This article was written in the nineties and will soon be updated. Warning: South Africa is rated on various governments' lists as a dangerous country for visitors

A golfing experience not to be missed
                                                                                             by Keith Hewitt

T

he name Africa has a ring all of its own, conjuring up images of impenetrable jungles, open plains dotted with umbrella pines and teeming with wild life with a vivid setting sun as a regular feature. It certainly doesn't stir visions of green and challenging golf courses; a pity, for it has so many. They stretch over the whole continent, from Morocco to the tip of the South Africa Cape. Even if there are quite a few gaps in the middle, north and south have some really great tracks. Although it has never been discovered whether the Sahara is a large sand trap or a beach, it is impressive as either, but doesn't help the growth of golf in these areas. Dropping further south most areas where the British have hung their hat at some time or another golf prevails. Although its popularity slumped in some countries when Britannia left, the once highly groomed fairways and greens are returning to their former glory as those now in charge realize what a wonderful source of income golf can be.

Sun City golf course

Those who have never wavered from the straight and narrow fairways of golf are the South Africans. Although my father was born there I had never found time or reason to visit; the Travelling Golfer’s Guide provided both. Although my first, it will certainly not be my last visit to this wonderful country and all it has to offer the travelling golfer and non-golfer.
 
Climatically southern Africa has everything. Landing in Johannesburg in August drops the European Traveller into weather he rarely experiences in his own continent. Apart from bare trees, an amazing feature in such warm weather, it is hard to imagine that it is winter. Dry, clear, windless skies roll by day after day, idyllic for sunbathing, sightseeing and sport - especially golf. Travelling south brings cooler weather and possibly rains, similar to the Mediterranean winter of southern Spain. It was more by luck than judgment that we arrived in August. The winter heat of the more northern part of southern Africa is far more conducive to the European than the intense heat of the summer season of December and January; prices too are lower and often special offers available, overcrowding is never a problem either. The Cape side is possibly too wet and windy and better in spring. But whenever you plan to visit South Africa there is a time and a place to suit your golf and climatic preference.

The main hotel at Sun City

Overnight from London to Johannesburg leaves no jet-lag as the time corresponds. The clear morning air of Johannesburg was a keen contrast to the grey rain of the English summer. After a quick and efficient car pick up we were soon on the modern motorway system that runs throughout South Africa, driving as in the UK on the left hand side of the road.

We headed towards the republic of Bophuthatswana, where, surrounded by vast acres of untamed Africa the brochure declares "erupts Sun City, to rock you like you have never been rocked before!" And so it does. In this unbelievable world money was certainly not a limiting factor in its creation. Its design and layout is very impressive, free of brash garishness or bad taste throughout this vast complex; a hedonistic paradise, it's wonderful.
The two and a half hours drive from Johannesburg was most probably, by South African standards, through dull featureless bush-veld, but to fresh eyes presented nothing but interest. The planting of Sun City in the middle of nowhere by the South African entrepreneur Sol Kerzner is a strong example of the confidence in South Africa's attraction to today's tourist. We were lodged in the latest addition and most certainly the crowning glory of Sun City, The Palace Hotel. I have never seen its equal. Photographs rarely do it justice and no words can. The African sculptures, artifacts and empathy with Africa, its people and wildlife is so woven together throughout its design and structure that had we been told King Solomon's mines were in the basement, it would have come as no surprise.

Aerial view of Sun City

Sun City itself has hotels and apartments to suit all pockets and a seemingly limitless number of attractions for everyone, from toddlers to high rollers at the Casino and of course the ever present safari park adventures, where wildlife of this vast continent can be seen and photographed in its natural surrounding.

The golf facilities that Sun City has to offer match the standard of everything else. There are two eighteen hole courses, the latest being the Lost City course. Most of it is visible from its Bedrock style clubhouse stretching away into the distance where it is bordered by the Pilanesberg National Park, often providing a gallery of rhino, buck, baboons and elephants. The course, an exciting challenge, made even more so on the par 3 thirteenth where crocodiles come into play if you are not careful. A quite superfluous statement on the scorecard referring to the crocodile enclosure says "Under no circumstances whatsoever may a player or caddy enter this hazard". The thought never entered my head! Although these beasts do not normally excite sympathy, I could not but feel it must be pretty tough luck to be dozing in the mud and midday heat and get a crack between the eyes by a Top Flight or Titleist for no reason at all. I suppose they get used to it though.

