Durban Country Club

Another of South Africa’s top rated golf courses, Durban Country Club is a prestigious private club just outside Durban city centre. The course is both scenic and demanding and to score well here, you will have to be playing your best. It has played host to the South African Open and after extensive improvements to the course it has been rated 12th in the 2021 rankings. Top Golf Courses in South Africa.

The clubhouse has benefited from a complete face lift making the interior less stuffy and more modern. There are a couple of nice restaurants now and bars offering sustenance before, during and after your round.

A combination of lush vegetation, sand dunes and stunning views of the Indian Ocean make this course one of the most unique, and challenging in South Africa. One of the defining characteristics of Durban Country Club is the massive undulations in the fairways, especially the 5th, 8th and 17th.

The course was built on sand dunes which have shaped the course and are reminiscent of the great Scottish Links courses such as Carnoustie. That is where similarities end. The lush foliage surrounding the fairways is breathtaking, with virtually every tropical plant imaginable creating a colourful scented backdrop to your round. They also provide a useful screen to stop wayward tee shots disappearing onto the busy road that runs along some of the holes.

The par five 468m third hole is acknowledged as one of the best in the world.  It requires golfers to hit their tee shot from the highest point on the course, overlooking the Indian Ocean, into a valley below, completely exposing your drive to the ocean gusts. Players must avoid the trees on the right, but also miss the predatory fairway bunker that sits in the landing area on the left. Large trees protect the green’s left flank and will punish any shot hit too long.

Durban Country Club is a shot maker’s course that requires both physical skill and good course management. Most members don’t make use of their driver until well into their round due to the narrowness of the opening holes.

The course has hosted the South African Open 19 times, including the centenary SA Open in 2010, more than any other club in South Africa.

You can play Durban Country Club as part of our Zulu Kingdom Golfing Holiday Itinerary.

For more information about playing at Durban Country Club or South African golfing holidays, contact us here or call +44 208 249 5919 to speak to our South Africa golf holiday’s team.