World-class sport and leisure estate

relaxation. Being an on-site operation means the spa can also stay open for much longer, and that is no bad thing. Specific treatments, complete with a glass of bubbly, can take as long as a round of golf and drinks on the 19th, so everyone is a winner.

The hotel itself is olde-world charm, with piles of wood and fireplaces, and inviting couches in the lounge area. It’s grand, but not in an ostentatious fashion.

The design remains one of the most commanding on the South Coast, a stately reminder of a simpler time, when life was measured in considered moments rather than hurried minutes.

You want to stay in the lodge if you can, because that is where the real opulence is. It also means you saunter downstairs to the restaurant for meals, and the pub-like atmosphere of the bar.

The rooms, dotted around the estate, are comfortable, with generous en-suites that can happily accommodate even the weariest of golfers. There is a view from every room, some looking into the lush greenery.

There are some beaches on your doorstep, and the restaurant offers hearty fare if you don’t feel like venturing out after dark.

You are in the bush so there is plenty of bird life at first light, reminding one that this is Africa, and you are one with nature.

There are a multitude of courses on the coast, but not all of them are pretty. Selborne has that going for it, with some stunning vistas, and holes that tug at your heart strings, even as the water tugs for your errant shot.

Curiously, most golfers seem to quickly forget about that beauty and harmony with nature on the first tee-box, though, because many a wonky drive has rattled the poor birds out of their morning go-slow.

Selborne has something for everyone. Leave your cellphone behind – but bring a few extra balls!

Call 039 688 1800 and visit www. selbornehotel.com