Golf safari · Southern Kruger
Ultimate Golf Safari — Leopard Creek & Kruger
A round at Leopard Creek, and three nights at Jock Safari Lodge inside the Kruger National Park. The course sits above the Crocodile River looking straight into the park — you play with the reserve on the other side of the water, and you are back on a game drive by late afternoon.
Golf and Big Five, same trip
Golf inside a national park, without giving up the safari
Most golf-and-safari trips make you choose which one is the holiday. This one does not.
You are based at Jock Safari Lodge, which holds a private concession inside the Kruger National Park itself, and you go out on game drives morning and evening for three days. On the third morning you play Leopard Creek.
Leopard Creek is a Gary Player design on the southern boundary of the Kruger, above the Crocodile River. The fairways run along the water with the park on the far bank, and it is consistently ranked among the top courses in South Africa. The round and the transfers to and from the course are included in the price.
The rest of the trip is a straightforward Kruger safari — two activities a day in open vehicles, guided wilderness walks on request, sundowners and a short night drive on the way home each evening.
Who it suits: golfers who want the course without writing off the wildlife, couples where only one of you plays, and anyone with three or four days between meetings in Johannesburg. It extends naturally into the eleven-day version, which adds Fancourt and Cape Town.
Trusted African travel expertise
Watch — the course
Leopard Creek and the Crocodile River
The Gary Player layout on the southern boundary of the Kruger, with the fairways running along the water and the park on the far bank. Film by Kalon Films.
Watch on YouTubeThe company we keep
A wider world of safari stays
Ranger Buck works with leading camps and lodges across Southern Africa, giving your safari specialist more ways to shape the right journey around you.
A selection from Ranger Buck’s lodge network. Your final itinerary will list the specific properties included in your trip.
Your itinerary
Day by day
Four days, three nights, all at Jock Safari Lodge — the golf sits inside the safari, not beside it.
Day 1Fly to Skukuza and out on the first drive+
Arrive at OR Tambo and take the scheduled flight to Skukuza, inside the park. You are met and transferred to Jock Safari Lodge and introduced to the team.
Freshen up and settle in. Afternoon tea, then the first game drive as the heat drops, with sundowners in the bush and a short night drive under spotlights on the way back. Dinner at the lodge.
Day 2A full day in the park+
An early morning safari with coffee and snacks out in the bush — or a relaxed morning at the lodge if you would rather. Breakfast on your return, then the pool and the deck through the middle of the day.
Afternoon tea, the second game drive, sundowners, a night drive home and dinner. Guided wilderness walks are available on request.
Day 3Golf at Leopard Creek+
An early morning safari, timed around your tee-off, with coffee and snacks in the bush. Breakfast back at the lodge, then the transfer to Leopard Creek.
The round is a serious one — narrow fairways, water in play, and the Crocodile River running along the boundary with the Kruger on the far side. Transfers both ways are included.
Back to the lodge afterwards for afternoon tea, and out on the evening game drive as usual. Sundowners, a night drive, dinner.
Day 4Last drive and the flight back+
An early final game drive, a mid-morning breakfast, then pack and check out. Transfer to Skukuza Airport for the flight to Johannesburg, timed to connect onward the same day.
Where you stay
Jock Safari Lodge
Three nights at Jock Safari Lodge on full board plus, at the confluence of the Mitomeni and Biyamiti rivers.
The lodge holds a private concession inside the Kruger National Park itself — you are in the park, not in a reserve alongside it.
All meals are included, along with limited house beverages and the drinks and snacks taken on the game drives.
If you want more golf, the eleven-day version adds The Links at Fancourt and four nights in Cape Town. If you want more bush, Ranger Buck can add nights here or move you to a second reserve.
Watch — the lodge
Inside the park at Jock
Jock Safari Lodge’s own film across its Kruger concession — the country you drive each morning and evening, either side of the round.
