• home
• Golfing Around South Africa
• Golf along the Garden Route

The Garden Route has some of the most scenic golf courses in South Africa! These championship golf courses include Fancourt, Simola and Pezula golf courses.

See recommended Golf Courses Along the Garden Route.

Fancourt Country Club Estate

Fancourt is situated in the heart of the Garden Route, in the shadow of the Outeniqua mountains. (Outeniqua is the San word for 'land of honey'). Fancourt, since its completion, has had international acclaim and praise and is South Africa's only member of the esteemed 'Great Golf Resorts of the World'.

Fancourt has been consistently voted the premier resort in South Africa by the country's hotel federation, as well as persistently voted the best golf venue and best-conditioned course in South Africa.

This Garden Route golf course is Gary Player designed and offers the professional and amateur golfer 3 challenging 18 holes. An additional 9 holes are currently under construction for this Garden Route golf course.

Excellent pen-link bent grass greens, awe-inspiring water features, quick greens and immaculate kikuyu fairways make this the home of Ernie Els.

Two holes that stand out from the rest is the 182 metre, 17th hole that has been modelled on Augusta's famous 12th hole, and the beautiful 450 metre, par 5, 18th hole that features a fairway lined with Oaks, water features around the green and the beautifully designed clubhouse.

Play at Fancourt Golf Course

The Montagu

With 2 18-hole parkland courses, The Montagu, that took shape under master golfer Gary Player, worldclass conditioning and a setting that takes in mountains, water and wildlife, there is nothing to beat a Fancourt round. Since Golf at these 2 courses at Fancourt is limited to members, their guests and resort guests, you will have ample time and space to savour the Fancourt golfing experience.If you're feeling a little rusty or just want to ease into your game, the warm-up area is available to resort guests and members. Here you will be able to make use of a putting and chipping green, green-side and fairway bunkers as well as a full-length driving range at this Garden Route golf course.

Fancourt's Bramble Hill

Fancourt's fourth golf course, Bramble Hill, is a public facility. The modern Clubhouse houses a Golf Shop, where you will find 'International Brands for Rands'.  In addition to a wide range of top brands at the lowest prices, there is a same day repair service and free club customization offered. 

Equipment trade-ins are welcome. Course rating = 72 Head Golf Professional - Jayde Tannous Assistant Golf Professional - Neil Walsh-Tucker Tee times daily from 07:00 to 16:00 Shop open daily from 06:30 - 18:00

The Outeniqua

With 2 18-hole parkland courses The Outeniqua, that took shape under master golfer Gary Player, worldclass conditioning and a setting that takes in mountains, water and wildlife, there is nothing to beat a Fancourt round.

Since Golf at these 2 Garen Route courses are limited to members, their guests and resort guests, you will have ample time and space to savour this Garden Route golf experience.

The Links

Unique to South Africa, The Links golf course was officially opened in November 2000, by owner Dr Hasso Plattner and course designer, Mr Gary Player. Created from a previously flat piece of land, over 700 000 cubic metres of earth was moved in transforming it into a typical Links style. The course presents undulating windswept terrain, and dune-style landscape and is the only such golf course in South Africa.

Every hole on this Garden Route goolf course has received detailed attention to ensure that the overall balance in terms of length, position of hazards and shot values are in harmony. As a result, The Links presents a stern test in all weather conditions.

'The Links has satisfied and far exceeded my design philosophy, which was to capture the essence of what makes great traditional links golf courses so special,' Fancourt owner Hasso Plattner said. 'I believe that The Links will provide golfers with the most natural golf experience, which to me, is what golf is all about.'

Phil Jacobs, chief designer of the Gary Player Design Company says, 'Our brief from Fancourt owners, Hasso and Sabine Plattner, was to produce a course that can achieve a ranking within the world's top 100 by 2005.

We intend to achieve that goal.' Set to test the best golfer in every way, The Links has some extraordinary holes, like the par-3 second, with its bunker in the heart of the enormous green. Gary Player said, 'We included the bunker to break it up, but the front left of the green is severely sloped, so the golfer can use the contours to get the ball near the flag. You will never be stymied by the trap' Player added.

As a first for South Africa, the tees and fairways are a mix of 4 cool season grasses: Kentucky Blue, Rye, Fescue and Bent, with the greens a dominant Bent. These grasses allow for the traditional Pitch and Run shot to be played and also for the ball to 'chase' along the fairways.

