South Africa Golf and Safari Vacations

If you’ve done Scotland and Ireland, this is the trip that comes next.

Championship courses, and then an actual safari, not an add-on excursion, but two or three days in the bush with lions and elephant, an hour or two from where you played that morning. South Africa is one of very few places where both fit comfortably into the same vacation. There’s one flight from the East Coast and no connections. You land, and someone from our team meets you at arrivals.

We plan and personally host South Africa golf vacations for small groups. Not a package tour, a trip built for your group, with one of our people traveling alongside you the whole way.

Get a custom golf tour quote

Tell us what you have in mind

We will respond to your enquiry within one working day. Give us your dates, how many are traveling, and what appeals. We’ll send back an outline itinerary. No obligation, no follow-up sales calls.

What personally hosted means luxury golf safari South Africa
golf safari holiday south africa

What personally hosted means here

A lot of operators say “hosted.” Here’s what we mean by it.

Somebody from the Matko team meets you as you get off your flight and accompanies you for the whole trip. They’ve already booked every tee time, every transfer, and every night’s lodging. They know the starters at the courses and the managers at the lodges. If the weather moves your afternoon round, it gets moved without you picking up a phone.

It’s the difference between a vacation you arranged and one you just showed up for.

Who actually does the hosting?

Josh, Bryce or Tony will meet you at the airport as you arrive. Our about us page will assist you with more information.

Born into a golfing family, with my father Peter designing over 30 courses in Southern Africa, my stepfather Simon Hobday winning the SA and US Senior Opens, and Gary Player as my godfather, the game has shaped my life from the start. I played junior and college golf at NC State, and for the past 25 years have worked in the golf industry, specialising in estate development and directing South Africa’s largest golf course maintenance business. A passionate golfer and proud African, I’ve travelled the world playing the greats — from all Open venues to over 10 US Open and PGA courses — always driven by a love for the game, its courses, and its people.

Tony Matkovich

Josh is a seasoned traveler with a global perspective and a natural talent for connecting with people. With several years of experience in sales, he brings strong communication skills and a personable approach to every interaction. 

Josh Varner

Bryce is an experienced businessman with a specific focus on the hospitality and logistics industries. He excels at executing effective ground logistics, which ensures that our tours run seamlessly.

Bryce Varner

The Itineraries

South Africa covers more ground than people expect, so the real question isn’t whether the golf is good (it is) but which part of the country you want to see. Four routes cover most of it:

Cape Town & Winelands

from 8 Days

Ocean courses, Table Mountain, and the wine country an hour inland. Play courses like Steenberg, Pearl Valley, De Zalze and Arabella, with wine tastings built into the golf days at estates in Stellenbosch and Franschhoek rather than tacked on. Our most requested trip, and the easiest introduction to the country.

Full Cape Town & Winelands itinerary
Garden Route golf course destination for golf holidays in South Africa

The Garden Route

from 8 Days

A stretch of coastline around George with five serious courses close together, headlined by the Links at Fancourt, South Africa’s number one rated course, alongside Pezula, Oubaai, Pinnacle Point and George Golf Club. South Africans call it the home of golf here, and they make a strong case for it, too.

Full Garden route Coastline itinerary
Kruger & Sun City gold course destination for golf holidays in South Africa

Kruger Park & Sun City

from 8 Days

Championship golf paired with the country’s best-known game reserve. Play Royal Johannesburg & Kensington and Gary Player Country Club, then finish at Leopard Creek, right on the Kruger boundary. If the safari is the reason you’re coming, then this is the trip you have been waiting for.

Full Kurger & Sun City itinerary
Cape & Kruger golf course destination for golf holidays in South Africa

Cape & Kruger Combined

from 8 Days

Both ends of the country, usually across two weeks or more. This isn’t a route to rush. Coastal golf and city energy around Cape Town and the Winelands first, then a bush finish at Kruger, with golf alongside the wildlife. This trip is best over 2 weeks for groups between 2 to 16 people (with more personal hosts).

Full Cape & Kruger Combined itinerary

If your group isn’t all golfers

Comes up in most conversations, so worth answering directly:

The people in your party who don’t play aren’t stuck waiting. The wine country, the coastline, the game drives and the towns hold up entirely on their own. We plan the non-golf side with the same care as the tee sheet. We’ve hosted plenty of couples where only one person plays, and it works because we build for it from the start.

Plan My South Africa Trip

Why book with us

You could put this together yourself. It would take weeks, and you’d be making judgment calls about lodges and courses you’ve never seen. What you’re really getting is somebody who knows the country traveling with you, and a trip where everything is already handled.

Request a Custom Itinerary

Questions Americans usually ask

When should we come?

There isn’t a wrong season. Cape Town is best in the South African summer (November through March), which happens to be exactly when you’re looking to escape a cold American winter. KwaZulu-Natal on the East Coast runs the other way, favoring the drier winter months. Whichever region anchors your trip, we’ll time it to the season that suits it best.

Is Malaria a real concern?

It depends on the route and the season. The warm, wet summer months (November to April) see increased mosquito activity and a higher risk of malaria, particularly after heavy rain. The cooler, dry winter months (May to October) see significantly lower mosquito populations and minimal risk. Malaria-free options are available too. Our East Coast reserves and Sun City’s Pilanesberg carry no risk year-round, and we’ll route your trip accordingly if that matters for your group. All lodges provide mosquito nets as standard.

How far is it, really?

One direct flight from Atlanta on Delta or from Newark on United. No connections, roughly fifteen hours in the air either way. If you’re not near one of those cities, British Airways through London and Emirates through Dubai both get you here comfortably, just with a stop.

What about jet lag?

South Africa is only 6–7 hours ahead of Eastern Time and there’s no significant north-south time change. Most people adjust faster than they expect for a trip this far.

What's the golf actually like?

The short version: good enough that the golf alone would justify the trip. Good enough that the golf alone would justify the trip. The value, personal hosting, the conditioning and the settings aren’t matched anywhere else in the world. Where else can you play golf in the bush with lions walking across the course, and finish a round with elephant crossing the fairway behind you?

Is it good value?

Compared with a comparable week in Scotland or Ireland, most of our American guests find it stacks up well.

Safari, is it the real thing?

Yes. Big Five game reserves with proper lodges and experienced guides, not a drive-through park. If malaria-free matters for your group, our East Coast reserves and Sun City’s Pilanesberg are malaria-free year-round. Only select areas of Kruger carry any risk, and we’ll route you accordingly.

Let’s start with an outline

Send your dates and group size. We’ll come back with a draft itinerary and you can tell us what to change.