It is a remarkable thing about golf courses,” wrote the eminent golf course architect Alister MacKenzie, ‘that nearly every man has an affection for the particular mud heap on which he plays.”
This affection for the mud heap or millionaire motherland upon which people play their golf makes selecting South Africa’s top 10 golf estates a particularly tricky endeavour.
There will always be one estate that feels aggrieved at being left off the list, and questions around why others have been included.
Then, as MacKenzie also points out: ‘Does the average player really know what he likes himself?”
The boom in South African golf estates has also made it incredibly difficult to limit the best to only 10. Even a top 20 would not suffice, such is the plethora of quality estates on offer.
For instance, the St Francis Links and Pinnacle Point are two of the latest gems to emerge. Both will no doubt grow to be among the most spectacular estates in the country. But in terms of being ranked, from a golf perspective, they are still very new and their courses — although designed by Jack Nicklaus and Peter Matkovich respectively and both obviously architecturally very sound — have yet to settle.
Questions could also be asked of Woodhill in Pretoria. The golf course is a fair test, but it does not really distinguish itself or the estate.
However, from a property perspective, Woodhill is a winner all around as it is in one of the richest suburbs on the African continent. Mount Edgecombe near Durban and Dainfern in Johannesburg may fall into a similar category.
Then there is the dilemma of whether to further subdivide the rankings into metropolitan estates (located within or near cities) and leisure ones (such as coastal estates).
Therein lies the problem when it comes to rankings. For the purposes of this feature, we have tried to find a balance between an estate that boasts a truly outstanding golf course complemented by the high investment value of its homes, extending to the actual bricks and mortar side rather than the mere speculative value of plots of land.We have also sought to include those estates that have a proven track record.
1. Leopard Creek
This is the quintessential African golfing experience. Designed by Gary Player and financed by Johann Rupert, no cost was spared in the creation of an estate that boast a golf course that has in a very short time risen to be number one in the country.
Its exclusivity adds to its status as the golfing mecca for many local and international golfers. Bordering the Kruger National Park, the course enjoys spectacular views of the game reserve, most notably from the 13th green, which overlooks the Crocodile river.
It is an elegant course that remains an excellent test of golf, and is to be admired for its superb conditioning achieved despite its location in an extremely hot region of the country.
The housing includes homes for Ernie Els, Rupert himself and a selection of South Africa’s wealthiest businessmen. The architectural design of the homes is to be applauded for their ability to blend into the natural bushveld, and even the thatched clubhouse achieves this.
2. Arabella
This is arguably one of Matkovich’s finest layouts.
On the banks of the Bot river lagoon, the course architect has given perfect expression to his mantra of listening to the land when designing a golf course. The ninth and 18th holes rank as two of the best closing holes in the country.
The Western Cape Hotel and Spa adds to what is regularly referred to as a five-star golfing experience. Despite fairly lenient architectural standards, the homes achieve a good balance with the ecological sensitivities of the area, and their low density makes them feel less intrusive for the golfer.
3. Pearl Valley
So much has already been said about and achieved by this Nicklaus course that even Els requested a round here to see what all the fuss was about. The consensus is that this is a very special place. The R55-million, 6 500m2 clubhouse certainly set an immediate benchmark for excellence.
It’s rare that a course that only opened in 2003 should wait a mere four years before being selected to host this year’s South African Open, the second oldest national 0pen in golf. Nestled in the heart of the Cape winelands and with spectacular views of the surrounding Drakenstein mountains, homeowners enjoy the benefits of a tranquil lifestyle focused on the family.
4. Pezula
It has been billed as Africa’s first luxury resort estate, and billionaire Keith Stewart has created an estate that has garnered worldwide acclaim and captured the imagination of homeowners such as tennis world number one Roger Federer and golf great Nick Price.
The old property adage of location, location, location rings true here. Perched on the Eastern Head of Knysna, the championship course reaches its aesthetic zenith on the 13th and 14th holes, which overlook the Indian Ocean.
But Pezula’s true success has been its ability to cater for the complete lifestyle experience. The Pezula Private Estate gives its members access to other international facilities of similar standard, and the Pezula Resort Hotel and Spa has won several awards.
