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Golf guide • South Africa • Western Cape (Garden Route)

Golf in Knysna: cliffs, lagoon and forest on the Garden Route

Knysna, a small town on South Africa's Garden Route set beside a lagoon, has three courses within a quarter of an hour of the centre: Pezula, a Ronald Fream and David Dale layout on top of the East Head cliffs, Simola, a Jack Nicklaus design on a ridge above the river, and Knysna Golf Club, founded in 1909 at the water's edge; Gary Player's Goose Valley is some forty minutes away at Plettenberg Bay. Golfers come for golf with sweeping views, oysters and indigenous forest, ideally from February to May and in September.

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Knysna stretches along the northern shore of a vast estuary, halfway between George and Plettenberg Bay. To the south, two rocky headlands, the Heads, leave the Indian Ocean only a narrow channel, notorious for its currents and the boats it has claimed. To the north, indigenous forest climbs the hills to the Outeniqua Mountains. In between lies a town of quays and marinas, oyster beds and a life turned towards the water.

Golf here makes the most of the terrain. Pezula occupies the East Head plateau, with a homeward stretch along the cliff edge; Simola follows a wooded ridge above the Knysna River; the older Knysna Golf Club unrolls its fairways at lagoon level, between tidal channels and tall trees. Three very different characters, all a few minutes from the centre, with Gary Player's Goose Valley as an extra towards Plettenberg Bay.

The trip falls easily into shape: a round in the morning, the lagoon in the afternoon, a platter of oysters on the waterfront in the evening. The town was born of timber: the Thesen family, from Norway, ran a sawmill and shipyard on the island that bears their name, now a district of restaurants and canal-side houses. Four to six nights let you play everything without hurrying.

The courses

Fairway sloping down through dense forest towards a wide estuary, a bunker in the foreground and mountains beyond

Pezula Championship Golf Course

  • Architect: Ronald Fream, David Dale
  • Opened 2001
  • 18 holes
  • Par 72

Opened in 2001 and designed by Ronald Fream and David Dale of Golfplan, Pezula is Knysna's spectacular course: its name evokes a place "high up, close to the gods", and it occupies a headland above the ocean, with the lagoon on one side and the coast on the other. A par 72 of nearly 6,400 yards, it is short on paper, but the wind and demanding greens force you to choose your trajectories. The front nine heads away from the cliffs, the back nine runs along them. Play it for the scenery as much as for the golf.

Signature hole. The 14th, a par 4, runs parallel to the cliff edge, facing the ocean; it is the heart of the 13th-to-15th stretch that made the course's reputation.

Official website

Simola Golf & Country Estate

  • Architect: Jack Nicklaus
  • Opened 2005
  • 18 holes
  • Par 72

Opened in 2005, Simola is a Jack Nicklaus Signature course laid out on a wooded ridge less than seven kilometres from the centre, above the Knysna River. The configuration is unusual: five par 3s, five par 5s and eight par 4s for a par 72. The course moves from one valley to another; the front nine looks out over the river and the mountains, the back nine over the lagoon and the Heads. Rarely troubled by wind according to the club, with four sets of tees, it remains demanding from the back and suits every level. It has hosted Sunshine Tour events.

Signature hole. The 2nd, a par 4, is played from a tee perched high above the fairway, from where you can see the seven bunkers that shape the strategy for the second shot.

Official website

Knysna Golf Club

  • Opened 1909
  • 18 holes
  • Par 72

Founded in 1909, Knysna Golf Club is the town's historic course, set on the edge of the lagoon. This par 72 of 5,752 metres blends links and parkland: fairways lined with indigenous trees, ponds and tidal channels, and water in play on twelve holes. The bentgrass greens were relaid from 1994, and the bunkering has been reworked since. Flat and walkable, with the mountains as a backdrop, it is the relaxed round of the trip and a good chance to play among the members. Visitors book by phone or email.

Signature hole. The 8th, a 148-metre par 3 to an island green, is most often played in a crosswind.

Official website

Goose Valley Golf Club

  • Architect: Gary Player
  • Opened 2003
  • 18 holes
  • Par 72

Some forty minutes east along the N2, at Plettenberg Bay, Goose Valley is a Gary Player design extended to 18 holes in 2003 from a former nine-hole course. A par 72, it borders the Keurbooms lagoon, with views of the ocean, the Tsitsikamma Mountains and the Robberg peninsula. Its dune soil drains well and keeps it playable all year; its deep, steep-faced bunkers call for precise sand play. It has hosted the South African Amateur Championship. A day at Plettenberg Bay, beach included.

