Golf along the KwaZulu-Natal South Coast: ocean views from the fairways

IIf you’re a keen golfer with a week to spare, you could do worse than explore the South Coast of KwaZulu-Natal province – know as ‘the Gold Coast’ in these parts, because of the profusion of excellent courses to be found just south of Durban. 

The seaside town of Amanzimtoti, under an hour’s drive from Durban’s King Shaka International Airport, is home to the Amanzimtoti Country Club. Located in a conservancy populated by numerous coastal and wetland bird species, including pelicans, cormorants and plovers, as well as small buck and vervet monkeys, this country club offers more than just golf. 

Further down the coast is the Umkomaas Golf Club. This par-70, 18-hole course, the third-oldest in the province, is home to professional golfer Tim Clark. 

Just past Umkomaas, you’ll find the Scottburgh Golf Course, a serious challenge on a windy day when the ‘beasterly easterly’ comes through. 

Selborne, developed along similar lines to the Augusta National course, was a country estate with a manor house on it in 1979, when dairy farmer Denis Barker bought it. Inspired by the residential golf estates he’d seen on a trip to the USA, he was determined to build the same thing at Selborne, and the result is now one of the country’s top golf estates. Feature holes include a lengthy ‘thread-the-needle’ par 5 and some unusual par 3s. This superb course plays host to several prestigious golf events during the year. 

Just north of the seaside town of Port Shepstone, bordered by the Mzimkhulu River, lies the Port Shepstone Country Club. This is a relatively flat course – with the exception of the 5th hole, which is played from a hill to a small green far below. 

Dotted with palm trees, banana trees and indigenous coastal bush, the expansive Margate Golf Course was designed to appeal to golfers of varying expertise. 

The Southbroom Golf Club, officially opened in 1938, has a course length of 5 564m and has long been considered one of South Africa’s top holiday resort courses. 

The San Lameer Estate golf resort, with direct access to 2 Blue Flag beaches, is located within a 169-hectare landscaped nature conservancy that is home to more than 600 luxury villas. The 18-hole course is set in a subtropical environment where a welcome sea breeze makes for a thoroughly enjoyable game. 

The Port Edward Country Club has cleverly designed duplicate tees that enable you to play 18 holes on a nine-hole course. Water hazards and prevailing winds add to the challenge. 

The Wild Coast Sun golf course further down the coast, which also offers entertainment in the casino and water sports resort, is your furthermost stop on the South Coast golf tour – although technically, you leave KwaZulu-Natal to get there. 

Built during the apartheid era in the ‘independent homeland’ of Transkei, this resort now lies within the province of Eastern Cape – although it’s literally across the Mtamvuna River bridge from KwaZulu-Natal, about 2 hours’ drive from Durban. 

Of course, you can always start your tour at the Wild Coast Sun, then work your way back up to Amanzimtoti playing a course or 2 a day, before taking another week to explore the courses in Durban and the many golf estates up KwaZulu-Natal’s northern Dolphin Coast, set in rolling hills with more spectacular ocean views.