The famous crocodile 13th hole at Sun City

The more mature and certainly world famous Gary Player Country Club course provides the excitement of playing where a select few of the world's greatest players compete annually in the Sun City Million Dollar Golf Challenge. One treasured experience occurred while playing the course; the touring drinks and refreshment buggy stopped and I was introduced to the legendary delights of Biltong, strips of dried beef, a chewy, tasty piece of leather that will keep seemingly forever. A real taste of Africa.

Unfortunately the pleasures of Sun City were short lived as there was travelling to be done and places to see, so all too soon we were off with compass, driver and pitching wedge to explore the fairways, bunkers and greens of Africa that stretched into the distance. The route taken and courses visited is not a recommended one-holiday-golf-trip. Each area is worthy of at least a week or two's leisurely holiday with a minimum of hotel stops. I was checking as many as possible, occasionally having time to play a few holes on each, rarely the whole eighteen. Although British Airways has regular trips to Sun City, the other attractive golfing areas of southern Africa have tremendous charm and are worthy of a visit. It is not surprising that some of the great African explorers such as Livingstone, Burton, Speke and Stanley were often lost if the same person who signposts the roads of South Africa today was in charge then.

A typical road sign in South Africa

Oh my! How many times we got lost I can't remember. But friendly South Africans are always most helpful as we found out when looking for the Sabi River Country Club. Having taken the road to the town of Sabi, where it isn't, we were given explicit instructions as to where it was. This proved to have its drawbacks as it soon became evident that everyone we asked had no idea. Having shot off in three different directions, far enough in each case to realize that we were definitely going the wrong way, the fourth proved successful. It is at Hazelview, just off the N4. One of the Southern Sun group of hotels Sabi River has both hotel and chalet style accommodation with a nice cozy feeling. The course, a delightful little challenge, which meanders through the development, has among its local rules "players are allowed a free drop on the green, if their ball comes to rest in a hippo footprint".

Hans Merensky golf course

The next day a two hour excursion north to see the Hans Merensky Country Club that borders the famous Kruger National Park introduced us to its manager, Ferghal Purcell, an affable Irishman. Being that close to Kruger an amazing assortment of wildlife can be seen from the course and even sometimes on it. Unsuccessfully we tried to drive a family of reeboks out of the bush and on to the fairway for some photographs, but a golf cart we used for the job just didn't have the turn of speed that these magnificent beasts have. Wild boar we did see, close enough to photograph. They have a funny eating habit of going down on their front knees, obviously not aware that it is rude to put your elbows on the table. They also keep the greens keeper busy by digging into the fairways with their snouts.

Being a keen cook, food and wine were high on my check list. At the evening meal, served in the club's Hippopotamus Restaurant, I was introduced to Kingklip, a fine South African fish, which, topped with garlic, shrimps and washed down with a fine dry wine, would be hard to better anywhere.

An early start and heading south on the R40, we were hoping to take a couple of courses in on the way, the final destination being the African kingdom of Swaziland, home to the Royal Swazi Golf Club and, as it proved, another fine Sun International Hotel.

