fancourt

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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 ATFancourt

27Family Holiday & Leisure Summer 2015www.familyholidayandleisure.com

I really 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,

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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

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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


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 informationCall: + 27 44 804 0000 / 0010Email: [email protected]: www.fancourt.com

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