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24 Family Holiday & Leisure Summer 2015 www.familyholidayandleisure.com
Fancourt is widely recognised as one of South Africa’s leading golf estates, but
what does it offer to non-golfers? Alison Budge and her family find out
FAMILY FUN AT
Fancourt

2. 27Family Holiday & Leisure Summer 2015www.familyholidayandleisure.com
Ireally fancy myself as a golfer, just
as soon as I get the time to get into it.
As it stands now, I gamely play along
in a few charity events where I generally
win the‘most golf’prize or‘longest walk on
the course’prize, along with my ever-so-
patient partners. My husband hooks and
slices along with the best of them, so no,
golfing really isn’t our forté.
Which is why, when the opportunity
came to visit Fancourt, we were really
excited to visit this Garden Route gem. It
had never really occurred to us to book a
holiday there, considering our golfing
prowess, and we were very keen to see
what the hotel has to offer families that
are rather golfing-challenged.
And what a wonderful surprise we
enjoyed! Simply driving into the grounds
on our arrival enshrouded us in the magic
and beauty of their immaculate gardens,
and I was sold. I’m a sucker for stunning
flower beds, filled with interesting plants –
there was always something that caught
my attention and had me calling the family
to come and see. The botanist in me
coming to the fore, and a family humouring
their mother! Clearly other visitors also
enjoy it, as guided walks through the
gardens are given in summer, and walking
and cycle paths crisscross the grounds.
My teenagers were far more interested
in the activities offered at the Leisure
Centre for teens. There’s the Teen Lounge,
decorated in funky colours with Wii stations,
Playstation units, table tennis, pool table
and foosball, and best of all (to them
anyway) it’s unsupervised, giving them
freedom to chillax…
We were amazed at the number of
families spending the weekend at the hotel,
a really positive reinforcement that Fancourt
certainly offers great family entertainment,
and caters for all ages. I poked my nose in
at the Kids Club for the littlies, aged 3-10,
which is supervised and saw a whole host
of arts and crafts, activities and games,
local destination
PREVIOUS SPREAD: It’s easy to see why
Fancourt has recently won the Top Luxury
Golf Resort in Africa
TOP: Walking paths and cycling tracks crisscross
the stunning grounds
BELOW: The Morning Glory restaurant overlooks
the first tee, and offers delicious, casual meals
samsonite.co.za

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28 Family Holiday & Leisure Summer 2015 www.familyholidayandleisure.com
indoor sports, and outdoor play areas.
The Kids Club staff members are qualified
and experienced and have CPR training,
and I was impressed at both the security
measures shown by the staff, (I was after
all, an adult looking around the kids area
without a child attending the programme)
and the friendly, professional attitude of
these men and women. As we were visiting
during the school holidays, there was a
programme of events organised for the
children participating in the Kids Club,
as well as other activities more suited to
older children. My teens and visiting friends
enjoyed a‘Tour de Fancourt’– a great
bike ride around the resort and golf course.
It was 10 km, and they used bicycles
supplied by the Leisure Centre, with a
hip-and-happening leader riding with
them, showing them the way.
While they were off touring, hubby and
I were treated to an awesome couples
massage in the luxurious Fancourt Spa.
So many adjectives, such bliss! We could
have continued the relaxation in the heated
Roman Bath, steam room, sauna or Jacuzzi,
but an international rugby game called my
husband, so he left me to it, and joined our
son (and a whole host of other fans) at the
specially erected marquees to enjoy some
TOP LEFT: Heated Roman Baths provide
relaxation and tranquility
TOP RIGHT: Holiday programmes for children
keep kids entertained for hours
RIGHT: We stayed in a Luxury Room that
adjoined our children’s room, with a shared
balcony
The pro at the Golf Academy was a down-to-earth guy with an easy teaching
manner; he introduced us to the 4-hole beginners’ course

4. 30 Family Holiday & Leisure Summer 2015 www.familyholidayandleisure.com
Saturday afternoon sport, with snacks
provided by the in-house Morning Glory
restaurant. I retired to our room, and the
pampering continued for my daughter and
I by the housekeeping angels who brought
me a Moroccan scrub treatment, complete
with a candle and fresh flowers, for some
good old exfoliation and deep hydration.
My skin felt like silk when I had finished. As
a mom and a wife, it’s not often I get the
time to really be completely indulgent, and
the staff at Fancourt really do go out of their
way to ensure you have a great stay. My
daughter received a set of bath fizz balls,
and each child received a baked ginger
biscuit with their names iced on it when
housekeeping turned down their rooms.
Small touches that make huge impressions.
Of course, we had to fit in some golf too,
hoping that the good folks at the driving
range could teach us a thing or two.
Fancourt is one of South Africa’s premier
golf resorts, with all three of their courses
ranked in the Top 20 in South Africa,
according to Golf Digest SA’s 2014/2015
rankings. The Links course is ranked No. 1
in South Africa by Golf Digest SA and No. 34
in the world by the USA Golf Digest, the
Montagu is ranked No. 6 and the Outeniqua
No. 17 by Golf Digest, SA. High standards
indeed, but the pro at the Golf Academy
was a down-to-earth guy with a friendly
smile and an encouraging manner. And
he never laughed at our shots, just gently
told us how we could improve each time.
Professionalism at its best! We hired clubs
from the pro shop, and spent some time
at the driving range before being shown
the 4-hole course that is specifically for
beginners, with no fear of holding up better
players. The pro joined us for some of the
holes, showing us how it was done in true
style, but maintaining enough distance to
let us enjoy all our blunders without the
feeling of being watched too closely.
The Fancourt Hotel offers 115 luxurious
bedrooms and suites that are a fine blend
of modern luxury and classic elegance.
Simply beautiful. We stayed in a Luxury
Room with a king bed, which was
interconnected to our children’s Luxury
Room with twin beds. Each had doors
leading on to a shared balcony, with great
views over the estate. The La Cantina
restaurant offered relaxed family dining, and
a wide menu including a children’s menu.
And pizza takeaways which we enjoyed
one night in our suite, a really fine idea!
The hotel has recently notched up yet
another international award to add to their
ever-growing collection, this time as the Top
Luxury Golf Resort in Africa in the eighth
annual World Luxury Hotel Awards –
scooping the title ahead of some of the
finest golf resorts on the continent. It’s
easy to see why when you explore the
613 hectares of lush countryside within this
estate. Says Fancourt Sales and Marketing
Manager, Ulrike Schmidt:‘To be singled out
as the top luxury golf resort in Africa is a
great honour, especially when one considers
the calibre of the competition. It’s a royal nod
to the hospitality and golfing experience on
offer here, to be rated among the finest in
the world. Each of our team members plays
a crucial role in delivering a world class
service to our guests.’
How true this is. We were really
impressed with the standard of service
we received. So, what’s the verdict? We’ll
definitely be back to enjoy the facilities
again, and to wander in the gardens, and
to let the teenagers enjoy all the activities
on offer. And who knows, maybe next time,
we’ll even be good enough to play a whole
round of golf!
ABOVE: In this stunning location near George, Fancourt is a Garden Route gem
More information
Call: + 27 44 804 0000 / 0010
Email: reservations@fancourt.co.za
Web: www.fancourt.com
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