The 17th and clubhouse at the Royal Swazi

To say the trip was uneventful would be carrying the English ability of understatement to ridiculous limits. Never take the R40 via Barbeton. There are many ways to enter Swaziland, but unless you have a strong sense of adventure and a rugged car this one is not to be recommended. The metalled road petered out just past Barbeton and was replaced by rough stones and dust for the next 50 kilometres before the border of Swaziland was reached. The road constantly spiralled round high mountains, covered with forests as far as you could see, the views were unbelievably beautiful. The local logging industry used huge trucks for transport. When one passed we were enveloped in a cloud of fine dust, which accompanies these magnificent beasts wherever they go. It gets everywhere and I mean everywhere! There was also a mining interest near at hand as a seemingly endless cable stretched through the mountains, carrying lonely buckets through this wilderness of peaks, a perfect setting for an Indiana Jones adventure. With white knuckles and a shattered vertigo we arrived at the border, nervously laughing about the route we had just travelled. Passports were stamped and one Rand paid for road tax and we were in. The road stayed bad for another 20 kilometres, having taken us past the source of the cable, which was the asbestos mining town of Bulembu, and even this out of the way spot had its own golf course, looking pretty by the road side with cows grazing its fairways. A good road took us down to Mbabane, the capital and on to the Royal Swazi.

A roadside cabaret of dancing children

The course at Swazi is very attractive and has proved itself by being used more times than any other in southern Africa for the annual South African Professional Championships. I was beginning to find out each greens keeper in southern Africa has his own grass preference for both fairways and greens. At Royal Swazi the greens are made of Durban Weeds, new to me, which is also to be found on the Durban Country Club. Apart from Durban Weed the grass range includes Bermuda, Penncross Bent and even Kikuyu, which is a declared weed in California and dreaded near the courses of southern Spain. However, cut short and with a constant eye to see it never thatches it provides a wonderful hardy surface for fairways and tees, standing the ball up and rarely showing divot damage.

Back in the hotel a well earned shower removed the dust of the day and thankfully I sank into a comfortable chair for dinner at Gigi's one of the superb restaurants in the hotel, ordered lobster and lamb chops and reached for the wine.

An early start and off again with Durban to be the final destination. In between we planned to look at the courses of Umhlali Country Club and Mount Edgecombe.

A typical river sign in South Africa

Will we never learn? Yet again we asked directions and were told Umhlali was 20 kilometres before the town of Stanger. It was 36 kilometres past and still elusive. A well dressed elderly lady driving a new Mercedes surely was not in the same category as our other advisers? But she, with sweet smile and a wave, sent us into the wilds of a huge sugar cane plantation. Slumbering workers eventually put us back on the main road where by luck we stumbled on Umhlali, north east of KwaZulu Natal, with barely enough light left.

We stayed but a brief two days at the Elangeni Hotel on Durban's sea front, which makes an ideal base from where to play the surrounding courses of Durban Country Club, Royal Durban, Kloof and Beachwood - all great courses. The Royal Durban, set in the middle of the town itself, is partly surrounded by a horse race-track, prompting a notice on the course saying "Players are requested not to play while racehorses are in range".

Durban Golf & Country Club

The Natal southern coast has a delightful golf world of its own. It stretches from Durban to our next stop, the Wild Coast Casino and Country Club, which also comes under the ownership umbrella of Sun City. We took a leisurely drive along this beautiful coastline with blue sea and sky contrasting sharply with the vivid white surf of the Indian Ocean that rolls up miles of unspoilt white sandy beaches. We stopped and had a late and huge English breakfast watching the surfers cresting the waves. It all felt wonderfully civilized.

This coastal strip really makes a perfect setting for a golf holiday. It has nine good courses, all within an hour's drive. The whole coast emphasizes outdoor attractions, with fishing, ski-boats, game fishing, scuba diving, bowls and tennis. Of the golf courses two are rated in South Africa's top twelve - and there are more in the pipeline for construction. Everywhere is clean and well tended, which applies throughout South Africa.

"Take a walk on the wild side" is the marketing slogan for the Wild Coast Casino and Country Club, which already has a reputation as the venue for the annual international Skins Tournament. The course is rated fourth in South Africa and has the added attraction of female caddies who applaud every shot that lands on the fairway. Which reminds me of the golfer who had a dog that did that......., well maybe not here.

The hotel at Wild Coast has restaurants to suit all tastes and moods. We opted for the Carvery, something I always find hard to resist. The choice was bewildering with a wide selection of local fruits and vegetables for the healthy eaters and an array of sizzling meats that assailed the senses producing hunger to gluttonous pitch. I took a selection of both - one to appease my conscience, the other to satisfy my natural instincts. This will never do, I am supposed to shed some weight on this trip.

