Western Cape and Garden Route Golf Tour

It is a common misconception in today’s society that golf is a sport for the rich and successful. Although rich and successful people do play golf, the sport is fast becoming widespread and popular with everyone. It is thought that the sport began in the 11th Century in Scotland and that the name comes from the Scottish word “goulf” meaning to strike. There are over 35000 golf courses in the World today with South Africa boasting some incredible courses. Whether the course is in Sun City, the Tsitsikamma Forest or adjacent to the Indian Ocean, each course has its own charm which makes it special. The Western Cape and garden Route have a beautiful selection of courses which can be explored ideally on a two week golfing tour. A perfect getaway for the boys, a family or even any female golf enthusiasts!

What’s your handicap?!
The tour begins in Cape Town, home to bright lights and a cosmopolitan atmosphere. The accommodation in Cape Town ranges from budget back packers to exclusive, luxury hotels so there is an option to suit every budget. The courses in Cape Town are spread out from suburb to suburb and there are approximately 13 golf courses in the Cape Town area. The locations range from the vineyards and mountainside estate at Steenberg, the sea side at Clovelly or the Southern Suburbs courses consisting of Rondebosch and Mowbray. Cape Town has a lot of entertainment to offer for the evenings or those that don’t play golf. There are many shopping malls such as Cavendish and the V&A Waterfront which are favourite holiday spots, the Ratanga junction Theme Park, beautiful beaches, wine farms and tasting and of course, Table Mountain. After spending the first two days of the tour in Cape Town, the tour sets off for Paarl for two days and two nights.

Paarl is a small town situated in the Cape Winelands. There are vineyards and wines to be tasted, hiking trails to be explored, museums to visit and golf to be played. Paarl has two courses; the first is Paarl Golf Club which is situated at Boschenmeer Golf & Country Estate. The second is Pearl Valley Signature Golf Estate & Spa where the course is longer than 6500 meters, has 18 holes and 9 lakes. Accommodation in Paarl is diverse, ranging from cottages, bed and breakfasts to a game lodge, modern rooms and a manor house. A must see whilst in Paarl is the Bosman’s at Grande Rioche, a world famous and highly regarded restaurant.

On day five the tour heads for the garden route, first to the Capital of the district, George. After checking into one of the many B&B’s, guest houses, hotels, campsites or resorts, the day is free for golf. George has six golf courses scattered throughout the area, some of which were designed by Gary Player and Greg Norman. This includes four courses at the Fancourt Hotel & Country Club Estate which are of a world class standard: the Montagu course has been voted the number one course in South Africa. This golf resort is well worth a visit for playing on greens with stunning scenery. There is also the George Golf Club and the Glenwood short golf course. George has beaches, train rides, museums, hikes, and adventure sports such as kloofing and paragliding available. After two days and nights of golfing and adventure in George, the tour heads to Tsitsikama for days seven and eight.

Tsitsikamma is the Koisan name for “place of many waters”. This area is indeed a place with lush scenery, panoramic mountains and a lot of water! The area forms the Tsitsikamma National Park. The Storms River flows through the area creating a cutting landscape of high and low land. The accommodation in Tsitsikamma consists of B&B’s, lodges, inns and campsites. After settling into your accommodation, the golf courses await! There is the Dirk Fourie Trust Golf Club and the Langkloof Golf Club. The latter is a nine hole course and has plans in the pipeline to convert the course into a golf resort. Then there is the Tsitsikamma Coastal Golf Estate, a place with an incredible view over the panorama of the green and lush coastline. Tsitsikamma also offers the Tsitsikamma Mountains, Monkey World and an elephant park nearby. There are also water sports such as river rafting, canoeing, kayaking, and swimming.

After two days of golf and water sports, the tour heads to Wilderness. This town has a big variety of accommodation available: hotels on the lagoon or beach, guest houses, chalet, B&B’s and even mountain hideaways and campsites. Wilderness does not have any golf courses so this is the perfect place in your trip to explore the other outdoor sports on offer! The options range from exploring the landscape on horseback and hiking to paragliding. There is also a wonderful steam train ride on the “Outeniqua Choo Tjoe” which travels to George and is part of the Outeniqua Transport museum. There are also craft markets and the Wilderness National Park.

After spending one night in Wilderness, the tour moves onto Arniston for day 10. Arniston is a seaside town where whale watching, rock pool snorkelling and hikes over the sand dunes are common practice. The accommodation available is B&B’S, guest houses and self catering cottages, all within the town. The Bredasdorp Golf Club is nearby and offers a beautiful green to play on. The tour stays in Arniston for one day and night and then re-locates to Somerset West.

Somerset West is located approximately 40 minutes drive from Cape Town and hosted the golf World Cup in 1996 at its Erinvale Golf Course, situated at the Erinvale Estate Hotel and Spa. There is also the Somerset West Golf Club, Strand Golf Club and Helderberg Village Golf Club. Somerset West is a bustling little town which is on the outskirts of the Cape Winelands; which is home to many famous cellars and farms that are well worth a visit. Accommodation is available in hotels, guest houses, B&B’s and self catering options. Other attractions in the town include Somerset Mall, museums, art galleries and outdoor activities such as mountain biking and hiking.

After spending a night in Somerset West the tour returns to Cape Town for the last two nights and three days to continue having fun at the many golf estates, malls, theatres, beaches, theme park, wine farms, museums and land marks of the Mother City.