Fancourt Hotel and Country Club

Fancourt is conveniently located just seven miles from the George Airport, along South Africa’s scenic coastal Garden Route. Sitting beneath the majestic Outeniqua Mountains, the destination boasts 3 championship golf courses, a golf academy, two five-star hotels, a luxurious spa, and multiple dining outlets, it is South Africa’s most complete resort experience.

The Links is the highest-rated course and is consistently among the Top 5 in South Africa. Gary Player, a proud South African, claims it as his best design.

The course is modeled on his beloved links courses of the British Isles, where he established himself as one of the world’s top golfers. Although not a true links as the subsoil is clay – it is still a delight and visually stunning.

The course was host to the dramatic 2003 President’s Cup where Ernie Els and Tiger Woods faced off to a tie after three playoff holes. The course, while private, does have a few hotel times available for visitor play.

The Montagu course is rated among South Africa’s top 10 layouts and is a parkland design by Gary Player. Known for its stunning scenic vistas, strategically placed bunkers, fast greens, and immaculate conditioning. In 2005 David McLay Kidd was brought in to redefine bunkers and greens among other changes including adding and eliminating water features.

In 2018 Player was again at the helm of the resort courses synonymous with him, to make the design more challenging for low handicappers and yet more playable for higher handicaps. He achieved this by reducing the number of bunkers and forced carries and improved fairway definition.

The third course, Outeniqua, which translates as ‘the land of milk and honey,’ and is also the moniker of the surrounding mountains is another Gary Player-designed parkland classic that resides in South Africa’s Top 25 courses.

Rather than a ‘signature hole’ it is known for the ‘signature view’ that one encounters when walking from the 11th green to the par 3 12th – definitely one to savor.

The property dates to the mid-1800s when Henry Fancourt White built The Manor House, now a designated historical landmark and a boutique member of the Leading Hotels of the World.

The property has had multiple owners over the years and is now owned by Dr. Hasso Plattner, the founder of SAP software, and his wife Sabine. The resort underwent an extensive renovation and upgrade in 1994.