The 11 best golf courses in the Cape Winelands

Don’t be surprised if you find yourself cursing the Golden Bear halfway through a round at Pearl Valley. Jack Nicklaus is one of golf’s most influential designers – Pearl Valley is one of six Nicklaus-designed courses in South Africa – but he doesn’t let you off easy.

With 12 lakes, tight fairways, 81 bunkers, and rough as unforgiving as it is beautiful, you’ll need good course management and a dependable short game if you want to score well here. 

All of the challenge comes with a reward. Pearl Valley is also one of the Cape’s most stunning rounds: immaculately conditioned, framed by the Drakenstein and Simonsberg mountains, and the type of place that makes you linger on the tee box for one more selfie.

The par-5 4th is the first proper wake-up call, with a wandering stream splitting the fairway into three distinct landing areas. Leave the driver alone: a controlled 3-wood and a sensible follow-up iron is the smart play. Don’t mess with Jack, remember?

In the back nine, the par-3 13th offers a true postcard moment with a greenside bunker, a prominent water hazard, and a challenging 191 metres to cover. But, no rest is in sight. The par-5 14th offers no mercy, with a mid-fairway tree and a sizable bunker guarding the right side, baiting you into risk-reward decisions.

Off the course, there’s a modern clubhouse, a quality restaurant, and self-catering lodges that make this a fantastic weekend escape. And you’re also just a short drive from Franschhoek, the Cape’s food and wine capital, with top restaurants and cellar doors to explore. 

R301, Franschhoek

Is this South Africa’s most beautiful par-5? Surely it must be. And the 8th at Arabella Golf Course lands with extra impact because it catches you by surprise. From the tee you’ll aim at nothing more than a modest marker pole. Launch your drive over a rise and hope for the best. Only when you reach the marker and crest the hill does the hole open up beneath you. The fairway tumbles away, a waste bunker eyes you from the left (did you hook it? Hope not) and the landing strip pinches into a narrow corridor to the green that feels almost unfair. Beyond it all, the Bot River Lagoon waits to collect any approach that’s even slightly overcooked.

The closing par-5 18th is just as remarkable, running alongside the lagoon the whole way and daring big hitters to go for the green in two. It’s architect Peter Matkovich at his cheeky best: asking risk-reward questions with a raised eyebrow, all while throwing plenty of scenery into the mix to distract you. Even though you are playing on a residential estate, the views are so good you’ll rarely notice the houses.

You’ll want a cart if you’re not keen on hills, and you’ll want time off-course too. Hermanus is close for whale watching, while Elgin’s cool-climate vineyards are a short drive away. Best to make a weekend of it, then come back for one more go at a birdie at the 8th.

Arabella Country Estate, R44

Although one of the more expensive and exclusive golf clubs in Cape Town, the green fees at this course in the Constantia Winelands are well worth it. Just 20 minutes from the city centre, Steenberg Golf Club revels in both vineyard and mountain views, but don’t let them distract you: architect Peter Matkovitch has thrown down the gauntlet with narrow fairways and plenty of bunkers.

By the time you reach the 5th you’ll see this is a course that means business: this par-five stretches to over 560-metres, with a recessed green and tree-lined fairways to make life more challenging.

The signature 7th is a delight, featuring an island green protected by both sand and water, while the 14th is just as memorable. This par-3 can play anywhere from 100 to 220 metres, thanks to large tee boxes and a green that stretches over 75 metres. The final holes run along the slopes of the Constantiaberg mountain – offering more stunning views – before finishing at the stylish clubhouse. After your round, don’t miss the opportunity to dine at one of the estate’s two excellent restaurants and to sample the remarkable Sauvignon Blancs. 

Tokai Road, Tokai

This 18-hole parkland course was designed by Peter Matkovitch, a well-known name behind many of South Africa’s prominent layouts. Set among oaks and threaded by the Blaauwklippen River, De Zalze Golf Estate provides a fair yet challenging test, especially for higher handicappers who will need to navigate plenty of water hazards. 

