Fancourt
A feature from the IAGTO Directory 2014
Fancourt
Fancourt South Africa’s premier lifestyle and golf resort Internationally recognised by CNN Go in the world’s top 10 golf resorts, Fancourt is South Africa’s premier lifestyle and golf destination, situated on the beautiful Garden Route coastline of South Africa in the town of George, and 7km from a national airport with direct flights from Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban. The Fancourt experience includes three originally-designed Gary Player golf courses, including The Links, which Gary Player has often referred to as his greatest design feat. The Links, Montagu and Outeniqua golf courses are all ranked in the top 20 in South Africa. The Links is ranked amongst Top 100 courses in the world and is listed in The Links 30th place by Golf Digest magazine (a US Conde Nast publication) in their top 100 courses outside of the US. Among the fine facilities on the secure 613-hectare estate are two five-star hotels offering a combined 133 rooms and suites, three restaurants, an extensive spa and an abundance of leisure activities, all situated on South Africa’s most beautiful coastline, the Garden Route.
The Links The Links at Fancourt is an awe-inspiring example of magnificent design and golf course construction, about which designer Gary Player says: “I feel a genuine affinity for Fancourt having been involved from day one as a designer of the original golf courses. I experienced one of the greatest thrills of my golf career here when captaining the International Presidents Cup team against Jack Nicklaus’ American team, and it is the home of perhaps my greatest achievement as a golf course designer, The Links.” Player’s design team spent months studying the classic links courses of Scotland and Ireland and then, armed with inspiration from the best that those countries had to offer, embarked on the ambitious task of recreating some of their finest holes to make a genuine links test on what was once an airfield.
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Apart from providing outstanding golf, the inclusion of wetlands into the design of The Links has afforded it top honours for its vital role in environmental sustainability - achieving the designation as a Certified Audubon Cooperation Sanctuary through the Audubon Cooperation Sanctuary Programme for Golf courses, an Audubon International Programme.
Montagu Montagu was originally designed by Gary Player and is a much-celebrated parkland course which was ranked as the number one golf course in South Africa in the past and is currently ranked as the sixth-best conditioned course (Golf Digest rankings 2012). The exquisitely-conditioned Montagu is at the heart of Fancourt, with its glorious parkland layout covering large tracts of varying terrain on rolling land. Its beauty is enhanced by mature trees, flower beds, shrubs and water hazards that provide a colourful contrast to the landscape.
Outeniqua Outeniqua, named after the mountain range that overlooks the area, has a different look compared with the Montagu, so they complement each other perfectly as varying playing experiences.
Outeniqua
The Outeniqua is regarded as the easier course of the two, being more open in appearance, yet it has its share of challenges and risk-and-reward moments. Water hazards or streams come into play on as many as 11 of the holes, including four of the last five.
Golf Academy The Fancourt Golf academy is a world-class facility manned by full-time teaching professionals to offer expert advice and tuition. Facilities including practice greens, chipping greens, bunker facilities, a four-hole course and a driving range with open air and covered practice bays. The Fancourt Golf Academy also provides custom club fitting and tuition. Custom fitting in the broadest sense is building a club designed to match your individual swing characteristics so that you hit the ball longer and straighter with better control.
Montagu
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Aerial view of Fancourt
Accommodation Fancourt consists of two five-star hotels - the Fancourt resort hotel, with 115 rooms and suites, and the Manor House boutique hotel, consisting of 18 suites.
Facilities Fancourt has entertainment for the whole family with an extensive spa and Roman bath, hair salon, four tennis courts, and Jacuzzi. The leisure centre comprises an indoor heated family pool, outdoor pool, gymnasium, supervised kids club, teen facilities and cinema. Outdoor lovers can enjoy walking trails, cycling and bird watching. From a dining perspective, Fancourt offers four restaurants that cater for casual and formal dining.
The Garden Route experience Fancourt is situated in the heart of the Garden Route, one of the most picturesque areas in the world. The suitably-named 200km-long stretch along the southern coast of South Africa offers beautiful and diverse flora and fauna, coupled with a mild Mediterranean-like climate. See whales and lions
Along with being the golfing mecca of South Africa, the area offers a wide variety of things to do, from exploring meandering hiking trails to swimming, boating, and fishing in the surrounding ocean, lakes and rivers. The Garden Route runs parallel to a breathtaking mountain range enveloping a shoreline dotted with beaches and bays. If the ocean beckons, you can indulge in encounters with whales, seals, dolphins and pelagic birds, swim at one of its gorgeous beaches and then end off your day with a magnificent sunset cruise or leisurely sea-kayak excursion. If it’s a Big Five safari experience you’re after, there are also numerous world-famous nature reserves and game lodges on your doorstep - all malaria-free. Come and experience Fancourt and the varied wonder of this majestic area and all it has to offer.
For more information, go to www.fancourt.com or call +27 44 804 0000. Copy supplied by Fancourt 38
Cover Photo: Majlis Course, Emirates Golf Club, Dubai • www.dubaigolf.com
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