Top 10 best value for money golf courses in South Africa

By Damian Murphy.

Golf is an expensive sport. Part of the reason golf isn’t the biggest sport in the world might be due to the high prices of everything associated with it. Just to get started in this beautiful game, a player would need to shell out a small fortune. Golf clubs, even second hand ones, are not cheap.

And even if you are lucky enough to stumble onto an affordable set of golf clubs, you still need to get yourself balls, the correct attire and proper shoes before you are allowed to set foot onto a course. Golf balls can also be expensive, with some of the latest brands setting you back upwards of R60 a ball. The SOS Golf Tour has actually explored the pros and cons of using second hand golf balls and you are able to find a deal or two at some of the local pro-shops or from the caddies (although it must be noted by any novices, that buying balls from caddies is frowned upon). Stores like Mr. Price Sport do offer good deals on golf shoes and shirts, but the better quality stuff will come at a price.

Once you have all the kit, clubs and accessories needed just to get out and play, you will still need to find a club that allows visitors. There are not many South African golf clubs which are strictly private, allowing members only, but most clubs will charge you extremely high fees if you are not a member somewhere. The solution to that problem is the satellite golf clubs that allow you to pay a minimal annual fee to gain a SAGA handicap (South African Golf Association).

Besides the satellite clubs, there are a few companies that offer specials which are perfectly suited to casual golfers and those looking for affordable golf. Companies like Playmoregolfsa and lastminutegolf are great facilities open to anyone looking to play golf without the need of formal membership.

Playmoregolfsa is a network of local courses who offer the club to members of Playmoregolfsa at very reasonable rates. You pay different monthly fees and get a set amount of free rounds per month on around 100 South African courses. Once you reach limit, the rate for a round is reduced to nearly member’s rates, making golf both affordable and easily accessible.

Lastminutegolf is a similar platform to the above mentioned Playmoregolf platform on which you can book a casual round of golf, anytime within seven days of tee off. Lastminutegolf is perfect for those golfers who cannot commit to a set amount of golf in a calendar month. The only limitation is the number of courses offering specials and the short amount of time you have to book.

The reason for this specific article was to find out what the top 10 best value for money golf courses in South Africa were. Value for money doesn’t necessarily mean cheap, but we set a benchmark of R200 per player per round (some were more, some were less).  We have also excluded the cost of a golf cart when determining the value. The average cart costs R250 (R125 per player). We used the internet and experience to come up with a list of great value courses from every province, and then narrow it down to a top 10.

We encourage readers to send through courses you may feel were left off this list. You can comment below, pop us a tweet or leave a suggestion on our Facebook page.

Gauteng:

Crown Mines Golf Club – Fees R150 – R200.

State Mines Country Club – Fees R150 – R200.

Huddle Park – Fees R120 – R195.

Blue Valley – Fees R190 – R210.

Benoni Country Club – Fees R190 – R220.

Reading Country Club – Fees R190 – R250.

Observatory Golf Club – Fees R180 – R215.

Pretoria Golf Club – Fees R180 – R215.

Limpopo:

Koro Creek Golf Estate – Fees R160 – R230.

Northern Cape:

Sishen Golf Club – Fees R140.

Western Cape:

During our research we were unable to find a single course that offered visitors a weekend round for under R200. We however urge readers to write in and let us know if we have missed something.

Eastern Cape:

Wesbank Golf Club – Fees R120 – R180.

Fish River Sun – Fees R210 for hotel guests.

Royal Port Alfred – Fees R140 – R215.

Mpumalanga:

Graceland Hotel & Casino Golf Club – Fees R120 – R150.

Witbank Golf Club – Fees R120 – R150.

North West Province:

MooiNooi Golf Club – Fees R190.

Goldfields West Golf Club – Fees R120 – R150.

Leopard Park Golf Club – Fees R120 – R150.

Sandy Lane Golf Club – Fees R120 – R180.

Seasons Eco Golf Estate – Fees R120 – R200.

Free State:

Maccauvlei Golf Club – Fees R150 – R220.

Vaal De Grace Golf Estate – Fees R120 – R200.

Parys Golf Estate – Fees R150 – R200.

Kwazulu Natal:

Amorello Golf Club – Fees R100 – R140.

Bluff National Park Golf Club – Fees R100 – R160.

Emapngeni Golf Course – Fees R90 – R110.