Watch on YouTubeIndicative package price
From US$5,555 per person sharing
4 days / 3 nights · Jock Safari Lodge · one round at Leopard Creek
Included
- Return scheduled flights, OR Tambo – Skukuza
- Return transfers, Skukuza to the lodge
- Three nights at Jock Safari Lodge
- All meals
- Limited house beverages
- Beverages and snacks on game drives
- Two daily game drives in open vehicles
- Guided wilderness walks, on request
- One round of golf at Leopard Creek, including transfers to and from the course
- VAT and tourism levy
Not included
- Premium beverages
- International and regional flights not listed above
- Additional rounds of golf
- Club hire and caddies
- Discretionary gratuities
- Items of a personal nature
- Travel insurance — strongly recommended
Indicative rate — your final price is confirmed on quotation and varies with season, lodge availability and group size. Per person sharing, 4 days / 3 nights. Updated August 2026.
What guests said
From people Ranger Buck has planned trips for
“Everything from the accommodations, the guides, the transport and great communication was five star. Ranger Buck representatives are a phone call away and are very responsive. From our arrival at 11.30pm to our departure three weeks later, Ranger Buck were with us. The custom nature of the tour allows for flexibility.”
Dave
March 2025 · South Africa · United States
“We approached Ranger Buck to help us arrange a bush trip for a special birthday. Within days they came back to us with a range of options at various price points. What we ended up choosing was nothing short of incredible — the staff and facilities were the best I have ever experienced. Overall it was an eleven out of ten.”
Josh
June 2025 · Greater Kruger · South Africa
“We used Ranger Buck Safaris for our trip to South Africa and Zimbabwe and everything was absolutely top notch. Every detail was considered. When it became clear it would rain on one of our days, Ranger Buck went to extraordinary lengths to make sure we got to do our most important outdoor things on the sunny day.”
Holy
June 2025 · South Africa & Zimbabwe · United States
Make it yours
Most people change something
Keep the round and the park at the heart of the trip, then shape everything around them.
- Add rounds — a second round at Leopard Creek, or add Fancourt and Cape Town
- Add nights in the park before or after the golf
- Bring a non-golfing partner — they game drive while you play, at no change to the lodge rate
- Move to a different lodge in the southern Kruger
- Add Cape Town, the Winelands or Victoria Falls on either end
Good to know
Golf safari — common questions
Clear answers to the questions travellers ask before choosing this experience.
How much does the golf safari cost?+
From US$5,555 per person sharing for four days and three nights at Jock Safari Lodge, including return flights from Johannesburg, all meals, two game drives a day, and one round at Leopard Creek with transfers. Because every trip is tailored, your final quote may come in above or below that figure — additional rounds, club hire and caddies are quoted separately.
Is the round at Leopard Creek included?+
Yes — one round, with the transfers to and from the course, is included in the price on this itinerary. Club hire, caddies and any additional rounds are not. Worth being clear about that difference: the eleven-day golf and safari itinerary is quoted with green fees excluded, so if you are comparing the two, check what each quote actually covers before you compare the headline prices.
Can a non-golfer come?+
Yes, and it is a common booking. While you play, they go out on a game drive or stay at the lodge — the lodge rate and the safari activities are unchanged either way. The only part of the price that is golf-specific is the round itself.
Is Jock Safari Lodge inside the Kruger?+
Yes. Jock holds a private concession within the Kruger National Park, near the confluence of the Mitomeni and Biyamiti rivers in the south of the park. That is different from the private reserves on the western boundary such as the Sabi Sand and the Timbavati, which sit alongside the park rather than inside it. Practically it means national park traversing rules rather than private-reserve ones.
When is the best time to go?+
May to September for the safari — dry, cool mornings, thin bush and concentrated game. That also happens to be comfortable golfing weather in the lowveld. October to April is hot and humid with afternoon thunderstorms, which affects the golf more than the game viewing. Book early for the dry season; Leopard Creek tee times are limited.
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16 Lourie Close, Meyersdal Eco Estate,
Alberton, Gauteng
16 Lourie Close, Meyersdal Eco Estate, Alberton, Gauteng
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