According to two golf legends, the best golf courses in the world in 50 years will likely be found in Africa. That’s quite a statement considering America has some 16,000 golf courses – with plenty more in the pipeline – while China is generally regarded as the fastest-growing golf destination in the world.

Jack Nicklaus, who certainly knows a thing or two about golf course design having designed roughly 300 layouts in his career, said South Africa’s ‘Garden Route’ always takes his breath away. “I promise you, this South African coast isn’t shabby,” said Nicklaus. “There is unbelievable land. Unbelievable. Frankly, I think that 50 years from now, some of the best seaside golf in the world will be right here.”

The hottest new golf course in South Africa is undoubtedly Pearl Valley Golf Estates, a Jack Nicklaus design set amidst the rugged beauty of the Western Cape at the base of the Drakenstein Mountains. It is held in such high regard that it has already been announced as host, for the next three years, of the South African Airways Open.

Another spokesperson for golf in this neck of the woods is, unsurprisingly, Ernie Els, who designed his first course back home at Oubaai. Els says golf in his homeland is “the nearest thing to heaven.”
Gary Player, who has a number of courses in South Africa, said his country’s golfing facilities are more than capable of matching, and beating, the very best golf destinations the world has to offer. Player influence in his homeland is to be admired and he has done a great deal to help the country prosper as a world-renowned golf destination. The Sun City Resort, widely regarded as South Africa’s premier holiday resort, is home to two Player designs; the Gary Player Country Club and the desert-style Lost City.

The Lost City boasts wonderful, awe-inspiring views across the bushveld, although rumour has it there are plenty of crocodiles at the 13th hole, so be careful not to veer off the fairway! The course comprises 28,000 sq meters of water hazards, so golf carts are a regular feature.

In Kenya, many of the major championship courses reside by enormous white sandy beaches, with the added bonus of sensational weather and daylight spanning up to 12 hours. Other African nations are well suited to golf and worthy of your attention. It may need a little extra research before you set-off, but that’s just part of the fun.