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The Global Golfer Top 100
Leopard Creek Country Club
Komatipoort, Mpumalanga, South Africa · #25 in the World
Location: Komatipoort, Mpumalanga, South Africa | Ranking: #25 — The Global Golfer Top 100
Type: Bush/Wildlife | Partner Stay: Leopard Creek Lodge; Singita Kruger National Park
Editor’s Note: Leopard Creek is unique in world golf. The Crocodile River forms the 13th hole’s boundary with Kruger National Park — elephants, hippos, crocodiles and leopards are regular spectators, not metaphors. Gary Player designed a course that works with the Big Five rather than around them. To play Leopard Creek is to understand that golf, at its most extraordinary, is not about the score. It is about being present in a place unlike any other.
Travel & Logistics
- How to Get There: Near Komatipoort, Mpumalanga — 2h 30m east of Johannesburg. Fly to Kruger Mpumalanga International (MQP) — 1h from Johannesburg. Charter flights to the private airstrip on the estate are also available.
Contact & Booking
- Website: leopardcreek.co.za
- Visitor Policy: Club membership or lodge guest; access is extremely restricted — enquire through the lodge directly. Green fees from ZAR 5,000 (approx. £215).
- Course Rating / Slope: 74.5 / 136
Championship Scorecard
| Hole | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | OUT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Par | 5 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 36 |
| Yards | 511 | 418 | 173 | 488 | 395 | 182 | 432 | 403 | 453 | 3,455 |
Par 4
Par 3
Par 5
Total
| Hole | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | IN | TOTAL |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Par | 4 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 36 | 72 |
| Yards | 405 | 512 | 425 | 168 | 380 | 412 | 218 | 517 | 423 | 3,460 | 7,015 |
Key Strategy Notes
- Hole 13 — Par 3, 168 Yards: The boundary hole — the Crocodile River runs directly below the tee, separating the golf course from Kruger National Park. Game rangers monitor the hole throughout play; hippos are regularly visible in the river below.
- Wildlife Protocols: Armed rangers accompany all groups. If an elephant is on the fairway, you wait. If a hippo is blocking the path, you take a different route. The wildlife has right of way at all times.
- Hole 18 — Par 4, 423 Yards: The closing hole runs back to the colonial lodge with a water feature right and the African bush framing the approach. Few finishes in world golf carry this atmospheric weight.
The 19th Hole
- Leopard Creek Lodge: Bush lodge accommodation on the estate — the complete Big Five and golf experience. Book via Expedia →
- Singita Lebombo, Kruger: 30 minutes into the park — Africa’s most spectacular safari lodge. Combine golf at Leopard Creek with two nights at Singita for the definitive African experience.