Fancourt Montagu
Fancourt is South Africa’s premier resort experience, a major conference centre, and a winner of numerous international awards. The Garden Route region has much to offer golfing visitors, and Golf Digest voted it South Africa’s No 1 golf destination.
The resort offers guests two magnificent 18-hole courses, the Montagu and Outeniqua, which are ranked in South Africa’s Top 20.
The Montagu is a visual treat from first tee to 18th green, its broad holes framed by attractive vegetation, trees and gardens, set against a backdrop of the Outeniqua mountain range. This tree-lined course covers large tracts of varying terrain across an undulating indigenous landscape. A detailed stroke saver takes golfers through the course, providing distance measurements and images that assist players with navigating the course.
Originally a Gary Player design the Montagu was substantially upgraded and redesigned by Scotsman David McLay Kidd in 2004. He added 430 metres to the total measurement. The work included both a new opening hole, and a new par-5 ninth hole, on different land to the original holes. It’s the only Fancourt course where the two nines return to the clubhouse.
It’s a strong championship course, famed for superb conditioning and fast-paced firm greens. The first nine has some of the most challenging par 4s, the third, sixth and seventh all in excess of 400 metres from the Protea back tees. A feature of the front nine is the river which flows sinuously through the property, arriving in front of the ninth green and departing at the fifth tee, where it enters the main Fancourt storage dam. It’s particularly in play on the sixth and seventh, two of the resort’s most memorable par 4s.
An unusual aspect at Fancourt is there being only one starting tee at the clubhouse, the first of the Outeniqua. The Montagu begins a short distance away, with its own practice putting green next to the first tee.
The Montagu had another upgrade in 2018, overseen by Gary Player, to improve playability and emphasise its traditional parkland look and feel. The bent grass greens were resurfaced, fairway landing areas increased in size, and bunkering reduced. Its water features are more visible. Bushes close to fairways where balls could be lost were removed.
Fancourt has a strong local community caddie programme, and golfers on the Outeniqua can either employ them to carry bags or serve as forecaddies for golfers using carts.
Montagu’s golfing experience is exclusively limited to members, their guests and the resorts guests providing peace of mind that your time on the magnificent grounds is not rushed along.
Course Designer
Gary Player.
Redesign by David McLay Kidd 2005
Feature Holes
Water hazards factor strongly in the finish. The par-3 17th is a signature hole, the tee and green separated by a wide expanse of water. The uphill 18th is the shortest of the par 5s, and again has a green surrounded by water in the front and both sides. The second is possibly the most beautiful par 3 at Fancourt, played from a high tee to a green in the valley below. The seventh is an exceptional long par 4, the fairway curving sharply left around the river to a green that is partly hidden. Uniquely attractive holes on the back nine include the downhill par-5 tenth, and the dogleg left 13th.
Practice Facility
There is a full-size range with multiple bays close to the clubhouse, with a large short-game area, separate greens for putting and chipping.
Course Summary
-
Five tees / Par 72
-
Protea 6714 metres, CR76.1/145
-
Springbok 6324 metres, CR74.0/140
-
Galjoen 5669 metres, CR70.3/134
-
Yellowwood 5234 metres, CR67.9/127
-
Blue Crane 4937 metres, CR66.3/120
-
Galjoen women, CR 76.3/142
-
Yellowwood women, CR73.8/137
-
Blue Crane women, CR71.5/132
