The first leg will feature games at the award-winning Royal Johannesburg & Kensington, which opens the first part of the tour, and its 36 holes will provide the golfers with two distinctly different challenges.

The first of these will be the tricky and strategic demands of the West course, to be followed by the true championship test of the East course.

Royal East has hosted almost every top amateur event in the country, and a host of the Sunshine Tour’s top professional events, including the Joburg Open, which was co-sanctioned with the DP World Tour.

‘Royal J&K’ as it is affectionately known by its members, epitomises all that is best in golf club hospitality, from its warm and professional welcome and excellent golf facilities, through to the relaxed conviviality of its bar and restaurant areas. Steeped in tradition and history, yet setting the pace in club hospitality and management, it continues to be one of the country’s most prestigious clubs, and the famous clubhouse with its clock tower, create the ultimate setting for a luxury golf club.

The non-golf section of the programme provides an exciting menu of parallel activities suitable for the whole family.

This can include visiting the restaurant and shopping areas in Sandton City and Sandton Square – one of the Southern Hemisphere’s largest malls; and the opportunity to visit and explore the region’s more natural attractions.

Gauteng’s central location is perfect for ½ and full day access to a number of must-see places, including visits to areas of cultural significance and historic interest, – the Voortrekker Monument, the Cradle of Humankind (a World Heritage site), and the ‘city’ of SOWETO, which offers guided tours and lunches.

For a feel of the nightlife, we recommend Saint Restaurant, an Italian-inspired bar and restaurant in Sandton.

Our hotel of choice is the Sandton Sun & Towers hotel – a unique destination complex offering an unparalleled guest experience in the heart of Sandton City.

Sandton Sun & Towers combines luxury comfort with business convenience, and the accommodation options range from 5-star Superior Rooms, with large flat screens and skyline views, to a spacious two-level Presidential Suite, which is complete with a private Jacuzzi, bar, and outdoor dining.

Day 1
Arrival in South Africa at OR Tambo International Airport  |  Transfer to Sandton and check into Sandton Sun & Towers  |  Evening at leisure

Day 2
Breakfast at Sandton Sun & Towers  |  PM – 18 holes at Royal J&K West course  |  Non-golfer programme  |  Evening at leisure

Day 3
Breakfast at Sandton Sun & Towers  |  PM – 18 holes at Royal J&K East course  |  Non-golfer programme  |  Evening at leisure

The Royals Tour will then move on to Durban in KwaZulu-Natal, the major city on South Africa’s east coast, and one of the most popular beach holiday destinations in the country.

Royal Durban Golf Club will take on the duties as host club for this leg of the tour, and is a historic layout, which has hosted almost every significant golf event on South Africa’s calendar.

Royal Durban was formed in 1892, and moved to its current location and new layout, which was designed by one of the country’s great golf course architects, Bob Grimsdell, in 1932.

Following a visit from Edward VIII in 1925, Durban Golf Club was granted permission to use the prefix “Royal” by King George V.

Coastal winds can sweep across the course, which sits in the centre of a horse-racing track, and this will demand a different set of skills from inland golf, in order to cope with the links style golf of Royal Durban’s layout.

The Beverly Hills Sun hotel in uMhlanga has set the standard for luxury, hospitality and intuitive service since 1964.

Positioned between uMhlanga’s famous pier and lighthouse, Beverly Hills Sun takes centre stage on the uMhlanga Rocks beachfront, making the most of the uninterrupted views of the Indian Ocean.

A classically elegant interior is complemented by modern luxury amenities, and guests have access to Mangwanani boutique spa treatments, the hotel gym, culinary excellence and the iconic outdoor pool.

For the non-golfer, aside from the obvious attractions of miles of Blue Flag beaches, the area provides the non-golfer with a variety of diversions – Florida Road has a fantastic night life at any of the clubs and restaurants, for anyone looking for a fun night with food or some dancing.

Other options include uShaka Marine World, the historic Botanic Gardens, which were opened in 1851 and the Umgeni River Bird Park, are examples of some of the more central attractions. For those with a little more time to venture slightly further afield, then a day trip to the Hluhluwe-Umfolozi Park will enable you to see elephant, lion and rhino.

A day tour to Shakaland will enable you to experience some of the culture of the Zulus, whose iconic chief Shaka-Zulu’s Impis were the scourge of both the British and Boer armies in the 19th century.

A full day out will allow you to visit Giant’s Castle, a World Heritage Site in the South African Drakensberg Mountain range. A 3km round trip hike will take you into the mountain’s caves to see the Bushman cave paintings, and the trip will end with a visit to the Nelson Mandela Capture Site.

Day 4
Breakfast at Sandton Sun & Towers  |  Transfer to OR Tambo International Airport by road  |  Arrival at King Shaka International Airport Durban  |  Transfer and check into Beverly Hills Sun  |  Evening at leisure

Day 5
Breakfast at Beverly Hills Sun  | ​ PM – 18 holes at Royal Durban Golf Club  |  Non golfer programme  |  Evening at leisure

The tour will now move down to the Eastern Cape’s Sunshine Coast, which is one of South Africa’s better kept secrets.