Heading up the 18th at San Lameer

I was able to play the course before leaving, which has some really great holes; although I must say the water carry on the eighteenth is a little daunting to the average player.

On the trip back to the airport we called on the latest addition to the coast's courses "San Lameer", played a few holes and photographed all of this very exciting course and continued back to Durban, where we picked up a South African Airways flight to port elizabeth, Port Elizabeth. For those who don't want to drive, South African Airways provides a good internal service to all the major golf areas, a comfortable easy way to travel over this vast continent.

Parts of Port Elizabeth reminded me so much of my home town of Bournemouth and even more so the links of the Humewood Golf Course, right down to the charming ladies taking tea in the clubhouse. Bill Colston, the man who makes things work at Humewood was obviously proud of the course and justifiably so. Rated ninth in South Africa and first in the country's links courses, Humewood's naturally open layout with the Indian Ocean as a backdrop was a place I could have lingered longer. But there was more beauty ahead as we were off on what is known as the garden route of South Africa.

The 18th and club-house at Humewood Links

Luckily the winter rains had nearly come to en end, leaving blue skies, high trailing clouds and short sleeve weather. That evening we stayed at the Fancourt Country Club Estate, a luxury development with a golf course to match, which once again was designed by Gary Player. Here we were introduced to smoked ostrich, which with a bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon, made a perfect end to the day.

We made an ambling drive along the N2 as the constantly changing scenery was too good to rush. Many stops were made for photographs. Film was used considerably faster than planned and the trip ended with well over six hundred pictures in the bag.

Paarl golf course

At the delightful town of George money was changed and breakfast taken before visiting the town's golf course and that of nearby Mossel Bay. From here the road stopped hugging the coast, heading inland towards the south/west corner of Africa and Cape Town.

An overnight stop was to be made before then though, at Paarl, which took us off the N2 heading further inland, having gone through an impressive mountain pass. After taking in the course of Worcester we arrived at the Grande Roche Hotel. This lovely old manor house which had been carefully restored and modernized still functions as a working vineyard. It was so different from anywhere else we had stayed and proved one of the most delightful experiences of our trip. Grande Roche has much to offer the travelling golfer, making an ideal base to take in all the courses in the area such as Paarl, Stellenbosch, Bellville, Mowbray and the delightful links course of Milnerton, with impressive views of Table Mountain.

Sun-down at Worcester golf course

The morning sun was warm as it chased the early mist away while we had breakfast on the terrace of Grande Roche. In the distance the mountain range was host to a blanket of clouds, engaged in a loosing battle with spring, farm workers were working among the vines. The farm produced high quality table grapes and the plants had to be strung up well off the ground to prevent damage to the individual bunches, unlike those grown for wine production. The exported grapes of South Africa have high standards to maintain and, apart from being the best of the crop, have to be carefully cut during their growth so that each bunch takes the shape of South Africa.

Milnerton Links near Cape Town

We joined the N1 for its last fifty kilometres of a journey that had brought it all the way from the Zimbabwe border to end in Cape Town.

At the Cape Town Sun Hotel there is the choice of view to either the sea or Table Mountain. I took the latter and the view from the nineteenth floor was incredible. Cape Town is beautiful - clean, well preserved and friendly.

An evening view of Cape Town

The shopping area covering the harbour area is a must for the visitor. Shops, restaurant, markets and colourful boats jostle each other for pride of place and keep the visitor occupied for hours. It was just as well it was the last port of call. With so much to buy the money would not have lasted. Eventually, with handcrafted leather goods, packets of biltong, T-shirts and African mementoes of rhinos and elephants, destined as dust collectors on shelves at home, we staggered out to the aircraft bound for London. Exhausted, full of wonderful memories and willing to do it all over again. Immediately. I fell gratefully asleep and dreamt of lions, elephants and monkeys......... playing golf, I think.

Mowbray golf course near Cape Town

End