and brightest, making it a genuine winter-sun escape from a British November to March. The Cape's wettest months are our summer, around June to August. KwaZulu-Natal and Durban are subtropical and play comfortably most of the year, with a warm, humid peak over the same southern-summer months. We will steer your dates to the best weather for your chosen courses.

A sense of South Africa

History & heritage

Golf has deep roots here: Royal Cape Golf Club dates to 1885 and is the oldest club in South Africa, while Gary Player, the country's most famous son, shaped courses such as Fancourt's The Links. The Cape itself carries layers of history, from the V&A Waterfront and the old streets of the City Bowl to the Cape Dutch architecture of Stellenbosch, where The Oude Werf stands as one of the country's oldest inns. Table Mountain frames almost every Cape round, and the journey out along the Garden Route opens onto the lagoons, forests and coastline that give the region its name. It is a country where the golf is woven into a genuinely rich sense of place.

Food & wine

The Cape is one of the great wine regions of the world, and your golf sits right inside it. Stellenbosch, Paarl and the surrounding estates produce superb Chenin Blanc, Pinotage and Cabernet, and many of the courses we use, De Zalze, Pearl Valley, Devonvale and Stellenbosch among them, are set on or beside working wine estates. Spier near Stellenbosch is an estate in its own right. Cape Town's dining is excellent and varied, from waterfront seafood to the Cape Malay flavours of the Bo-Kaap, and Hermanus and the coast add fresh-off-the-boat fish. A round in the morning and a long lunch among the vines is one of the simple pleasures of a Cape golf trip.

Beyond the fairways

There is far more here than golf. From Cape Town you can take the cable car up Table Mountain, drive Chapman's Peak, visit Cape Point and the penguins at Boulders, or tour the Winelands by tasting room. Gondwana Game Reserve, near the Garden Route, brings Big Five safari within reach of your golf, so a few days of game drives slot neatly into the trip. Hermanus is one of the world's best land-based whale-watching spots in season, Knysna and the lagoons reward a slower pace, and the beaches of Camps Bay and Umhlanga are first class. We build these around your golf so the non-golfers in the group travel just as well.

Getting around & exploring

South Africa is best explored by road, and the distances reward a planned route. Cape Town, the Winelands and Somerset West form one compact cluster you can play from a single base. The Garden Route then runs east along the coast through Mossel Bay, Fancourt at George, Knysna and on to St Francis, a drive that is a highlight in itself. KwaZulu-Natal and Durban sit far to the north-east and are usually reached by a short internal flight rather than driven. We arrange car hire or private transfers to suit your group, and structure the itinerary so the driving is part of the pleasure rather than a chore.

Getting there

The Western Cape is served by Cape Town International, with George airport convenient for the Garden Route and Fancourt, and King Shaka serving Durban. Direct and one-stop services connect the UK to Cape Town and Johannesburg, with onward internal flights between the regions. We are a ground-only specialist: your golf, hotels and transfers are arranged by us, and flights are offered as a separate, ATOL-protected add-on if you would like us to handle them. Whether you book your own flights or ask us to arrange them, we will time everything around your arrival so the trip runs seamlessly from the moment you land.

Good to know

  • South Africa is a winter-sun destination in our calendar, so its best golfing weather falls during a British winter.
  • Green fees and dining offer excellent value for the standard of course and hotel.
  • Flights are not included; they are a separate ATOL-protected add-on we can arrange for you.
  • A self-drive Garden Route works beautifully; Durban is usually reached by a short internal flight.
  • Gondwana Game Reserve lets you add a Big Five safari to a Cape and Garden Route golf trip.
  • Tipping is customary in restaurants and for guides and caddies.
  • We are NOT an ABTA member; our trade credentials are ATOL (flights only), PTS and IATA.
  • Every itinerary is hand-built and hand-priced around your dates, group and chosen courses.
Done for you

Hosted golf tours in South Africa

Small-group trips we plan end to end — a Golf Planet host with you on the ground. Reserve a place, or we’ll build one around your group.

Hosted

Western Cape Spring Tour, February 28 – March 9 2027

9 nights · 6 rounds · 28 February - 9 March 2027

Some trips you talk about for years before you go — and for years after. This is one of them. Nine days…

View this tour →

The courses you’ll play in South Africa

Paarl Golf Club — South Africa golfPaarl Golf ClubPlayed on tailored stay & play breaksDiscover & tailor your trip →Fancourt Golf Estate (Outeniqua, Montagu & The Links) — South Africa golfFancourt Golf Estate (Outeniqua, Montagu & The Links)Played on tailored stay & play breaksDiscover & tailor your trip →King David Mowbray Golf Club, Cape Town — South Africa golfKing David Mowbray Golf Club, Cape TownPlayed on tailored stay & play breaksDiscover & tailor your trip →Milnerton Golf Club, Cape Town — South Africa golfMilnerton Golf Club, Cape TownPlayed on tailored stay & play breaksDiscover & tailor your trip →Somerset West Golf Club — South Africa golfSomerset West Golf ClubPlayed on tailored stay & play breaksDiscover & tailor your trip →St Francis Links, St Francis Bay — South Africa golfSt Francis Links, St Francis BayPlayed on tailored stay & play breaksDiscover & tailor your trip →

Golf resorts — stay & play on-site

Fancourt — South Africa golfFancourtOubaii Golf Club, Herolds Bay · Pinnacle Point Golf Club, Mossel Bayfrom£825per personDiscover & tailor your trip →Erinvale Estate Hotel & Spa, Somerset West — South Africa golfErinvale Estate Hotel & Spa, Somerset WestErinvale Golf Club, Somerset West · Somerset West Golf ClubPlayed on tailored stay & play breaksDiscover & tailor your trip →