Royal Port Alfred will play the host duties for the group in the penultimate leg of the Royal Tour. Initially a 9 holes layout completed in 1907, the course was soon extended to 18 holes, and by 1922 had received its Royal Charter from George V.

It is a very welcoming club and ‘unpretentious’ by modern standards – no blue dyed water, or green sand for the divots are to be found here, and the whole feel is of a much gentler, less mechanised era.

Perfectly located within a convenient walking distance from the clubhouse, the Royal St Andrews Hotel Luxury Wing rooms are perfect for the holiday traveller looking for a luxury escape. Experience exquisite contemporary architecture in each of the luxury rooms, which are equipped with all the amenities to accommodate the modern traveller in outstanding style and comfort.

The non-golfer is also well catered for with ‘must sees’ being the Addo Elephant and Mountain Zebra National Parks, and the beaches are stunning, so the lovers of sun and surf will have a great time.

Day 6
Breakfast at Beverly Hills Sun  |  Fly from King Shaka airport to Port Elizabeth airport and transfer to Port Alfred to check into Royal St Andrews Hotel  |  PM – Evening at leisure

Day 7
Breakfast at Royal St Andrews Hotel  |  AM – 18 holes at Royal Port Alfred Golf Club  |  Non-golfer programme  |  PM – Evening at leisure

For its final leg, the Royals’ Tour will move down to the Western Cape, and South Africa’s ‘mother city’, Cape Town, which is one of the World’s most visited destinations, and steeped with history.

Perhaps in rhythm with the city, the Royal Cape Golf Club might also lay claim to be the ‘mother golf club’, as it was formed in 1885, making it South Africa’s oldest golf course. The club was only to finally settle in its current location in 1905, and with the current course layout first being open for play in 1929.

In the shadow of Table Mountain, the course has a parkland feel, but do not be fooled, as this classic layout is not completely protected from the coastal winds that can prove to be very challenging.

Royal Cape has hosted many top amateur events and professional tournaments, including the South African Open Championship on 10 occasions.

Our accommodation of choice could not be situated in a better spot.

Southern Sun The Cullinan is a premier hospitality destination offering grand hotel accommodation in the heart of Cape Town. It isjust moments away from the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront, Long Street, and only a short drive from Camps Bay and Sea Point, and other fabulous attractions.

Guests have access to a host of services and amenities, including the large outdoor heated pool with its spacious deck, a fully equipped fitness centre, conference facilities, great dining at The Peach Tree Restaurant, light meals and delicious cocktails at Stella Café & Bar, and much more.

The Cape possesses a long menu of things to do, from a visit to Cape Point where the Atlantic and Indian Oceans meet, to a trip – weather permitting – up the city’s world-famous Table Mountain, which offers unbeatable vistas of the whole Cape Peninsula, or you can sit back and soak up the city views from the top of the open-air sightseeing Red Bus.

A self-drive, or guided peninsula tour will take you from Cape Town to the surfing hamlet of Muizenberg, and then you can hug the coastal road all the way to Cape Point Nature Reserve.  Highlights along the way include penguins at Boulders Beach, a meander through the quaint Kalk Bay village (best mussels to be eaten at Olympia Café), the military base in Simonstown, and you can top it off with a sunset on the visually spectacular Chapman’s Peak Drive.

Head to Camps Bay beach to soak up some of the African sun, followed by cocktails and cuisine at one of the many establishments overlooking the ocean, while the famous V&A Waterfront is a treasure trove of sights, shopping and excellent eateries.

It would be fair to say that no trip to this region would be complete without a visit to one of the Cape’s iconic wine farms. We recommend the Franschhoek Wine Tram, where you can have guided tours and tastings, or hop on and off their trams where you please.

Alternatively, you could visit the stunning Hemel-en-Aarde region in Hermanus, which is dedicated to developing the best wine the Cape has to offer.

If history and culture are your thing, then a visit to Robben Island, the Castle of Good Hope, and the Bo Kaap or District Six museums should satisfy this thirst.

For the nature lovers, you can go whale spotting in Hermanus, dive with great white sharks, or alternatively just while away a sunshine-filled day on one of the peninsula’s fabulous beaches.

Day 8
Breakfast at Royal St Andrews Hotel  |  PM – Transfer to Port Elizabeth, fly to Cape Town International and check into Southern Sun The Cullinan  |  Evening at leisure

Day 9
Breakfast at Southern Sun The Cullinan  |  AM – Wine and lunch guided tour  |  Evening at leisure

Day 10
Breakfast at Southern Sun The Cullinan  |  PM – 18 holes at Royal Cape  |  Non golfer programme  |  Evening at leisure

Day 11
Breakfast at Southern Sun The Cullinan  |  PM – Transfer to Cape Town International Airport