Knysna is a useful base for a golf break because you can play three very different 18-hole courses without spending much of the holiday driving between them.
Knysna Golf Club, Pezula Championship Course and Simola Golf & Country Estate each offer a different round, from the lower-lying course beside the estuary to the elevated championship layouts at Pezula and Simola.
If golf is one of the main reasons for your trip, two or three rounds fit comfortably into a few days in Knysna, while still leaving time to enjoy the lagoon and the town.
Knysna Golf Club
Knysna Golf Club is the oldest of the town’s three main courses and sits close to the estuary in Hunters Home.
The 18-hole, par-72 course has a links/parkland layout, with indigenous trees, tidal pools and inlets coming into play. The course is relatively easy to walk, although carts and pull trolleys are available for hire.
This is a good place to start a multi-round stay. The setting and layout are very different from Pezula and Simola, and visitors are welcome to book tee times and take part in club competitions where space allows.
Golf clubs can also be hired, which is useful for visitors who would rather not travel with their own set.
Pezula Championship Course
Pezula sits high above Knysna on the Eastern Head, with the course laid out across the clifftop terrain.
Designed by Ronald Fream and David Dale of GolfPlan USA, the 18-hole, par-72 course covers 254 hectares and moves through fynbos with views towards both the lagoon and the Indian Ocean.
The terrain is steep and undulating, and visitor rates include a GPS-equipped golf cart.
This is the round to choose if you want a championship course with significant elevation changes and a more demanding layout. The 13th and 14th are identified by the club as its signature holes.
Simola Golf & Country Estate
Simola offers another very different round.
Its 18-hole, par-72 course was designed by Jack Nicklaus and was the first Jack Nicklaus Signature Golf Course in Africa. It sits above Knysna, with the course shaped around the natural slopes of the estate.
Wide fairways, large bunkers and sloping greens are part of the design, and the changes in elevation make it quite different from a round at Knysna Golf Club.
Visitors are welcome throughout the week, although members have booking priority, so it is worth arranging a tee time in advance.
If you only have time for two rounds
With only two rounds, the choice depends on the kind of golf you want.
Knysna Golf Club plus Pezula gives you the greatest contrast between the lower estuary-side course and the clifftop championship course.
Knysna Golf Club plus Simola also gives you two very different layouts, with Simola adding the Jack Nicklaus design and its more elevated terrain.
If the main purpose of the trip is to play championship golf, Pezula and Simola make the obvious pairing.
For a two-round stay, you can comfortably keep both rounds in Knysna.
For three rounds, play all three
A three-round stay is straightforward: Knysna Golf Club, Pezula and Simola.
Rather than playing on three consecutive days, it may be worth leaving a day free between rounds, particularly if you are travelling with someone who is not golfing. That also gives you some flexibility if the weather changes.
You could play your first round after arriving, take the following day for Knysna, and then alternate golf and non-golf days for the rest of the stay.
Adding a round near Plettenberg Bay
If you are staying longer and want a fourth course, there are two good options towards Plettenberg Bay.
Goose Valley Golf Club is an 18-hole, par-72 Gary Player-designed course near the Keurbooms Lagoon. The course is built on a sand-dune base, which gives it particularly good drainage, and visitors can hire carts, pull trolleys and clubs.
Plettenberg Bay Country Club is another 18-hole, par-72 course, with fairways running through indigenous fynbos and established trees. Visitors are welcome seven days a week, with carts and club hire available.
Either works well as a separate Plett day rather than something to squeeze in between two Knysna tee times.
A few things to arrange before you arrive
If you are building a holiday around golf, book your tee times before you travel, particularly during busier holiday periods.
Also check whether the course has planned maintenance around your dates. Hollow-tining and other seasonal course work can affect playing conditions, and schedules differ between clubs.
Cart policies also vary. Knysna Golf Club is walkable and offers carts and trolleys for hire, while Pezula’s terrain is much steeper. If you need to hire clubs, confirm availability when booking rather than assuming a set will be available on the day.
Each club also has its own visitor rates, competition days and dress requirements, so check directly with the course when confirming your round.
Staying in Knysna for a golf break
Staying in Knysna means you can play three notably different courses while keeping the rest of the holiday in one place.
For guests at The Milkwood Collection, the golf courses are within easy driving distance, while the lagoon, Knysna Heads and nearby restaurants give non-golfers plenty to do while a round is underway.
For couples or groups where not everyone wants to play every day, that can make a Knysna golf stay particularly easy to plan.
Planning a summer stay in Knysna? Explore The Milkwood Collection’s self-catering chalets and villas near the Knysna Heads, or contact our team for help choosing the property that best suits your stay.