Leopard Creek Country Club

En tant que golfeur et voyageant dans le kruger, je me devais de réussir à jouer le mythique parcours de léopard creek, hôte depuis de nombreuses années d'une des plus belle épreuve du circuit professionnel. Même si c'est difficile d'y arriver car normalement privé ou juste pour les locataires d'un lodge sur le domaine, j'ai pu après avoir montré patte blanche avoir un départ l'après midi moyennant l'équivalent de 315€ avec voiturette et snack à la fin de l'aller, ce qui au final n'est pas si cher que ça. Parcours superbe, peut être pas le meilleur tracé joué mais un entretien plus que remarquable, des alentours et points de vue ou on peut apercevoir des animaux du type éléphants, impala.. un effort important est également donné sur le décor avec les léopards en bronze sur chaque depart. L'accueil est juste parfait, presque trop présent, tout le monde veillent à ce que tous les souhaits soient réalisés y compris pour des accompagnants non joueurs. Par contre, je m'attendais à être seul sur le parcours sous 40 degrés, bien au contraire, beaucoup de parties de 4 devant pour au final une partie mémorable en 5H...

Wow, what an amazing experience! Once you reach the gate and go through all the security checks you have a wonderful drive towards the clubhouse as the suspense builds. Once you hop out the car you are greeted by two very friendly gentlemen who put your clubs on your cart for you. It’s the small things like wetting the towels without you noticing and filling your cooler box with water bottles that add to the experience. Beware it is still quite an old fashioned, stuffy golf club. Bring a belt!

You check in at the pro shop which is a beautiful room stocked with loads of merchandise but save that for after the round. You then make your way to the practice facilities. A beautiful driving range stocked with as many balls you want and ability to hit off the grass. Alongside this there’s a separate chipping green and putting green beside the first tee which is a dog-legging left par 4 up a slight incline. Nothing too difficult, a gentle start to your round.

The course continues to weave through the estate, crazy to think there’s over 250 houses here because they’re perfectly hidden. The course is in pristine condition, spotless fairways and greens that run at a pace manageable for the average golfer (out of competition season at least).

After you’ve completed your first 9 you are escorted to the halfway house for a choice of a variety of different food and drink. Back onto the course, on the 13th hole you’ll find one of the best vista’s in golf, don’t worry about the golf just get yourself to the green where you’ll see wonderful, panoramic views of the Kruger Park and if you’re lucky some wildlife just across the river. We saw a bunch of hippo on their morning wallow.

Two of my favourite holes would have to be the 9th and 18th both downhill towards the stunning clubhouse with that iconic water feature protecting both greens.

Leopard Creek is a bucket list course but it’s a pretty penny, R6500 for a round of a golf is simply a once off to play here. I would recommend it but I wouldn’t go back, in my opinion very overpriced. For that price you’d expect at least a welcome gift like they do at some of the Scottish courses.

Leopard Creek is one of the few courses in the world where you can see a whole selection of wild animals directly from the course while playing. I saw it first on television watching the Alfred Dunhill Championship where the camera overlooking the green of 13 was more like a wild cam then following golfers. When you play here and you have just enjoyed a nice drink and sandwich in the halfway house (included in the green fee) do not forget to look left of the 10th tee. When we teed of there was a herd of elephants in close to the river less then 50 meters from the tee.

Leopard Creek was designed by South Africa's most famous player and architect Gary Player, later Jack Nicklaus added some changes and former member Ernie Els has also given input. The course is quite long but plays relatively easy from the tee's the real challenges appear at the green complexes. Maintenance is extraordinary on this exclusive club where you need to stay in one of 15 lodges in the area to be even allowed to buy a green fee. Although the green fee is quite steep I think the whole package is definitely worth it. Basically everything is included, water bottles in the GPS buggies, driving range balls on a grass driving range, lunch and drinks in the halfway house, refill of water at the turn, clubs cleaned and brought to your car. The only thing not included, if needed, are rental clubs but the quality of those (Titleist irons & Scotty Cameron putter) where the best I got on all the 5 top courses I played in South Africa.

The clubhouse is amazing, very colonial atmosphere, with trophies (both golf as hunting) everywhere, the locker rooms & pro-shop are wonderful and the halfway house looks in the direction of Kruger Park as well. From the 600+ reviews I have written on LC so far I have only given out two 10's for surroundings, Leopard Creek nestled along the Crocodile River with the elephant herd is definitely up there and gets the third 10, go there and see for yourself!

Terrain expectionnel au bord du Park Kruger. La qualité du terrain est irréprochable, on a l'impression d'être sur un tapis d'herbe. Les greens sont très rapide mais parfait. Les vues et l'ambiance du terrain sont exceptionnels.

Pour pouvoir le terrain il faut loger dans un lodge partenaire. C'est la 3ieme fois que nous venons à leopard et les prix des lodges et le green fee augmentent d'année en année.

Malgré ça l'expérience est exceptionnelle et nous reviendrons.

A faire absolument une fois dans sa vie.

Sehr gepflegter Platz der einfach zu bespielen aussieht- es aber NICHT ist- sehr kupierte schnelle Grüns trotz vorherigem Regen- traumhafte Anlage für jeden der Golfen kann - der Rest der Spieler bleibt sprachlos vor Bewunderung!

Der Platz ist eine Herausforderung! die man annehmen sollte und sich selbst eingestehen können dass man vom Platz besiegt worden ist!