Fancourt (Links) - Western Cape - South Africa

When Dr Hasso Plattner bought Fancourt resort in the early 90's, his expansion plans included the addition of a links course to be built on an adjacent airstrip. That strip had no natural features and a heavy clay base.

Again using the design services of Gary Player and compatriot Phil Jacobs, Plattner brought in 700,000 of cubic metres of sand and soil to build his own massive dunescape.

In 2000 the Links at Fancourt opened for play, and has drawn acclaim world wide since. It has hosted tournaments such as the famous tied Presidents Cup in 2003, the Volvo Champions, and Womens World Cup.

Let me say straight up- this is not a 'true' links course - it is more of a hybrid parkland/links combination. The fairways are lush, and whilst they are rolling, there is perhaps less movement than most links courses exhibit..

Water hazards abound, and the greens are not as firm and fast as you would expect on a links course. Nevertheless I loved the course, and regard it as the best in South Africa.

The man-made dunes set the scene, combining with long grasses waving in the wind to frame the fairways. Add some picture perfect water holes, and the backdrop of the spectacular Outeniqua mountains and it makes for a compelling setting. It is a tough test of golf, too!

The Links plays long at 6930 metres from the back pegs, and can be tight in places, and penal if you miss. Deep pot bunkers and long grass can make recovery difficult...

Interestingly the revetted pot bunkers had faces lined with sod wrapped in some sort of material, and treated- but it looked and played very well.

The par 4 third hole is called 'Calamity' and plays 398 metres off our forward tees (429 off the black) If you can avoid the myriad of pot bunkers and long rough off the tee, you are faced with a long approach to the green. The green is shallow and surrounded by trouble! It has a burn running across in front of the green and stone retaining wall fronting the green. That's one tough hole!

I thought the uphill par 5 eighteenth hole was a little underwhelming. It felt like a connecting hole to get back up the substantial hill to the clubhouse. The hole is called 'Near The Dram" There is a significant carry to get to the fairway above you- but if you look back you will see that the carry off the black tee is enormous!! The green is overworked, and has a large pimple in the middle where the flag sat for our approach. Even a decent wedge was deflected. It is a poor finish to a quality course.

The rest of the course was a pleasure to play- challenging, demanding, strategic, beautifully maintained, and picturesque.

Even the easiest ranked hole on the course, the par 5 fifth hole (called Wetland) was challenging It requires two accurate shots down the fairway, avoiding traps, and a water carry approach to a board fronted green The putting surface is severely contoured and has a pin hard against the water... Phew!

Other memorable holes at The Links include the sharply down hill par 3 second hole (called Lang Drop), the dogleg par 4 fifteenth hole (Roon the Bend) with water in play all along the left side, and the crazy par 3 seventeenth hole with no real options if you miss the green. Appropriately this hole is named Prayer

If you get the chance to stay at Fancourt, make sure you prebook to play The Links. It is a wonderful golf course, and an experience you will not forget.

Peter Wood is the founder of The Travelling Golfer – click the link to read his full review.

Fancourt Links is rated the number one course in South Africa and with good justification. I was fortunate enough to play it yesterday when it was in excellent condition the greens would’ve been running at well over 10 on the stint meter which made them greens tricky indeed.

The course starts with a relatively short path par 4 but still a tricky hole. The second you look down from an elevated T at the longest par-3 on the course with a view of the whole course in front of you and Outaniqua mountains in the background.. A definite picture opportunity but then the course continues in this vein throughout, trying to pick the signature hole is very difficult as there are at least seven or eight holes which are outstanding. The other thing is that unlike most golf courses there just is not a weak hole on the course.

The only thing that I am surprised is that FANCOURT Links is not well inside the top 50 of your world list as this is certainly the best course that I have applied

Fancourt Links fully justifies its status as the finest routing in South Africa. Gary Player’s design is truly exceptional and tests every aspect of the golfing repertoire.

Whilst the land is very well drained and an aerated clay/sand mix, nevertheless it has all the feel of a true links with pitch & runs and run offs aplenty.

Also, similar to Royal County Down, each hole is intimate and within its own frame, giving the golfer very little sense of others on the course. This adds enormously to the experience.

A course of the highest calibre.

