SA’s most exclusive golf course — by invitation only

Its location adds to the mystery; this is not the kind of place you stumble across on a Sunday drive

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Intrigue: Millvale Golf Estate is a rare blend of sport, business and mystique. It is deliberately elusive. Comfort. Photo: Google Maps

(Google Maps)

here are private golf clubs... and then there’s the Millvale Golf Estate.

The elusive 18-hole course, set within a 5 000-hectare game farm, is unlike anything else in South Africa.

It’s home to the country’s only floating tee, and so secretive that it has no official website, no public contact details and certainly no membership forms. Here, entry is by invitation only — and that invitation doesn’t come easily.

If youre lucky enough to be invited, you will find Millvale Golf Estate tucked away near Koster in the North West province, not far from Rustenburg, along Millvale Road. Even its location adds to the sense of mystery; this is not the kind of place you stumble across on a Sunday drive.

‘The estate’s story is as fascinating as its reputation. Known initially as Morningside Farm Golf Club, the property was owned by British arms dealer Richard Charter, who died under mysterious circumstances in a boating accident on the Orange River.

After his death, the estate was eventually purchased. Today, Investec holds a 60% stake, and businessman Nathan “Natie” Kirsh owns the remaining 40%.

The acquisition allegedly took place around the time of the 2008 global financial crisis, an unusual moment to invest heavily, but perhaps exactly the kind of bold move you'd expect from a billionaire and a bank.