South Africa boasts nearly 500 golf courses, many of them recurrently placed inside experts’ global top-tens.
Most celebrated is Leopard Creek, found near Kruger National Park and designed by Gary Player. The (fenced off) spectators include giraffe and lions, and the thatched clubhouse is sensational.
Elsewhere, The Links at Fancourt hosted a famous battle between Tiger Woods and local lad Ernie Els in 2003, while the Durban Country Club retains a lovely nostalgic aura.
While Cape Town and the Garden Route are particularly rich in courses, other gems lie further afield: the Gary Player Country Club near Pilanesberg National Park, for instance, or epic Blair Atholl north of Johannesburg
Note that green fees can be expensive compared to the UK – although the weak South African rand helps soften this blow.
