Why George is the golf capital of the Garden Route
George sits between the Outeniqua Mountains and the Indian Ocean, with a mild climate that makes golf a year-round pastime. Within an hour's drive you will find some of South Africa's most highly rated courses, many of them set inside secure residential estates. For buyers, that means golf is not only a weekend activity here — it shapes where people choose to live.
Below is an overview of the main courses in George and the surrounding Garden Route. Course access, green fees and membership rules change, so confirm details with each club before you visit.
Fancourt — The Links, Montagu and Outeniqua
Fancourt is George's best-known golf address and one of the most celebrated golf estates in the country. The Links, a Gary Player design, has hosted the Presidents Cup and is usually ranked among South Africa's top courses; it is reserved mainly for members and estate guests. Montagu and Outeniqua are parkland courses with mountain views and are generally more accessible to visitors. Fancourt also offers a hotel, spa and secure estate homes.
George Golf Club
Established in 1886, George Golf Club is one of the oldest clubs in South Africa. This tree-lined parkland course sits close to the town centre, is known for excellent greens and good value, and has a strong, welcoming membership culture — a favourite with locals.
Kingswood Golf Estate
Kingswood is a secure golf estate on the edge of George, popular with families relocating to the Garden Route. The course is a parkland layout with water features and mountain backdrops, and the estate combines golf with family-friendly homes and easy access to schools and the airport.
Oubaai Golf Course
Oubaai, near Herolds Bay, is an Ernie Els design laid out on clifftops above the ocean, with sweeping sea views and coastal winds that make it a real test. It forms part of a residential estate with a hotel.
Courses in Mossel Bay
- Pinnacle Point: a dramatic clifftop course with holes played across ravines above the sea — one of the most photographed in the country
- Mossel Bay Golf Club: a historic links-style course with ocean views and good value green fees
Courses in Knysna and Plettenberg Bay
- Simola (Knysna): a Jack Nicklaus signature course on the hills above the Knysna lagoon
- Pezula (Knysna): a clifftop championship course on the Knysna Heads with ocean views
- Knysna Golf Club: a flat, friendly lagoon-side course, ideal for a relaxed round
- Goose Valley (Plettenberg Bay): a Gary Player design alongside the Keurbooms River
- Plettenberg Bay Country Club: a tree-lined parkland course close to town
Courses towards Wilderness and Sedgefield
- Sedgefield Golf Club: a scenic nine-hole course popular with holidaymakers
- Smaller country clubs throughout the region offer relaxed, affordable golf
Buying a home on a golf estate in George
Golf estates such as Fancourt, Kingswood and Oubaai are in steady demand from semigrating families and retirees. When you apply for a bond on an estate home, banks look at the monthly levy alongside your repayment, and some estates have building rules and timelines for vacant stands. Include the levy schedule and estate rules with your application.
Gateway can compare home loan offers across leading South African banks for George golf estate homes, with a local originator who knows these estates.