Official website

Where to stay

Pezula Nature Retreat

On the Pezula estate, above the East Head, the Pezula Nature Retreat spreads its suites, residences and villas across small clusters in the vegetation, with a wellness area and Zachary's Grill Room. Ask for Ocean Watch, a quieter corner, along the 10th hole and facing the Indian Ocean; for two, the Nature Suites have a private wood-fired hot tub. Guests play the Pezula course, and Noetzie beach is close by.

Simola Hotel Country Club & Spa

At the top of the Simola estate, the hotel's 40 suites look out over the estuary and the Heads, or the Knysna valley. The view cannot be guaranteed when booking; the two-bedroom executive suites, with a kitchen and a gas barbecue on the patio, suit groups. At sunset, have a drink by the fire in the Club Lounge, above the Nicklaus course and the Heads.

The Turbine Hotel & Spa

On Thesen Island, The Turbine occupies the former power station that supplied Knysna from the early 20th century. The original turbines remain in the public spaces, among brick, steel and large glass roofs. Some suites look onto the lagoon or the canals, the spa helps you recover after a round, and the Island Café and Gastro Pub are on site. The island's restaurants are within walking distance.

Terrace with white loungers and a parasol beside a pool, ferns and a lagoon at sunset

Where to dine

34 South

On the Knysna Quays waterfront, 34 South is at once restaurant, deli, wine shop and bakery, open from breakfast to dinner. Settle in facing the boats for Knysna oysters, the catch of the day and sushi, before choosing a bottle for the next day in the shop.

Drydock Food Co

Its neighbour on the Knysna Quays, Drydock Food Co opens its two levels onto the lagoon and serves generous seaside cooking: sushi, seafood and grills. Order the Oyster Experience, coastal and farmed oysters side by side with a glass of bubbly, or one of the eight wine flights. Open every day from 11am to 10pm, it suits lunch after a round as well as dinner.

Beyond golf

The lagoon and the Heads

The lagoon is best discovered by boat. From the quay, Featherbed offers cruises and sunset trips towards the Heads; its flagship excursion crosses the estuary to the private Western Head reserve, explored on a 2.2 km guided walk among caves, boardwalks and old milkwoods, with views over the channel and the ocean.

The Knysna forest

North of town, the indigenous forest managed by SANParks covers tens of thousands of hectares of hills, criss-crossed by trails. Look out for the Knysna turaco, a green bird with a white crest that reveals crimson wing feathers in flight. These forests were once home to elephants; almost none remain, and meeting one is the stuff of local legend. To the west, Millwood recalls the gold rush of 1878.

Oysters and the festival

The oyster is Knysna's emblem. The festival devoted to it, founded in 1983, is held every year in late June or early July for around ten days, with races, concerts and tastings, and nearly 200,000 oysters opened. The rest of the year, the restaurants on the waterfront and Thesen Island serve them daily, with a Cape white.

Calm lagoon and a sailing boat between two sandstone headlands opening onto the ocean, evening light

When to go

Knysna has a mild oceanic climate, and golf is played all year round. From February to May, the air is still warm, around 21 to 24°C in the afternoon, and the courses are in fine condition. Winter, from June to August, is cool, around 17 to 18°C, and June and July are the driest months. September becomes pleasant again; October and November are the wettest. December and January, at the height of the South African holiday season, are the busiest.

Getting there

George airport (GRJ), served by domestic flights from Johannesburg, is about an hour's drive from Knysna on the N2, which runs along the coast. From Europe, you reach George with a connection in Johannesburg, or drive from Cape Town along the Garden Route. A hire car is essential on the ground to get between the courses.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best golf course in Knysna?

Pezula, on top of the East Head cliffs, is the most spectacular and the highest ranked; Simola, a Jack Nicklaus design, is the most strategic. Most golfers play both.

How many golf courses are there around Knysna?

Three 18-hole courses lie within a quarter of an hour of the centre: Pezula, Simola and Knysna Golf Club. Goose Valley, at Plettenberg Bay, is some forty minutes away; Fancourt and the George courses are about an hour away.

When is the best time to play golf in Knysna?

From February to May and in September: mild temperatures and moderate rainfall. October and November are the wettest months, and December and January the busiest.

Which airport is best for Knysna?

George airport (GRJ), about an hour's drive away, served by domestic flights from Johannesburg. Travellers from Europe usually connect through Johannesburg, or drive to Knysna from Cape Town.

Can you combine Knysna and George on a golf trip?

Yes. The two towns are about an hour apart on the N2: you can stay in Knysna for Pezula and Simola and spend a day on the Fancourt courses, or the other way round.

Tailor-made

Your golf trip: Knysna

Tee times, suites, transfers and tables: your concierge replies within 24 hours with a proposal shaped around you.

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