Eswatini which was formerly known as Swaziland is a small land locked country that is located in the Southern part of the African continent bordered by Mozambique in the eastern part while South Africa surrounds it from the South, north and West. The country is a former colony of England and when she gained her independence, it broke away from South Africa and became a distinct country on its own. Eswatini is best known for her unique culture, good landscape and the numerous parks and game reserves that are located in the different parts but besides the above, it is a top destination for tourists who want to engage in the different sports in the country like tennis, golfing and many more others.
We cannot talk about golfing in Eswatini without mentioning the capital city of the country where golf was first played. This is the largest city in Eswatini and is a home to many Swazi people. In the year 1923, the first people to play golf in Eswatini did so in Mbabane and although the golf course then was not as good and perfect as the current ones, it marked the beginning of golf playing in the country.
The first golf course in Mbabane was surrounded by trees and it was used until the outbreak of the Second World War when it was closed off. However after the war ended, the British govern contributed about 3000 rand for the re-opening of the golf course in Mbabane in the year 1947 and this was the beginning of a new era of the golfing clubs in Eswatini.
Although most of the golf clubs in Eswatini are small, they are still worth visiting and after the contribution towards the construction of the oldest golf course in Eswatini, the construction commenced and it was opened officially in 1949.
Golfing is one of the sports that are participated in the country with the many golf estates and although the highest percentage of the entire population in the country is into agriculture, there are several golf courses that are scattered in the different parts of the country.
The Royal Swazi Spa country club
The Royal Swazi Spa country Spa is located in the Ezulwini valley and it is one of the places where tourists can go for golfing while in the country. It was first opened up in the year 1996 and the course covers about 6782 yards making it one of the largest golf courses in the country. It has nine golf holes at the front and nine golf holes at the back and this was created so as to avoid congestion of golfers that keep on flocking to the club all throughout the year.
The Royal Swazi golf course runs for about 800 kilometers and it is an 18-hole resort where golfers can get to enjoy one of the most challenging terrain in all the gold courses in the country. It has a hilly part that goes down into the valley where it is surrounded by the different glossy lakes.
Nkonyeni golf estate
Located next to the Usutu River, the Nkonyeni golf estate is the best golf estate in the country. With the onsite living residences that cater for golfers, this 18-hole golf course can be explored by both young and old golfers. You can enjoy your golfing skills while here and after that get to rest in one of their comfortable rooms, enjoy the local food and also enjoy other facilities that are found within the golf estate. The Nkonyeni golf course is an all year round destination that should be visited by all tourists who love golf.
The Manzini golf club
Situated in the Manzini town, the Manzini golf club is one of the places that tourists should go to improve on their golfing skills. The equipment that is used in golfing is provided by the golf club at a small fee and a cart is also provided to help you carry your golfing equipment around and after that, there are rooms where you can rest, good food provided both local and international and it has a great view of the whole city and the neighboring capital city of Mbabane.
Besides the above mentioned main golf clubs in Eswatini, there are other several golf courses that you can look out for and these include the Usutu forest golf club, the Big bend golf club, the Lubombo golf club, the Mananga golf club and the Manzini golf club among others.
In case you are not so familiar with golfing, there are instructors that are available at the different resorts that are found in Eswatini and although at the moment it is not as big as a tourist attraction in terms of sports, once you get there you will realize that the country is doing all it can especially the private resorts to boost the game so that many tourists can engage in it while on a trip to the country.
