Princes Grant, Dolphin Coast

Prince’s Grant lies on the scenic Dolphin coast about 75 kilometres north of Durban close to Blythedale Beach.

Before the arrival of the much touted Prince’s Grant golf estate, the little enclave of Prince’s Grant was one of those relatively unknown idylls that idled away in subtropical splendour, known only to those who ventured up this part of the coast in search of natural and secluded beauty and peace of mind.

Thankfully, the beach remains pristine and quiet, and the lagoon at Prince’s Grant provides wonderful seclusion and quiet waters for swimming, canoeing and paddling. A clearly defined building code, imposed by the golf estate, means that the buildings intrude as little as possible and the landscape incorporates only plants indigenous to the area to the extent that the estate was bestowed with an award as a ‘site of conservation significance’. The environment practice here too has meant that small species of game continue in their natural habitat - the dune forests - and one can easily spot bushbuck, grey and blue duiker, spotted genets and the odd mongoose.

Prince’s Grant lies amidst fields of sugar cane, originally the site of the farm Hyde Park, only 20 kilometres from Ballito. Obviously keen golfers are attracted to the little hamlet and the undulating fairways provide a challenging round of golf on a course that is consistently ranked as one of the top courses in the country. On days when the beach is no longer a draw card, the Anglo-Zulu battlefields, a number of game reserves and Lake St Lucia World Heritage Site further along the coast, are alternative options.