Weekend escape · Sun City · Pilanesberg · Hartbeespoort
North West Weekend Golf Experience
Two Gary Player courses, one extinct volcano
Two and a half hours from Johannesburg, Sun City sits in the bushveld beside Pilanesberg — the fourth-largest reserve in South Africa. The Gary Player Country Club, the Lost City crocodile hole and a Big Five sunset drive in one perfect weekend.
- Duration
- 3 Days / 2 Nights
- Golf
- 2 rounds (1 per day)
- Getting there
- JHB → Sun City (2.5 hrs) or fly Pilanesberg
- Safari
- Pilanesberg Big Five included
- Stay
- Palace / Cascades / Sun City Hotel / Cabanas
- Best season
- Year-round (Mar–Oct ideal)
- Distance
- ~200km from Johannesburg CBD
- Group size
- 4 – 24+ golfers
Day by day
The itinerary
01
Day
Arrival at Sun City
Africa's entertainment capital
Depart Johannesburg on Friday afternoon and arrive in time to check in and take in the atmosphere. Sun City is a world unto itself — the Valley of Waves, the Palace, the casino and lush tropical gardens. Your host briefs the weekend over a welcome dinner.
- TransferPrivate vehicle or self-drive via N14 (2.5 hrs)
- Fly optionLanseria → Pilanesberg International (30 min)
- EveningWelcome dinner at Crystal Court or the Grill Room
02
Day
Gary Player CC + Pilanesberg safari
Africa's most famous course, then the Big Five
The headline day. A morning round at the Gary Player Country Club — home of the Nedbank Golf Challenge, walking only, caddies strongly recommended. The afternoon pivots to a sunset Big Five drive in Pilanesberg, an ancient extinct volcanic crater of 55,000 hectares.
- CourseGary Player CC — Par 72, 7,105m, SA Top 5
- Tee time07:00 – 08:30 (early start recommended)
- Safari3-hour guided sunset game drive from 15:30
03
Day
Lost City + farewell
Crocodiles, baobabs & the desert classic
A completely different round: desert-style waste bunkers, 28,000 square metres of water features, baobabs framing the greens — and the par-3 13th played over a hazard shaped like Africa and inhabited by 38 Nile crocodiles.
- CourseLost City — Par 72, 6,983m, buggies compulsory
- Post-golfFarewell brunch at the Crocodile Lounge
- ReturnDepart 12:00–13:00, Johannesburg by 15:00–16:00
Course spotlight
The crocodile hole
If your ball enters the enclosure on the 13th at Lost City, you may not retrieve it. There is a penalty drop area. The crocodiles are well fed. They are also extremely patient. A provisional ball is not recommended here — it is essential.
Package tiers
Estimated per golfer
Classic
R8,810
The Cabanas ★★★
- Value resort base
- Shared buggy & caddie included
- Group transfers
Premium
R12,560
The Cascades ★★★★
- Boutique elegance
- Upgraded dining
- Best mid-luxury value
Elite
R22,660
The Palace of the Lost City ★★★★★
- Bucket-list stay
- Premium dining throughout
- Enhanced concierge
- · All prices in South African Rand, estimated on 2025/2026 rates and subject to seasonal variation and availability.
- · Rates are per person sharing. Single supplement is approximately 50–70% of the room rate.
- · Sun City uses dynamic pricing — we can advise on best-value dates.
- · Gary Player CC green fee est. R1,650pp; Lost City est. R1,450pp including compulsory buggy.
- · Pilanesberg conservation fee of approximately R260pp is additional.
Included
- 2 nights accommodation per package tier
- 2 rounds of golf — Gary Player CC & Lost City
- Halfway house on both rounds
- Caddie at Gary Player Country Club
- Shared buggy at Lost City
- 3-hour Pilanesberg sunset game drive
- Welcome dinner and lunches on both golf days
- Private return transfers JHB ↔ Sun City
Not included
- International / domestic flights
- Travel insurance (mandatory)
- Caddie gratuities (est. R100–R200 per round)
- Saturday & Sunday dinners
- Valley of the Waves entrance
- Casino, spa treatments & additional activities
- Single room supplement
- Pilanesberg conservation fees (R260 per person)
Optional add-ons
Extra night at Sun City
Valley of the Waves, spa, casino, resort leisure.
R1,200–R8,000
Pecanwood (Day 3 alternative)
Jack Nicklaus Signature on Hartbeespoort Dam on the drive home.
R1,000–R1,400
Dawn game drive
3-hour 05:30 departure — best predator sightings.
R850–R1,200
Hot air balloon safari
Sunrise flight over Pilanesberg, champagne on landing.
R3,500–R4,500
Madikwe extension
2 nights in a malaria-free Big Five reserve with private lodges.
R4,500–R12,000
Beyond the fairway
Things to do on this route
WildlifePilanesberg Big Five safari
An extinct volcano full of game, 20 minutes from Sun City
Pilanesberg sits in the crater of a 1,300-million-year-old volcano and holds all of the Big Five in a malaria-free reserve. Morning and afternoon drives both work around a tee time at Gary Player CC or Lost City.
3–4 hours
AdrenalineValley of Waves & Sun City
Wave pool, slides and the Palace after dark
Non-golfers get the best of this one — the Valley of Waves water park, the Palace of the Lost City, casino floors, spa and a zip line over the valley. It keeps a mixed group happy while the golfers finish 18.
Half day
WildlifeThe crocodile hole
38 Nile crocodiles below the 13th at Lost City
Not an excursion so much as a rite of passage. The par-3 13th plays over a hazard shaped like Africa and stocked with live crocodiles. Bring a provisional and let someone film it.
One tee shot
CultureSoweto & Johannesburg
Vilakazi Street, the Apartheid Museum, Maboneng
The city most golfers only see from the airport. A guided half day through Soweto and Vilakazi Street, the Apartheid Museum or Constitution Hill, then dinner in Maboneng or Parkhurst.
Half day
AdrenalineHot air balloon at sunrise
Lift off over the Magaliesberg before your tee time
A dawn launch over the Magaliesberg valley and Hartbeespoort Dam, champagne breakfast on landing, and you are back at the course for a mid-morning start.
3 hours
Make it yours
Group sizes, hotel grades, tee times, extra safari nights and course swaps — every element of this itinerary is customisable.