The Links at Fancourt
The Links is the iconic golfing hallmark of the Fancourt estate. Golfing legend Gary Player described it as his greatest ever feat as a course designer.
Featuring an undulating, windswept terrain and dune-style landscape, the course is the collaborative handiwork of Gary Player, course designer, Phil Jacobs and Fancourt owner, Dr. Hasso Plattner. Once an airfield, today it is a living piece of environmental and golfing heritage.
The Links is currently ranked as the number one golf course in the country by Golf Digest South Africa. It also ranks 38th in Golf Digest US edition’s list of the world’s 100 greatest golf courses that compared 464 courses from 18 countries around the globe.
Make no mistake, The Links has been designed to challenge the very best of golfers and test them in every way and across all conditions. The course has some extraordinary holes and fairways have been, in a South African first, made up of four cool season grasses, namely: Kentucky Blue, Rye, Fescue and Bent, with the greens a dominant Bent.
Dramatic, unconventional holes, undulating fairways, pot bunkers, and links-style greens in a variety of shapes and elevations make this one of the modern wonders of the golfing world. It might not qualify as a “True Links,” yet it is a surreal experience for those who have the privilege of playing it.
Apart from its distinctive design, The Links has been lauded for its vital role in environmental sustainability and awarded an accreditation as a Certified Audubon Cooperation Sanctuary. This certification necessitated a degree of ecological value that includes wildlife and habitat management, outreach and education, chemical use reduction and safety, water conservation and other environmental factors.
Exclusive to its members and their guests, The Links offers limited tee times to Fancourt Hotel and Manor House guests who meet the minimum reservation requirements.
A detailed stroke saver provides distance measurements and images to assist players to navigate the extensive rises and falls that characterise this world class golfing challenge.
Facilities here are master class with a Golf Academy backed by PGA professionals, two fully stocked pro shops, a state of the art practice range and an exceptional clubhouse located mere metres off the green. Fancourt brims with pedigree and we encourage you to do your utmost to play here at least once.
The Links has hosted some of the most prestigious tournaments in the world, including the Presidents Cup (2003), the SA Open (2005) and the 2012 Volvo Golf Champions European Tour.
Course Designer
Gary Player
Feature Holes
Holes which would grace a list of the world’s best include the long downhill par-3 second, boasting an astonishingly large sloping green; the highly unusual par-4 tenth, called Kilimanjaro, with an elevated green perched at the top of the dunes; and the par-5 16th, over and through the dunes to a hard-to-find rumpled green. There are also two fabulous short par 4s, Nos 6 and 14, their fairways littered with bunkers, with the most diminutive of greens. There are five par 5s, three of them in the last six holes.
Practice Facility
The Links has its own range and short-game area a short walk from the clubhouse, complemented by a unique 5-hole short course for a fun experience.
Course Summary
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Four tees / Par 73
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Black 6930 metres, CR78.9/Slope 155
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Yellow 6273 metres, CR75.6/152
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White 5721 metres, CR72.2/145
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Red 5124 metres, CR68.7/135
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Women’s white, CR78.9/149
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Women’s red, CR74.8/140