Matkovitch uses the river as both a scenic feature and a strategic obstacle. The attractive par-3 3rd plays directly over it, and in winter, when the river is high, the shot feels even more dramatic. Overall, it’s water rather than sand that tends to decide the round. While bunkers do influence play on a few holes – notably the 5th, 6th, and 14th – it’s the course’s other hazards that most often punish wayward slices. Lost a ball in the vineyards? Keep a keen eye out for puff adders if you decide to look!

Water dominates the par-5 6th, and it also guards both the fairway and green on the par-3 9th, which guides golfers towards the halfway house. The signature hole for watery drama is the par-4 13th, where boardwalks lead to island tees. The green can be reached with a big drive, but the landing zone is tight, demanding both distance and accuracy to avoid a splash. The river reappears on the elevated 18th, tempting the cautious to lay up, though the bolder line is always more fun.

Book a morning round and plan to have lunch at the excellent Terroir bistro located alongside the tasting room at Kleine Zalze wine estate. Don’t miss their superb Chenin Blanc. There’s also charming accommodation available, with a small selection of upmarket self-catering lodges overlooking the first fairway.

R44, Stellenbosch

Hidden behind a wedge of Somerset West suburbia, Erinvale is the kind of course that makes you forget the drive the moment you tee up and admire the course laid out before you. Turn your gaze towards the Helderberg (‘clear mountain’) and the scenery will send you into a second practice swing.

It’s easy to see why Gary Player signed up to design a course here in the 1990s: parkland golf with mountain vistas, and two nines that are as different as Player’s black and white pants at the 1960 British Open.

The front nine lets you settle in slowly: forgiving fairways and bunkers you can work around. But by the 6th, a long par-4 demands both distance and accuracy into a well-defended green. Soon after, the par-3 8th delivers a postcard tee shot with the Helderberg rising behind you and a little stream to clear before you can think about pin positions. 

The back nine shifts a gear. Set higher on the slopes, it’s a stiffer walk (carts help, but no caddies are available), but the reward is panoramic views across the surrounding winelands and out to False Bay. The par-3 15th is the standout vista hole, and the downhill run of 16 and 17 lures you into thinking you can relax. But, inside tip, watch those bunkers.

The home stretch down the 18th encapsulates Erinvale as a course: challenging, but manageable, where the mid-handicapper will feel as at home as the serious player chasing 72.

Once you’ve holed out, the charms of the Helderberg are on the doorstep, with Lourensford next door and Vergelegen’s historic gardens and cellar door around the corner.

Lourensford Road, Somerset West

A quietly unassuming course that offers one of the most enjoyable rounds in the Winelands, Devonvale is an 18-hole championship course with a classic country feel. It’s a parkland track – thankfully without the ubiquitous estate houses that feature on most winelands courses – surrounded by woodland and adjoining vineyards. Views across the Bottelary Valley come standard too. The original layout was designed by Ken Elkin and has been steadily upgraded without losing that relaxed ‘weekend round’ character.

The course extends over 6136 metres, with tree-lined fairways, subtle doglegs, and a routing that offers expansive views all the way to Table Mountain on clear days. Expect plenty of elevation changes (which provide a good workout, if you’re not in a cart), well-positioned bunkers, and greens that run true without being excessively fast. As a result, it’s an excellent choice for mixed-ability four-balls. 

Each nine has its own signature. The 4^th is a challenging par-4 that doglegs to the left. Your tee shot—crucial for a low score—makes you feel as if you are playing into the Simonsberg Mountain. The 17^th is another standout. A short par-5, a solid drive will allow you to reach the green in two. But take heed: it’s well-guarded with water on the left, bunkers on the right, and a stunning mountain view to distract you. 

The estate’s four-star accommodation, on-site winery, and terrace-style 19th hole invite you to turn a simple tee time into an overnight Winelands mini-break.

Bottelary Road, Stellenbosch

Established in 1904, Stellenbosch Golf Club is a classic in the Winelands: a traditional club with a parkland feel and a glorious setting. The course evolved from a nine-hole layout into today’s 18-hole championship track in the 1950s, unfurling alongside the R44 just outside town.

It’s a traditional parkland track with tree-lined fairways, clever doglegs and greens that reward a deft short game rather than big-hitters. Many holes frame views of the Simonsberg and surrounding vineyards, and when the wind gets up, the layout offers enough variety to keep things interesting. The club is popular with local members but welcomes visitors, and its location – a short hop from Stellenbosch’s restaurants and wine bars – makes it an ideal 18 to pair with an urban tasting stroll afterwards.