Hotels — play the area’s courses

Fancourt — South Africa golfFancourtOubaii Golf Club, Herolds Bay · Pinnacle Point Golf Club, Mossel Bayfrom£825per personDiscover & tailor your trip →African Oceans Manor, Mossel Bay — South Africa golfAfrican Oceans Manor, Mossel BayPinnacle Point Golf Club, Mossel Bay · Oubaii Golf Club, Herolds Bayfrom£415per personDiscover & tailor your trip →Gondwana Game Reserve — South Africa golfGondwana Game ReservePinnacle Point Golf Club, Mossel Bay · Oubaii Golf Club, Herolds Bayfrom£875per personDiscover & tailor your trip →Harbour House Hotel, Hermanus — South Africa golfHarbour House Hotel, HermanusHermanus Golf Club · Erinvale Golf Club, Somerset Westfrom£290per personDiscover & tailor your trip →Silver Forest, Somerset West — South Africa golfSilver Forest, Somerset WestSomerset West Golf Club · Erinvale Golf Club, Somerset WestPlayed on tailored stay & play breaksDiscover & tailor your trip →Spier Hotel, Stellenbosch — South Africa golfSpier Hotel, StellenboschDe Zalze Golf Club, Stellenbosch · Stellenbosch Golf ClubPlayed on tailored stay & play breaksDiscover & tailor your trip →

South Africa

from £290 pp

Western Cape

28 hotels & courses See Western Cape breaks
from £125 pp

Around Durban/KwaZulu-Natal

Royal Durban, Durban Country Club and Beachwood — warm winter links golf.

8 hotels & courses See Around Durban/KwaZulu-Natal breaks
from £825 pp

Southern Cape

Fancourt, Pinnacle Point and St Francis Links along the Garden Route.

8 hotels & courses See Southern Cape breaks
from £175 pp

Eastern Cape

St Francis Links, St Francis Bay GC and Knysna's Pezula — winter-sun golf in the Eastern Cape.

2 hotels & courses See Eastern Cape breaks

Ready to play South Africa?

Tell us your dates and group — we’ll build a tailored itinerary and hand-priced quote, usually within 15 minutes.

Plan my South Africa trip →Talk to a specialist · 01277 284284

ATOL & PTS protected · Tailor-made since 1981

What golfers say about South Africa

4.997 reviews

just returned from great golf trip to South Africa thanks Nigel highly recommend.

peter harper · South Africa · 9 years ago

We have just returned from a fantastic 31/2 week holiday in South Africa organised by Golf Plant Holidays. Nigel was amazing sorting the itinerary for our group of 8 to include all the …

Melanie Lesser · South Africa · 3 years ago

My husband Philip and I had a wonderful golf trip to South Africa in March with Golf Planet holidays. It was our first time to South Africa and it didn't disappoint us. …

Caitlin Shaw · South Africa · 6 years ago

Frequently asked questions

Golf holidays in South Africa — answers to the questions our golfers ask most.

Is South Africa good for golf in the winter?

Absolutely! South Africa is an ideal winter golf destination. While much of Europe is bundled up, the Western Cape offers mild temperatures and sunny days, perfect for enjoying a round of golf. Famous courses like Royal Cape, Stellenbosch, and Erinvale offer stunning views and top-tier conditions, making this holiday an unforgettable golf experience. Whether you're looking for a winter sun escape or simply a great game, South Africa’s winter weather is perfect for teeing off.

What is the best time of year to play golf in South Africa?

South Africa is a year-round golf destination, but the best time to play depends on what you're looking for. For winter sun and mild temperatures, the Western Cape is perfect from November to April. If you prefer warmer weather, the summer months (May to October) are ideal for golf in regions like Kwazulu Natal, where temperatures are pleasant and the courses are in top condition. Regardless of when you visit, South Africa offers fantastic golf all year long.

What are the best golf courses to play in South Africa?

South Africa is home to some of the best golf courses in the world. Notable courses include Royal Cape Golf Club in the Western Cape, ranked among the country’s top courses, The Links at Fancourt, Erinvale, and Pearl Valley. Each course provides a unique challenge and stunning views, making them perfect for golfers looking for an unforgettable round.

Do I need a handicap to play golf in South Africa?

While most golf courses in South Africa don’t require a specific handicap for visitors, we always recommend checking with us in advance, especially for high-end or championship-level courses. The last thing we want is for you to have an unsuitable round of golf. Generally, golfers with a handicap of 24 for men and 36 for women will find the courses accessible. Our expert team can help ensure you have all the information you need to book your perfect round. For extra support, why not book on one of our annual golf tours? Our resident PGA pro Nigel Burch will sort out any golf niggles during your stay.

How many golf courses are there in South Africa?

South Africa boasts over 450 golf courses spread across its diverse regions, offering a variety of challenges for golfers of all levels. From world-renowned championship courses like The Links at Fancourt to hidden gems nestled in scenic landscapes,  such as Knysna, there's no shortage of exceptional places to play. Whether you’re a seasoned pro or a club golfer, South Africa has a course that’s perfect for you.

What to expect upon arrival in South Africa?

Our local ground agents will meet you upon arrival and take you to your hotel. Most of our visitors arrive in Cape Town and spend a few days exploring the city, with private airport transfers included. Car hire is highly popular in the Western Cape, and most importantly, it’s very safe. We recommend hiring a car, as it allows you to make the most of your trip and experience the best that South Africa has to offer. However, we are delighted to arrange private transfers if you prefer.

Still have a question? Ask our golf travel team — a free, no-obligation quote, no call centre.

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