Scottburgh Golf Club – Fees R140.

*it must be noted the fees above were as accurate as we could find and exclude any extras like caddy fees, cart fees or reserve fees.

The Top 10 best value course in South Africa:

10: Scottburgh Golf Club.

Rank: 148.

Fees: R140.

Description: Scottburgh Golf Club is located on the Kwazulu Natal South Coast. It is not a very long course and only has two par 5s. But what Scottburgh lacks in length, it makes up for in undulations. The Indian Ocean is visible from just about every hole and with Kwazulu Natal’s tepid year long climate, this course is a great holiday spot at a great price.

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9: Seasons Eco Golf Estate.

Rank: n/a.

Fees: R120 – R200.

Description: Formerly the Brits Golf Club, Seasons Golf Estate is the closest bushveld golf course to Johannesburg. It is an 18 hole championship course that has huge elevation changes, strategic doglegs and cleverly placed hazards to test golfers of all skill levels. They always offer great deals and have great facilities.

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8: MooiNooi Golf Club.

Rank: n/a.

Fees: R190.

Description: Mooinooi is one of the best nine hole (18 tee) golf courses in South Africa. It is located a stone’s throw from Rustenburg in Platinum belt. Testament to Mooinooi’s great design is the fact that it plays host to one of the Sunshine Tour’s richest events, the Mooinooi Platinum Classic and draws some of the best names in local golf.

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7: State Mines Golf Club.

Rank: 109.

Fees: R150 – R200.

Description: State Mines Golf Club is a hidden gem on the East Rand. Only 20 or so minutes from the airport, State Mines is a great layout that is perfect for the golfer looking for an easy game of golf, that still manages to test you a little. They have a fantastic special running at the moment where you can get a fourball with carts on a Sunday afternoon for R600. For the golf and the carts, you can’t beat that rate.

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6: Pretoria Golf Club.

Rank: 115.

Fees: R180 – R215.

Description: Pretoria Golf Club was formally known as the Pretoria West Golf Club. Not only is it the oldest golf club in Pretoria, but it was the first club to allow female players to join.

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5: Benoni Country Club.

Rank: 89.

Fees: R190 – R220.

Description: Benoni Country Club is an immaculately kept 18 hole golf course east of Johannesburg. Benoni Country Club is an underrated golf course that has a fantastic parkland’s layout. The greens and fairways are extremely well kept and everything at the Benoni Country Club is a bargain, from a round of golf to halfway house.

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4: Royal Port Alfred Golf Club.

Rank: 98.

Fees: R140 – R215.

Description: Located between Port Elizabeth and East London, Port Alfred is a well known holiday spot for South Africans. The Royal Port Alfred Golf Club is a magnificent course that is designed around its views of the blue Indian Ocean. Playing a round at this coastal course will allow you a chance to share a game with great amounts of indigenous buck and on the right day you may even spot a whale or two out in the ocean.

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3: Blue Valley Golf and Country Estate.

Rank: 80.

Fees: R190- R210.

Description: Named for the blue skies and open country of its surroundings, the Gary Player designed Blue Valley is a perfect blend of hospitality, sport and nature. Situated conveniently between northern Johannesburg and Pretoria, this residential golf estate offers a location second to none in the Gauteng area. The course can be narrow and challenging at times, but is also one of the finest examples of design excellence and use of space. The rates at which you can play Blue Valley should be considered stealing.

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2: Vaal De Grace Golf Estate.

Rank: 47.

Fees: R120-R200.

Description: Host of the 2014 SOS Tour finals, Vaal De Grace Golf Estate is a beautiful and challenging layout. It is designed in typical estate fashion, with huge open wide fairways, bunkers everywhere and thick rough. But this Nick Price signature course is one of the courses anywhere in the country, as the rank suggests, but when weighed up with the price to play, this is a great day out in anyone’s book.

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1: Sishen Golf Club.

Rank: 20.

Fees: R140.

Description: Ranked as one of the best golf courses in the country, to play a course of the calibre and design for under R450 would be considered a real treat. And had Sishen been anywhere near a major city, you probably would end up paying a small fortune for a round, but for those who are lucky enough to live in the Northern Cape, or spend time working there, take time out of whatever you are doing and play around at the course we consider to be the best value for money round in South Africa.

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*The rankings used are off Golf Digest’s 2014 top 100 courses in South Africa.