Get To Know South Africa’s Golf Landscape

Ever dreamed of playing in prestigious tours like the Nedbank Golf Challenge or Sunshine Tour? Or wondered how the good old game of golf came about in South Africa? Or maybe you've wondered how the world's great golfing professionals get to play on the most immaculately groomed greens around the world, smashing a small white ball into oblivion? Every pro had to start somewhere, right?

Well, you’re at the right place! Let Sportingbet South Africa guide you on your journey into the world of South Africa’s Golfing Landscape.

From beautiful rolling hills of the lively Kruger National Park to lush green plains of the Pilanesberg National Park, it is no wonder that three South African golf courses feature within the top 30 of the world's top 100 golfing destinations, which include Fancourt - lying at the foot of the Outeniqua Mountain range, Leopard Creek situated on the banks of the Crocodile River, just outside the awe-inspiring Kruger National Park and the East Championship Course which hosts the Nedbank Golf Challenge each year, one of the world’s richest golf tournaments, situated near the beautiful Sun City Resort, bordering the pristine Pilanesberg National Park.

Golf has a long-lasting relationship with bettors and we can thank the likes of Tiger Woods, Jack Nicklaus, Ernie Els, Gary Player and many more, for the passion we all share for golf. As its popularity grew, so did the many golf markets to bet on. 

To place golf bets, simply head over to Sportingbet and choose golf from the top navigation bar. Here you will be presented with many golfing events both current and future events, so let us guide you as we take a look at some of the most popular golf betting markets on offer:

Outright/ Tournament Winner: Place bets on a golfer to win the tournament or event. Should that golfer be a favourite and go on to win, your earnings may not be as lucrative as betting on a non-favoured golfer or underdog could prove to have greater returns. 

Final Placement: Predict which golfers will make it to the top5, top 10, top 20 and top 40 positions during the overall tournament. Here, keeping track of an individual golfer's experience and performance, is key.

Top Player: Place bets on a golfer you think will be the top player once the tournament is over.

Special Markets: Predict the outcomes of more specific events/markets like “Will there be a hole in one in round 1, 2, 3 or 4?” or “Will there be an albatross in the tournament?” - An albatross - often called a "double eagle," occurs when a golfer completes a hole three strokes under its designated par.

Ready to explore the 'wacky' world of golf and golf betting with Sportingbet? Here are a couple of South Africa’s most noteworthy events:

The Nedbank Golf Challenge - Africa’s Major:

The Nedbank Golf Challenge is one of the highlights of the South African sporting calendar and takes place in early November with the Gary Player Country Club being its home since 1981. During this 40 year history, the event has featured South Africa’s biggest names in the golfing world with the likes of the legendary Ernie Els (3 x winner), Retief Goosen and Brandon Grace. With 66 players, playing over 4 days and a first place purse of over R19 million it is sure to attract some big names. The tournament forms part of the DP World Tour and is the penultimate event on the Race to Dubai (A season-long competition to crown the DP World Tour number one player).

Competition Eligibility Criteria:

• The leading available 60* players from the DP World Tour Rankings as of the previous tournament receive automatic invitations.
• Blank entries will be made for those Players ONLY who obtain a qualifying ranking position after close of entries.
• The winner of the Sunshine Tour Order of Merit.
• Three Professional tournament invitations.

Noteworthy Tournament Winners:

• Max Homa (USA) won with Hennie Du Plessis (SA) finishing in top ten in 2023. 
• Brandon Grace (SA) won in 2018.
  

The Sunshine Tour:

Founded in 1971, the Sunshine Tour, also known as the South African Tour or the FNB Tour, was rebranded as the Sunshine Tour in the 2000-01 season. The tour is one of the biggest leading men’s tours which together with other tours make up the International Federation of PGA Tours, consisting of a plethora of events during the course of the year, starting in May with the Zim Open (R2,2 Million prize purse), with an event every month thereafter, ending in April of the following year with the Tour Champs by the Courier Guy (R2 Million prize purse).

The main events take place in the South African summer months of November, December, January and February including leading official money events like the South African Open. With prize purses in the range of R650,000 to R4,5 million. The sunshine tour is made up of two parts, the “Summer Swing” and the “Winter Swing”. The summer tours are where the big money events are held and the stronger fields come to play. The Winter Swing starts in March and runs through to November.

So whether you aspire to join the world's golfing greats and travel to the most immaculately groomed greens across the globe or if you simply prefer the world of golf betting from the comfort of your own couch, Sportingbet South Africa is ready to help you take your golf betting game to the next level!