Selborne Golf Estate 5th view Selborne central pool
The courses are terrific and it is easy to find that combination of ease of access, good accommodation, a cluster of good courses in one area and of course value for money, in a region where, apart from the generous exchange rate, good value accommodation options abound.
For a number of years I was the head professional at Southbroom Golf Club on the Hibiscus Coast in southern KwaZulu-Natal.
Every year I would expect the regulars from‘ up north’, several of whom left their golf clubs in storage with me between visits, some to stay for only a few weeks, while others leased villas for a few months, but all with the object of taking in some good golf, sea air and the sunshine.
This trend has increased over the years with many visitors taking the plunge into the property market and buying their own home away from home, which they then often lease out for the rest of the year to pay for the maintenance and upkeep.
One regular visitor commented that it was cheaper for him to fly to South Africa and live for the 5 months, he considered to be his winter break, than it was just to run his heating at home in Austria!
I am writing this article on the terrace of a villa known as‘ 15 on the 5th’ and which, not unsurprisingly, overlooks the 5th hole at the beautiful Selborne Estate which lies about 35 minutes from Durban and which is at the beginning of the south coast of KwaZulu-Natal.
This is probably my favourite province, but although the amenities at Selborne are magnificent as the pictures show, there are equally good golf estates throughout this region and southern Africa.
With many of this estate’ s rental properties expertly managed by Pauline and Karis of Selborne Luxury Villas in Pennington Village, the worry about owning an overseas property and the attendant maintenance concerns is largely removed. The estate is also an ideal base to play the courses in the surrounding areas, from the iconic Durban Country Club in central Durban, down to San Lameer and then on to the spectacular Wild Coast Country Club, which is about an hour drive to the south along an excellent toll road.
I recently stayed at the newly opened The Capital Pearls in Umhlanga Rocks just North of Durban – a full review on this magnificent development will be coming up in a future issue. The Capital Pearls offers a great base to explore both the Durban courses, those on the North Coast including Zimbali and Prince’ s Grant and then down to the South past Selborne as well
If the coast is not for you then less than a two hour drive from Durban is the heart of Natal’ s Midlands. Surrounded by spectacular mountains this temperate region is largely centered on agriculture and R & R for the residents’ of the province’ s coastal communities.
There is a selection of B & B’ s, hotels, resorts and estates to suit almost every budget. As a golfer my favourite is Gowrie Farm which offers its own unique 12 holes’ golf course layout and provides an ideal destination to set up base and from which to explore the rest of the region’ s golf”.
The estate itself is almost sold out and 40 % developed and is a very popular spot for parents to stay while they are visiting their‘ offspring’ at two of South Africa’ s top private schools which are nearby and the vacationing coastal and inland dwellers – especially those with a penchant for trout fishing.
Each region has its own particular charm and attractions Volume 4 • Issue 43
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