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South Africa is a dream-come-true for golf lovers because you can play golf all year round. If you have not taken advantage of that fact yet, perhaps it is time to grab a set of golfing clubs and head to the nearest golf course!
At this point, you might ask: but isn’t golf for the rich only?
Well, yes and no. One experienced golfer says that it is not all that costly to start out. The golf equipment tailored for children and for beginners is not prohibitively expensive. After all, manufacturers do not want to cater for millionaires only. They want to be as inclusive as possible and reach a wider audience.
However, things change as you become more proficient in the game and start yearning for custom-fitted clubs, premium golf balls, fancy resort courses, and so on. The (relatively) good news is that the economic crunch has inspired a lot of South African golf clubs to come up with affordable specials. Besides, if you start young, your earnings will hopefully grow to match your golfing aspirations!
Golf equipment
Before joining a club, or just playing as a guest, you need to go shopping. Here is the list of golf equipment you will need to start out:
- Golf clubs
- Golf bag
- Golf balls
- Tees (some courses supply tees for free)
- Gloves (buy a pair, but wear one on your dominant hand)
- Towel
Golf shoes do make a difference, but you can get away with playing in your takkies for the first few months. As for golf fashion, you probably already own a golf (or polo) shirt, a pair of trousers or shorts with a belt and a cap.
Follow the links in this post to check the golf equipment prices on bidorbuy and remember to look for budget-friendly second-hand gear too. In no time at all, you will be ready to take the first swing!
Golf terminology
There are tons of golfing terms that you will learn as you go. Some of the basic ones that every golfer should know are:
- For scoring: par, birdie, eagle, bogey, ace, handicap
- For gameplay: fore, putt, drive, bank shot, over clubbing, explosion shot, duff
- For the course: fairway, rough, green, bunker, beach
Golf courses in South Africa
South Africa has hundreds of golf courses dotted all around the country. Many of them are excellently equipped and situated in beautiful scenery. Everyone has their list of “top” courses; the one below merely aims to list one well-known golf course per each of the nine South African provinces.
- Arabella Country Club (Western Cape)
- Durban Country Club (KwaZulu-Natal)
- Gary Player Country Club (North West)
- Glendower Golf Club (Gauteng)
- Humewood Golf Course (Eastern Cape)
- Leopard Creek Country Club (Mpumalanga)
- Sishen Golf and Country Club (Northern Cape)
- Vaal de Grace Golf Estate (Free State)
- Zebula Golf Estate (Limpopo)
Famous South African golf players
Gary Player, Bobby Locke, Ernie Els, Retief Goosen, David Frost, Rory Sabbatini, Harold Henning, Trevor Immelman, Louis Oosthuizen, Charl Schwartzel…the list of famous South African golf players is long, and the next name on it might be… yours!