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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