First Group Magalies Park
Self-catering chalets and 18 holes on the Magalies River, near Hartbeespoort
About this stay
Magalies Park began as a dairy farm: in 1986 its owner turned it into a timeshare resort with an 18-hole golf course, the first in the area, and First Group now runs it. The property covers about 120 hectares on the Magalies River, with the Magaliesberg range rising behind it and Hartbeespoort Dam a short drive away. Most guests stay in self-catering chalets with full kitchens and patios, and the resort also has hotel rooms. The par-72 course, redesigned in 2013, slopes from the mountain towards the river. Around it sit outdoor pools, an indoor pool, a water park, a sauna, a steam room and a spa, which matters because swimming in the dam itself is not advised.
- About 120 hectares on the Magalies River
- 18-hole, par-72 golf course, first in the area, opened 1986
- Self-catering chalets with full kitchens
- Outdoor pools, an indoor pool and a water park
- Spa with sauna and steam room
- Rated 8.6 from more than 1,600 reviews
Our take
Magalies Park is a self-catering resort built around an 18-hole course on the Magalies River, the first golf course of the Hartbeespoort area, laid out on a former dairy farm in 1986. I would book it for a family weekend from Johannesburg or Pretoria, cooking in the chalet and spending the day between the pools and the water slides. I would not book it for a polished hotel stay or a romantic escape: it is a large timeshare resort, busy in school holidays, and the course sits in the lower part of the SA Top 100 rather than among its stars.
- Avoid crossing the Hartbeespoort Dam wall on weekend afternoons: the road over it is a single lane controlled by traffic lights, and queues build over several cycles.
- Come by the R512 from Johannesburg or the R514 from Pretoria, and do the supermarket run before you leave the city if you plan to cook every night.
- Golfers should warm up properly before the back nine: it is about 400 metres longer than the front, and the 14th is a par three with water in front of the green.
- Keep swimming to the resort's pools: water quality in Hartbeespoort Dam is poor, and boating there is a better idea than a dip.
Why we love it
- Chalets with full kitchens and patios
- An 18-hole course between the mountain and the river
- Pools and water slides that make the dam unnecessary
- An easy weekend drive from Gauteng
Why guests love itFamilies come here for the chalets: full kitchens and private patios let children eat on their own schedule, and the resort's outdoor pools, indoor pool and water park fill a day without getting back in the car. The Magaliesberg is outside the malaria zone and close enough to Johannesburg and Pretoria for a weekend. The trade-offs are those of a big timeshare resort: school holidays and long weekends bring crowds, and the Hartbeespoort area fills up with day-trippers from Gauteng. The Hartbeespoort Dam itself is for looking at and boating, not swimming. With 8.6 from more than 1,600 reviews, guests rate it well for space and facilities rather than refinement.
Guest reviews
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