Mountain backdrops, coastal links, world class winelands and a strong rand exchange make Cape Town one of the great value long haul golf trips. Here is who it suits, the courses to build around, a sample week and what it costs.
Cape Town is the trip for golfers who want their week to be about more than the golf. The courses are genuinely good, from Nicklaus and Player championship layouts to a coastal links under Table Mountain, but they sit inside one of the most beautiful corners of the world. Buddies groups come for the value and the variety; couples and mixed groups come for the wine farms, the food and the scenery between rounds.
It is also an easy long haul. Direct flights from London land in around eleven to twelve hours, the time difference is barely two hours, so there is almost no jet lag, and the favorable exchange rate means a premium week here costs a fraction of the equivalent in Europe or the United States. Add a safari or a few nights on the Garden Route and it becomes a trip of a lifetime.
A Jack Nicklaus Signature design at the Val de Vie estate near Paarl, opened in 2003 and ranked among the top three courses in South Africa. Mountain backdrops, the Berg River in play and immaculate conditioning make it the marquee round of the trip. Indicative green fee around 5,250 rand, 2026.
Peter Matkovich's parkland routed through the Constantia valley, framed by vineyards and the Constantiaberg. Narrow fairways and plenty of sand reward placement, and the historic Steenberg wine estate sits a short walk away. Indicative green fee around 1,400 to 1,800 rand, 2026.
A Gary Player design opened in 1995 below the Helderberg at Somerset West, and host of the 1996 World Cup of Golf. A demanding front nine across the lower slopes gives way to a flatter, water lined back. Indicative visitor green fee around 1,710 rand in high season, 2026.
A links style layout at Melkbosstrand on the West Coast, laid across coastal fynbos with full Table Mountain views from almost every hole. Wind off the Atlantic makes it a different challenge to the sheltered inland courses. Indicative green fee around 900 to 1,200 rand, 2026.
Photographs via Google, contributed by the Pearl Valley and Atlantic Beach Links listings, Emmarenthia Le Roux and Hermann Gerken. Green fees are indicative for the 2026 season; always confirm directly before booking.