Imagine owning a private Bush Lodge in the exclusive 260Ha Hans Merensky Estate near Phalaborwa in the Limpopo Province, where you'll be able to enjoy the best of two world's - a superbly unique golfing experience and the untamed African bushveld right on your doorstep.
The Estate is world-renowned for its resident wildlife. Wake up to the grunts of hippopotamus and the call of the fish eagle. Marvel at the resident families of giraffe, warthog, impala, baboon and vervet monkeys. Be thrilled by the calls of nocturnal animals.
The Estate borders the world famous wildlife sanctuary, the Kruger National Park and is situated just outside of the town of Phalaborwa in the Limpopo Province. Phalaborwa is north-east of Johannesburg and Pretoria. This lowveld town is a hub of modern living, providing residents and visitors to the town and surrounding areas, with a well-established central business district, public and private schooling, general medical practitioners, a hospital, airport and recreation amenities.
The diversity of facilities makes the Hans Merensky Estate an ideal investment opportunity for corporations and families alike. Prime conference facilities as well as superb hotel and chalet accommodation are available to meet extended corporate and family needs. When you're not out playing golf, game viewing in the Kruger National Park or on a guided land rover drive in the 2200Ha Cleveland Game Reserve that borders the Olifants River, owners and their guests have easy access to a variety of amenities and sporting facilities clubhouse, restaurants, ladies bar, lounges, full gymnasium and sauna, driving range, swimming pools, tennis courts and squash courts.
Set in pristine bushveld in the Limpopo Province, the Mabalingwe Country Club and Golf Estate lies approximately 55km off the N1 towards Polokwane (Pietersburg) and just 1½ hours north of Pretoria.
Try your hand at a round of golf at what promises to be one of the most magnificent golf courses in Africa's natural bushveld. Don't be surprised if you encounter a lofty giraffe or a shy zebra or two during your golfing experience.
A sign of the commitment to eco-tourism and the integrity of the area is evident in the magical qualities that each home brings to the environment. Blending naturally into the bush and adhering to guidelines sensitive to the environment, your thatch roof home can be constructed from a combination of face-brick, semi face-brick, wood or rock.
Mabalingwe Game Reserve, home of the Big Five, sprawls over 11,500 hectares of malaria free African bushveld. It has long been renowned for its peace and serenity; a place where man and nature unite to rekindle some of life’s forgotten pleasures. From its rocky outcrop in a lush valley, the main camp proudly watches over the Mabalingwe Reserve which unfolds to the North, South, East and West. Here the majestic wonders of the African bird and animal kingdom roam free. At night the call of the hyena or hippo echoes through the African bush.
A first in South Africa, this is an exciting Victorian Karoo lifestyle development. Incorporating a Gary Player Golf Course bordered by a Big 5 Game Reserve as well as a Hotel and Spa. Situated on the Bushman's River alongside the quaint, historical Karoo gem called Alicedale, this brand new development is a hole-in-one investment opportunity just one hour's drive from Port Elizabeth.
Situated on nearly 4000 hectares of former farmland, Bushman Sands game reserve offers malaria free sightings of the Big Five game. Working with Shamwari's conservation team, Bushman Sands have reintroduced indigenous animals to the reserve, restoring the environment to its natural state. Animals that once roamed freely over 200 years ago have been reintegrated into their natural habitat. Among lion, leopard, buffalo, elephant and rhino, other species present include cheetah, black wildebeest, red hartebeest, zebra, giraffe, hippo, kudu, eland, springbuck and waterbuck.
The 18-hole championship course has been designed by South African golfing legend, Gary Player. The course follows the banks of the Bushmans and New Years Rivers, resembling the game's earliest "links" courses in Scotland with undulating fairways and pot bunkers.
The first 10 holes of the Golf Course are completed and the remaining 8 holes are due for completion by April 2005. Unique features include playing the first stroke over the railway line, a double green (1400 sq.m) shared by the 2nd and 5th holes, crossing the Bushman’s River and New Year’s River on various holes and finishing with a final drive over a small cemetery in the centre of the fairway. A challenging, yet friendly course, to be enjoyed by all golfers.
