{"id":815,"date":"2026-10-03T09:21:29","date_gmt":"2026-10-03T09:21:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.unkgolf.com\/blogs\/?p=815"},"modified":"2026-10-03T09:43:04","modified_gmt":"2026-10-03T09:43:04","slug":"hippos-on-the-fairway-what-its-really-like-to-play-golf-in-south-africas-bush-country","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.unkgolf.com\/blogs\/hippos-on-the-fairway-what-its-really-like-to-play-golf-in-south-africas-bush-country\/","title":{"rendered":"Hippos on the Fairway: What It&#8217;s Really Like to Play Golf in South Africa&#8217;s Bush Country"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The first time an impala crosses your line on a par 4, you&#8217;ll stand there holding a club and forget all about your score. That moment is why so many golfers fly halfway around the world to play in South Africa. Although the courses there are excellent, plenty of other countries have excellent courses. What they lack is a warthog feeding near the green as you set up to putt.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Here is a practical guide to that type of golf: where it takes place, what behavior to adopt when the spectators have tusks, and how to fit golf rounds and game drives into the same trip without spending half the time in the car.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_88 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.unkgolf.com\/blogs\/hippos-on-the-fairway-what-its-really-like-to-play-golf-in-south-africas-bush-country\/#Courses_where_the_wildlife_plays_through\" >Courses where the wildlife plays through<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.unkgolf.com\/blogs\/hippos-on-the-fairway-what-its-really-like-to-play-golf-in-south-africas-bush-country\/#The_rules_nobody_prints_on_the_scorecard\" >The rules nobody prints on the scorecard<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.unkgolf.com\/blogs\/hippos-on-the-fairway-what-its-really-like-to-play-golf-in-south-africas-bush-country\/#Fitting_golf_and_game_drives_into_one_trip\" >Fitting golf and game drives into one trip<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.unkgolf.com\/blogs\/hippos-on-the-fairway-what-its-really-like-to-play-golf-in-south-africas-bush-country\/#Then_theres_the_partner_who_doesnt_play\" >Then there&#8217;s the partner who doesn&#8217;t play.<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/www.unkgolf.com\/blogs\/hippos-on-the-fairway-what-its-really-like-to-play-golf-in-south-africas-bush-country\/#When_to_go\" >When to go<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/www.unkgolf.com\/blogs\/hippos-on-the-fairway-what-its-really-like-to-play-golf-in-south-africas-bush-country\/#What_to_pack_for_both_halves_of_the_trip\" >What to pack for both halves of the trip<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/www.unkgolf.com\/blogs\/hippos-on-the-fairway-what-its-really-like-to-play-golf-in-south-africas-bush-country\/#Making_the_most_of_it\" >Making the most of it<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Courses_where_the_wildlife_plays_through\"><\/span><strong>Courses where the wildlife plays through<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A few golf courses in South Africa sit within or right next to game reserves, and the experience there differs from what you get elsewhere in the country.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The obvious place to start is the Skukuza Golf Club, located within Kruger National Park and with no fencing around it. The course has nine holes and eighteen tees, so you play it twice from different angles, and the ninth hole stretches across a water hazard known as Lake Panic. South African National Parks mentions hippopotamuses, impalas, warthogs, and baboons as species that regularly visit the area. A CNN headline referred to it as housing &#8220;the wildest golf course in the world&#8221;, and very few people who have played the course would dispute this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Hans Merensky, located in Phalaborwa, lies next to the Kruger National Park on its western side. The course has eighteen holes with wide fairways, which is a relief since you are likely to be distracted by giraffes. Zebras and impala can be seen wandering about the course, and the water holes also contain hippos and crocodiles; on the sixteenth hole, the drive has to be hooked and ends up in the game park, so you won&#8217;t be able to get your ball back into the hole afterward.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Leopard Creek, close to Malalane in the southern part of Kruger, represents the more refined end of the scale. Designed by Gary Player, it opened in 1996, and several holes run alongside the Crocodile River. Membership is private, and visitors may play only when tee times are available. So if you have a tee time, then take it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There are also courses on which the wildlife is located next door rather than on the fairway; the Gary Player Country Club at Sun City has been hosting the Nedbank Golf Challenge since 1981, and the Pilanesberg reserve is only a short drive away, so that you can play a championship round in the morning and by mid-afternoon be watching the elephants.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_rules_nobody_prints_on_the_scorecard\"><\/span><strong>The rules nobody prints on the scorecard<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Local rules apply at Bush, and most clubs post them. Make sure you read them before you start. Besides that, certain habits will keep you and the animals out of trouble.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Leave the ball; if it ends up near water, in long grass, or anywhere you can&#8217;t see the ground clearly, drop another one and move on. The real dangers on these courses are hippos and crocodiles, not the lions most people ask about, and both stay close to water.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Let the animals go about their business and pass them. When a herd is crossing the fairway, you should wait. People won&#8217;t mind if your round takes a little longer for that reason, and the resulting photograph will be better than your approach shot anyway.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Obey the caddie or the starter; local staff will know which animals have been in the area that week and which water holes to avoid, so their advice is more reliable than anything you can find online, including this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Leave the food in the cart, since baboons and vervet monkeys can quickly learn which golfers carry snacks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Fitting_golf_and_game_drives_into_one_trip\"><\/span><strong>Fitting golf and game drives into one trip<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1018\" height=\"559\" src=\"https:\/\/www.unkgolf.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/unk-godlsaf.jpg\" alt=\"Fitting golf and game drives into one trip\" class=\"wp-image-819\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.unkgolf.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/unk-godlsaf.jpg 1018w, https:\/\/www.unkgolf.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/unk-godlsaf-300x165.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.unkgolf.