With their world-class golf courses and varied amenities, including gyms, swimming pools, restaurants, picturesque walkways, and cycling paths, golf estate living has become extremely popular.
Most are located just a short drive from a city or a town, allowing residents privacy and exclusivity, close to amenities like schools, shops and a host of sporting facilities.
Golf estate properties typically have excellent resale value, often selling at two to three times the price of similar homes that are not in golf estates. This makes them a magnet for investors. Property values also benefit from being within easy reach of great restaurants and shops, and many even have their own schools.
Another factor is that golf estate homes are typically governed by homeowners’ associations (HOAs). The HOA issues a set of rules and regulations that estate residents need to adhere to. Homeowners pay a monthly levy to the HOA with funds used to maintain the golf course and other amenities on the estate.
Coastal golf estates have added advantages, including magnificent views and their appeal to holidaymakers.
Private Property offers a wide selection of coastal golf estate homes and plots for sale to suit every taste and pocket.
Here is a selection of some of the properties on offer:
San Lameer Estate on the KwaZulu-Natal South Coast was South Africa’s very first golf estate. The landscaped estate is built on a 200 hectares nature conservancy, with 620 privately owned luxury villas and self-catering accommodations surrounding the challenging 18 holes San Lameer golf course. The San Lameer resort hotel and spa offer additional accommodation. The estate has direct access to two Blue Flag beaches, making it the perfect family resort.
Prices at San Lameer range from R220 000 for a 10% share in a three-bedroom house to R10.5 million for a luxury five-bedroom home.
Zimbali Coastal Resort on the KwaZulu-Natal north coast near Ballito has a five-star golf course designed by Tom Weiskopf, an abundance of fauna and flora, a variety of restaurants and a gentle management style that fits in with nature.
Properties in Zimbali include freehold and sectional title homes and freehold stands. Prices range from R1.695m for a one-bedroom apartment to R70m for a house with five bedrooms, five bathrooms, a study and a swimming pool.
St Francis Links, near St Francis Bay in the Eastern Cape, has a Jack Nicklaus-designed links course and superb sea and mountain views. This secure lifestyle estate is popular with families and retirees and is a sought-after holiday destination.
You can expect to pay from R3.195m for a two-bedroom house to around R8.8m for a three-bedroom house with four bathrooms.
Pezula Golf Estate is perched on Knysna’s Eastern Head, with views of the Indian Ocean, Knysna lagoon, fynbos and forest. Pezula has its own private beach, nature trails through an Afromontane forest, a hotel and spa, and a world-class golf course designed by David Dale and Ronald Fream.
Properties vary from three-bedroom free-standing homes to large luxury homes, with empty stands also available. Prices range from R2.85m for a two-bedroom house to R19.75m for a luxury house with five bathrooms.
Simola Golf and Country Estate is a prime Garden Route estate high on the hills above Knysna, overlooking the Knysna River to the lagoon and the sea beyond. Features include a Jack Nicklaus Signature Golf Course, a hotel, a country club and spa. Properties for sale include freehold stands, villas and houses, sectional title apartments and chalets, as well as fractional ownership apartments.
Prices range from R3.25m for a two-bedroom apartment to R23m for a luxury house with eight bedrooms.
Mossel Bay Golf Estate comprises 394 residential properties ranging from attractive two-bedroom units to large free-standing houses. Some properties enjoy panoramic views of the Indian Ocean, the coastline as far as Wilderness and the Outeniqua, Langeberg and Kammanasie mountain ranges. A number of paths within the estate provide easy access to the adjoining St. Blaze Nature Reserve.
The development of the Mossel Bay Golf Estate followed an agreement of sale in October 1997 between the Mossel Bay Municipality and the developer, Innside Investments. The developer agreed to upgrade the Mossel Bay golf course, clubhouse and parking area. As part of the sale, the Municipality had to enter into a new lease agreement with the golf club, extending the lease period to 99 years. In addition, this property may only be used as a golf course and for no other purpose without obtaining the prior consent of the Mossel Bay Golf Estate Home Owners Association (HOA), thereby securing tenure.
Property prices on the estate range from R2.5m for a two-bedroom apartment to R7.9m for a luxury four-bedroom house.
Pinnacle Point Estate is located on the Garden Route coastline near Mossel Bay, with a spectacular cliff-top golf course designed by Peter Matkovich. Features include the Pinnacle Point caves, beautiful beaches, a wellness spa and restaurants. Spacious free-standing homes are surrounded by fynbos, with views over the golf course to the Indian Ocean.
Prices range from R1.8m for a two-bedroom apartment to close to R30m for a five-bedroom house.
Arabella Country Estate lies on the shores of the Bot River Lagoon near Kleinmond, with panoramic views of the Palmiet mountain range. The estate appeals to retirees as well as younger families who want to escape a busy city life.
Property prices range from R6.2m for a three-bedroom house to R14.95m for a four-bedroom home with five bathrooms.
Atlantic Beach Estate is in Melbosstrand on the West Coast, just 45 km from the Cape Town CBD. There are about 860 private homes on the estate, grouped into various villages and situated around the 18-holes Atlantic Beach Golf Course. In addition to the clubhouse and various recreational facilities at the leisure centre, there is also a four-star luxury lodge on the estate.
Careful attention to detail ensures that everything at Atlantic Beach Estate fits with the philosophy of relaxed, comfortable coastal living. All ancillary buildings have been designed to fit into the overall architectural style. Even the cobbles and kerbstones have been specifically designed to blend unobtrusively with the fynbos-covered dunes.
Prices here range from R2.56m for a two-bedroom apartment to around R18.6m for a luxury four-bedroom house.
Financial wellness
Before considering buying a property in a golf estate, you need to conduct a financial wellness check on the HOA to ensure it is a sound operation. Investing in an estate with an obsolete, derelict course would have a detrimental effect on your investment.
Writer: Sarah-Jane Meyer