Follow Sarah and Steve Forrest as they traverse the outstanding African continent, by way of it's golf courses!
Sarah is a freelance published journalist with a project management qualification and decades of experience working in the golf and travel industry. Steve is a freelance videographer, photographer and drone pilot from a technical management background Together they bring a male and female viewpoint to all things golf and travel.
This is their story.
100 African golf courses, that's our self imposed goal. As we travel Africa we plan to travel through up to 13 African countries, playing some golf along the way.
We’ve taken a year out and shipped our iconic 28 year old ex-military Landrover defender to South Africa where we had it kitted out to be bush ready. Armed with a roof tent and 270 degree awning from the Bush Company, plus a few ancillary necessities such as two gas bottles and holders, two jerry cans and holders plus a bull bar, and we’re ready.
It is true we had never put everything together before, so a quick camp in the wild-and I mean the real wild-in a game park north of Pretoria would test everything, including our nerve. We figured that if this was a complete disaster, we were not too far from ‘civilisation' to put things right if needed. After a couple of days living with nothing except a fire pit, (that's real off-grid camping) we head north to Sun City - and so the real journey begins.
We’d already played 7 courses from our challenge before the Landrover arrived into Durban-later than anticipated. We had to do something! So we played golf in Johannesburg at The River Club, Blair Athol, and Woodmead. Then on our way to Durban we stopped and played at Champagne Sports, Cathedral Peaks, Gowrie Farm, and Bosch Hoek—voted the best 9-hole course in South Africa.
We’ve been visiting SA for about 30 years, so are privileged to have visited many parts of this beautiful continent already.
Back on the road after Sun City and we ticked two more off the list. Then we were in country number two—Botswana. The country and people are very different, very nice and friendly. Elephant, Giraffe, Ostrich, and many more wild animals wander along the side of the main roads, or take shelter from the blazing heat of the sun under the verdant green trees just starting to come into leaf. A totally different experience as we played 4 golf courses in Botswana, from Gaberone up to Chobe. It was so dry, and the grass so yellow on one course it was difficult to make the fairway out from the bush!
Country number three, Zimbabwe. Many tales of woe came to naught as we travelled without incident across Zimbabwe from Victoria Falls to Bullawayo to Harare then to the Eastern Highlands and managed to tick off another 6 of our Africa 100 challenge. However, we did face a few challenges as we got a flat tyre whilst lost in Hwange National Park having just been chased by two bull elephants! Not far from here was the best lion sighting of our lives, when two lionesses encircled the Landrover!
Into Mozambique, country number four. Starting part way down the country at Gorongoza National Park and heading south through Maputo and back into the North East side of SA again. There are a couple of golf courses in Mozambique, but their reputation wasn’t great and as the roads were pretty horrific, we were glad we didn't add to the already arduous journey. Travelling on the main arterial road North to South, we travelled 200 km in 8 hours. I know Landrovers aren’t typically known for speed, but the potholes that spread the width of the road offered little let up. Mainly big lorries on the road, they just slipped onto the sand verges - on any side of the road, no matter which way they were heading. Quite exhausting driving, so we decided Mozambique was a chance to catch up and rest, and it provided that opportunity admirably as it's such a beautiful country on the Indian Ocean.
Back into SA and we kick start the challenge again as we head all the way down the East side of the country and along the bottom to George on the Garden Route, where we turned North to traverse the Swartberg Pass, and as it happened many other mountain passes too. We’d played a lot on the garden route previously so wanted to go and see other just as stunning parts of SA. Christmas in Cape Town and then back up the West side of SA. In all we played a further 18 golf courses against our Africa 100 challenge.
We always knew South Africa would have the most options for golf, as they have around 450 courses to choose from!
Now we're in Namibia, and have already added two more to the tally which now totals 38!
On our fourth month (with six or so left to go), we plan to make our way north via a few more countries to culminate this fascinating trip of travel, lifestyle and golf in stunning Kenya around June or July.
And what of camping in a roof tent on top of a landrover? We love it, and can't wait to get back ‘home’ when we have been hosted, but then we really do appreciate the break our hosts who have provided us Presidential villas to basic hotel rooms to self-catering apartments.
FOLLOW SARAH AND STEVE'S JOURNEY
Follow our journey on social media and please don’t hesitate to ask any questions you might have, or offer any advice for the remainder of our trip!
Find Sarah & Steve Forrest @
sarah@golfgurugroup.com
steve@golfgurugroup.com
travellifestylegolf.blogspot.com
www.golfgurugroup.com
youtube.com/@TravelLifestyleGolf
instagram.com/travellifestylegolf