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/unk-godlsaf-768x422.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1018px) 100vw, 1018px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This is where most golf trips to South Africa go wrong. The excellent courses are spread across the country: Sun City is northwest of Johannesburg, the Kruger courses are in the far northeast, the Drakensberg and Durban areas are in the southeast, and the drive from Johannesburg to Phalaborwa takes about six hours. If you plan your itinerary by road, you&#8217;ll spend much of your holiday on the motorways, checking in and out of a new lodge every few nights.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There are three alternatives. One is to remain in a single area and go deep\u2014for instance, spending a week in Kruger with Skukuza, Hans Merensky and Leopard Creek and also using a private reserve for the game drives. Another option is to fly between regions via short domestic flights, which cuts travel time but requires you to repack your clubs at each airport. The third choice is to take a golf train.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It seems unlikely at first sight. One luxury train offers a nine-night round trip starting in Pretoria, visiting golf courses in Sun City, the Drakensberg, Durban, eSwatini, and the Kruger lowveld, and including game drives in Pilanesberg, Hluhluwe-iMfolozi, and Kruger along the way. You only have to unpack once, as the train travels between the different areas while you sleep or eat, and the green fees and carts are included in the price. This is the type of <a href=\"https:\/\/luxuryrailsafaris.com\/rovos-golf-safari\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">golf safari South Africa<\/a> excels at above all other places, since the country has both golf courses and game reserves accessible via a single rail network.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Then_theres_the_partner_who_doesnt_play\"><\/span><strong>Then there&#8217;s the partner who doesn&#8217;t play.<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On most golf trips,, guests get a spa voucher and a paperback, but in South Africa it&#8217;s different, since the country&#8217;s best non-golfing activity is right beside the best golf courses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When you are playing at Sun City, your partner might be having a morning drive in Pilanesberg. Meanwhile, if you are playing on the Kruger courses, you can also take a look around the park. The Anglo-Boer War battlefields, the craft workshops in eSwatini, and the trout streams near Dullstroom are all within easy reach. If you plan it well, the non-golfer will have a better week, and instead of one person remaining at the clubhouse, you two will trade stories over dinner.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"When_to_go\"><\/span><strong>When to go<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Summer in South Africa usually runs from November to March, when the fairways are green, and the light lasts until late in the evening, although summer storms generally occur in the afternoons over the Highveld. You should book the earliest tee times of the day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">September and October are ideal if you plan to go on a combined trip, since by that time the Kruger area will have gone without rain for several months, causing the vegetation to become thinner and the animals to stay near the rivers and water holes, places that the guides are familiar with. The weather is suitable for a walk around, and the early mornings in the open game vehicle are cool enough to make you want to wear a jacket.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Winter is in the middle of the year; the days are generally dry and clear, though the mornings on the Highveld can be cold and the courses tend to be browner.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_to_pack_for_both_halves_of_the_trip\"><\/span><strong>What to pack for both halves of the trip<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Take your clubs with you and pack them in a solid travel case. Although rental sets are available, you&#8217;ve come a long way just to play well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On game drives, wear neutral colors such as khaki, olive, and tan; bring a warm layer for early starts; pack a wide-brimmed hat; and bring a good pair of binoculars. White golf shirts are suitable on the course, but less useful in the bush.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">You will be surprised by how important sunscreen is; the sun in Africa is intense even if the air is mild.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If youare spending any part of your journey in a luxury lodge or traveling by train, check the evening dress code before you pack, since some still require a jacket at dinner.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Making_the_most_of_it\"><\/span><strong>Making the most of it<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The variety of <a href=\"https:\/\/luxuryrailsafaris.com\/rovos-golf-safari\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">golf South Africa<\/a> offers is hard to match: championship courses that host international tour events, quirky bush layouts where the hazards breathe, and the Big Five a short drive from the first tee. The trick is to plan the logistics as carefully as the tee times, so the distances work for you, not against you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That way, you will have two kinds of stories to take home: one about the birdie on the eighteenth hole and the other about the elephant that walked across the fairway while you were trying to get your ball onto the green.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The first time an impala crosses your line on a par 4, you&#8217;ll stand there holding a club and forget [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":816,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[194],"class_list":["post-815","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blog","tag-fairway"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.unkgolf.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/815","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.unkgolf.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.unkgolf.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.unkgolf.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.unkgolf.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=815"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.unkgolf.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/815\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":820,"href":"https:\/\/www.unkgolf.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/815\/revisions\/820"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.unkgolf.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/816"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.unkgolf.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=815"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.unkgolf.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=815"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.unkgolf.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=815"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}