Being voted ‘The Most Environmentally Aware Development in the World” has shown it to be sensitive to every aspect of its business.
5. Zimbali
As a brand, Zimbali continues to top the golf estate leaderboards — so much so that numerous other phases are being constructed to form what will be one of the world’s most impressive golf resorts.
The blending of a quality golf course — with a second one in the pipeline — and a nature reserve, forests and beach is the reason why the average price of a home here now stands at R6-million.
The course was designed by Tom Weiskopf and is a pleasure to play.
6. Oubaai
Els’s first signature design course has added to the Garden Route’s reputation as one of the true world-class coastal golfing destinations.
The course comes complete with the usual amazing sea views, and the par-threes are all particularly memorable.
The residential side of the estate presents various living options, including the traditional estate houses or apartments in the Village.
7. Fancourt
Considered by many to be South Africa’s premier golf resort, Fancourt was voted the Golf Resort of the Year in 2004 by the International Association of Golf Tour Operators.
With four courses on offer, it does indeed offer the golfer everything.
As host of the Presidents’ Cup, the Women’s World Cup of Golf and several local professional tournaments, Fancourt has proved itself as a championship venue.
A hotel, conference centre, spa, kids’ club, leisure centre, swimming pools and tennis courts emphasises Fancourt’s ability to cater for more than just the golfer.
And, at more than R2-million for a home, its status keeps on increasing.
8. Erinvale
Since opening in 1995, Erinvale has become a popular stop for professional golf tournaments.
Its course, which boasts two very distinct nines, has played host to the World Cup of Golf and several local professional tournaments, including the SA Open.
The front nine is particularly flat and can feel a bit crowded with the housing close by, while the back nine sweeps up the slopes of the Helderberg mountains and has some spectacular views. The Player-designed course has proved itself but can be a fearsome prospect in the wind.
A hotel, spa and conference facilities enhance the appeal of one of the longer-standing estates in the Western Cape.
9. Pecanwood
The Nicklaus signature course continues to mature and grow into a worthy test.
The Golden Bear is a master at creating estate courses that offer the low handicapper or professional a serious test, but still remain enjoyable for the resort golfer.
The estate development, close to both Johannesburg and Pretoria on the banks of the Hartbeespoort dam, with the Magaliesberg in the background, is also a resounding success.
10. Steenberg
This is another Matkovich design, located on one of the Cape’s oldest wine farms.
But the course is not its biggest success. Strangely enough, it seldom ranks on the list of must-plays.
Instead, it’s Steenberg’s location within the suburbs of Cape Town that makes it the phenomenal property success it has become. Homes at the estate regularly go for more than R5-million.
The birdie boom
Andrew Golding, chief executive of the Pam Golding Property Group, doesn’t hesitate when asked what the country’s top golf estate is in terms of property value. ‘Steenberg is without a doubt pre-eminent from a property perspective,” he says. ‘It’s a true metropolitan golf estate in the heart of Cape Town. The price appreciation at Steenberg has far outstripped that of the neighbouring suburbs. It’s now even on a par with Constantia.”
Golding says the average selling price of a home at Steenberg now stands at R5-million. ‘Metropolitan golf estates do extremely well and often better than their surrounding suburbs. There are other examples, like Woodhill, Silver Lakes, Centurion, Atlantic Beach and Mt Edgecombe.
‘They offer the ultimate package in terms of a home plus a golf course, security and a sense of community. There has been huge growth at Steenberg, and Mt Edgecombe has also done exceptionally well.”
But can it be sustained?
‘When it comes to metropolitan golf estates, there’s no question that it can. The market is not nearly saturated here simply because it’s so difficult to find land in the cities. But when it comes to leisure estates, there is now the possibility of over supply. There will be some consolidation in the next year or two around pricing.
‘I do believe that if developers are able to sell to speculators then there will be enormous stock dumped on the market that will have no hope of selling. There will then be a repricing of the market where everybody loses.
‘But under normal circumstances, the sustained demand shouldn’t stop. I’d say there is still good opportunity over the next five to 10 years.”