R44, Stellenbosch

The expansive Boschenmeer Estate is home to the Paarl Golf Club and offers 27 holes to test your swing. Designed by golf legend David Frost, the 27-hole layout consists of the Berg River Nine (1-9), the Paarl Nine (10 – 18) and the new Boschenmeer Nine (19-27), allowing you to enjoy ever-changing rounds of 18 in a setting framed by river and mountain views. The option to choose one of four different tee-off positions ensures that the course is playable for golfers of all standards.

The club has a welcoming, old-school friendliness it’s justifiably proud of, and the bartenders here, in my opinion, stir up the best ‘Steelworks’ in the Winelands. What’s a Steelworks, you ask? Well, you’ll have to ask a local golfer to introduce you to this oh-so-refreshing drink at the 19^th hole. 

Boschenmeer Golf and Country Estate, 848 Wemmershoek Road, Paarl

If you don’t have time to drive out for a full round of 18, look no further than Hazendal Golf Club. To start, Hazendal’s location on the edge of the Bottelary Hills puts it just 40 minutes from the city. And, because it’s a par-3 ‘mashie’ course, you can be round in two hours, tops. 

But there are no half measures here, and the course is superb. If you ignore the unsightly power lines overhead, the course has been laid out to impress, with bent-grass greens and hundreds of trees planted to catch an unwary tee shot.

Man-made lakes create natural drainage areas and striking water hazards that come into play on the 13th, 14th and 15th holes, adding yet another challenging element to the course. And, because it’s the Cape, wind is part of the Hazendal personality: when the South Easter shows up, you’ll want to go one club longer.

Despite being the shortest on the course, the 15th is a likely candidate for the course’s signature hole. A keen eye for distance is crucial here, as players must carry a ball-hungry water hazard to reach the green, itself guarded behind by a natural wetland.

Alongside the 18-hole mashie course, players can also make use of a state-of-the-art training academy that includes a full-size InRange-equipped driving range, putting green and short-game practice area

Bottelary Road, Stellenbosch

It’s a bit of a drive (allow 90 minutes from Cape Town) to reach this country club, but if you’ve played the big-names closer to the city, it’s well worth the day out. Running up, down, and across the foothills of the Brandwacht Mountains, this 18-hole Gary Player-designed course combines rugged natural beauty with a fantastically enjoyable golfing experience.  

Across much of the Worcester Golf Course, the fairways are reasonably wide and forgiving, but if you slice or hook your ball too far, you'll face a tough search through the Karoo scrub. And, since the rocks here are puff adder-coloured, you might prefer to take the penalty stroke and play another shot. 

Aside from the rough, there are plenty of bunkers and water features to catch wayward shots. The par-5 16^th is a fun one, with a lay-up (or charge) before the green, and the long uphill of the par-4 3rd might just catch you off-guard. No chance of that with the fun par-3 7th where there’s nothing but water (roughly 150 metres of it) between tee box and green.

The clubhouse is a simple affair, but expect a warm country welcome for a cold cola before you hit the road home. A well-priced course that’s always in great condition, and worth the journey. 

22 Kolie Nelson Street, Van Riebeeck Park, Worcester

If you’re looking for an excuse to turn a round of golf into a short break in the winelands, you’ve found it. Robertson Golf Club at Silwerstrand features an 18-hole track designed by Danie Obermeyer and opened in May 2008, boasting excellent bent-grass greens and a layout that offers a good mix of long and short holes. Watch out for the plentiful bunkers, and of course, the river comes into play too. The par-3 3rd is a delight, requiring plenty of accuracy, but it’s nothing compared to the par-3 7th and the challenge of an island green! The course ends with a flourish, as the par-5 18th demands careful club selection to lay up before the river, or charge towards the green. 

It’s a course that’s approachable for high-handicappers, yet challenging enough for those with a low handicap. It’s enjoyable, entertaining golf, just as a Winelands track should be. And once you’re done, the award-winning wineries of R62 are right on the doorstep. 

Silwerstrand Golf and River Estate, R60, Robertson