The clubhouse at The Links is located only metres from the 18th green, with terraced areas and picture windows, to take maximum advantage of course and mountain views. All in all there is a very special atmosphere.

George Country Club

George Golf Club is among the oldest courses in the country. The main attraction of this Garden Route golf course has always been its natural beauty, enhanced by lavish flora and the backdrop of the Outeniqua range. George country club has for many years maintained a worthy rating amongst the top 10 golf courses in South Africa. It offers unparalleled natural beauty and it's designed to challenge any golfer during their Garden Route golf holiday.A firm favourite are the well established trees and natural vegetation, including the large dam which provides a visual focus to the course.

Knysna Golf Club

Howard Street, Knysna. This Golf Club is probably the only golf course in South Africa that can boast holes that are below sea level. When the course floods, which it does from time to time, it is possible to canoe down the fairway on the 465-metre par-5 4th hole. It is situated close to the famous and very beautiful Knysna Heads, as well as the town's wide, well-known lagoon.The chances are good that the golfer will see the richly coloured Knysna Loerie, undoubtedly one of South Africa's most beautiful bird.

Mossel Bay Golf Club

Mossel Bay Golf Club is situated on high ground and the sea is visible from every tee on this Garden Route golf course. The Mossel Bay Golf Club was awarded the Cape Province Amateur in 1963 and in subsequent years. An excellent hole on the front 9 is number 4, which is a 140-metre par-3 that lies on a slope.The 12th (163 metres) is another good short hole on this Garden Route golf course with sweeping views of the sea. Both the tee shot and the approach at the short (261 metres) but tricky par-four 18th are 'blind', which means that the golfer cannot see the target as he or she is busy lining up the shot. Mossel Bay is a pleasant golf course that is also hilly. The course is invariably in good condition and is mostly green all year round.

Oudtshoorn Golf Course

Oudtshoorn Golf Course is situated in the Little Karoo, it forms an oasis of green fairways in the dry scrubland that is so characteristic of the area. The Little Karoo is a far cry from a true desert and occasionally good rains are experienced. During extended dry periods this Garden Route golf course is irrigated with sewage water and this makes it a year-round verdant pasture.The par-72, 6 210-metre layout is a challenging and enjoyable one with pepper, Palm and Blue Gum trees lining the fairways. Three large Pepper Trees adorn the middle of the fairway at the 497-metre, par-5 13th hole. There is also a large dam to the right of the closely mown area and any tee shot of note must be carefully threaded between the trees and the hazard.The dam is part of a nature reserve which forms part of the course and adds to the enjoyment of a round here. Scrub and rocks ensure that the rough is particularly punishing, but on the credit side the greens run smoothly and consistently.

Plettenberg Golf Course

Every year thousands of holiday-makers from all over southern Africa flock to the beaches, luxury hotels and paradise-like setting of Plettenberg Bay, which is situated on the famous & beautiful Garden Route.

Plettenberg is a sporty place, with most of the activities focused around the sea, surf, lake and lagoon.But 'Plett' also has an excellent golf course, set in the lovely Piesang (Banana) Valley, which is surrounded by high hills. The whole area has been proclaimed a nature reserve, rich in bird life and home to the strikingly beautiful Knysna Loerie.

The modern clubhouse is situated on high ground overlooking the course. The 470-metre par-five 4th hole plays particularly long in a southeaster when the average golfer will have little chance of reaching the water-guarded green in 2, and sometimes even in 3. By contrast the 11th is only 110 metres long, one of the shortest par-threes in the country.

The 300-metre par-four 14th is a sharp dogleg-left featuring 2 tall Oak trees, which are on the left-hand side of the fairway, just after the hole curves towards the green. The foliage makes the drive an exacting one.

Pezula Championship Course

This 18-hole golf course was designed by Ronald Fream, of the Ronald Fream Golfplan Design Group of California. The undulating terrain is almost perfect for the creation of a championship Scottish Highlands links-style golf course. The area is covered with beautiful varieties of fynbos, which strongly resembles Scottish heather.

The course, largely designed by nature, will prove challenging to the expert, yet accessible to the everyday player. The 14th and 15th holes, which play along the steep cliffs above the Indian Ocean are an experience not to be missed.

Play at Pezula Golf Course