I played The Links at Fancourt over the New Year period which is SA summer time. I was very fortunate as the night before i played there had been a torrential down pour of rain which meant the course had slowed up so both the fairway run offs and the greens weren't as severe as they could be. I was lucky as it made the course playable on the day i was there and it was a hugely fun experience. When the course is baked and the greens at full pace you could see there were plenty of holes which could really damage your scorecard.

The course itself is fantastic and the place has an incredibly unique feel to it. Unlike anything i have played before or since. If i had to compare it to a British course its possibly most similar to Lytham St Anne's in so far as its not about beautiful landscapes but just a fascinating test of your strategic golf. Lytham is closer to a true links course however but there are a lot of great links features to this course and for me the crazy nature of it all seems to somehow work.

There's also been a real effort in the design to work with indigenous plants to encourage wildlife and support the local ecology, something i think more golf courses should try to do personally and the signs all around saying watch out for the animals is a nice touch.

The whole experience at Fancourt is 5* but the links they've taken to another level and provided a truly memorable experience.

Your unlikely to be battling the wind like at most traditional links courses but that is something you should be thankful for, I can only imagine how difficult this place would be if the wind was blowing on a hot day.

This is the best course I've played anywhere in the world. Its very very tough, as the President's Cup and SA Open showed up some of the world's best players. The condition of the course is always exceptional...fairways are better than most UK greens, the greens are very sloppy and very fast. The rough is severe and penal, and its safe to say, there are no easy or let up holes. The first time I played, with both myself and my partner as single figure players, we shot close to 100, without playing that badly. If you're a high handicapper, I would avoid this course, or you'll probably die of frustration or run out of balls. Every hole is a great test, and you will use every club in the bag to get round here. Perfection in a golf course, but just too tough to score on for any standard of player. The clubhouse and pro shop offer 5 star treatment, and this should be on every golfers Bucket List of courses to play

Like other reviewers here, Fancourt Links had been on my list for a while. Yes the course is exclusive in that you need to be invited by a member or be a guest at the hotel to play, and sure when you take into account the green fee and the requirement for a caddy it's not cheap by SA standards.....but the whole experience makes it worthwhile imho. Everything at The Links is done to the highest standards. The clubhouse is special, the practice facilities excellent, and 18 spectacular holes that just make you smile.....irrespective of where the ball goes! However, it would be remiss of me not to mention the Fancourt team. From check in staff to restaurant people to golf operations folk on all three courses.....they couldn't have been more helpful. I personally have to thank Lloyd Martindale, Fancourt's Director of Golf, as Lloyd very kindly helped arrange my visit and let Michael Fuzani (one of the pro's looking after The Links) accompany me on my 18 holes. So not only did I have the combined knowledge of Michael and my Caddy to call on, but I got to watch Michael play an excellent round of golf! Thanks to Lloyd and Michael. Like others on this site, Fancourt Links is now right up there with the very best courses I have played around the world, and I would encourage any golfer visiting the Garden Route to make sure you play this course before you leave.

The sheer scale and size of the Links course is a sight to behold by itself. It’s an immensely enjoyable and impressive course to play. Without debate, it’s Gary’s best design in his global portfolio. Don’t be fooled by the name, this is not a Links golf course by definition, however the inherent pot-bunkers, blind drives and swashbuckling fairways immediately give the sense that you are beside the seashore. You’ll say “Wow” many times walking this course, and it’s clearly the best course built in South Africa over the past 50 years. The downhill par 3 2nd hole oozes quality and gives you the first glimpse of a feature which you’ll face many times at Fancourt – namely, forced carries! This course is a championship layout which players for the first time out will struggle to even come close to their handicap range. You’ll see pin-point landing areas, demanding dog-legs, wonderful changes in elevation and green complexes which will challenge the best players in the world. The land is so vast and rolling that there feels like a change in elevation on every hole, it’s truly an incredible piece of land. Architecturally, this course gets very high marks – especially the layered sod in the excellently placed pot-bunkers. These stairways to hell are iconic features on any “true links” course. Mr. Player routed the course in many different directions, but really took advantage of the natural landscape without creating the feeling that dozens of bull-dozers dominated the skyline when the course was being constructed. I especially love the fact that every hole at Fancourt (Links) has a name, which only adds to the unique personality that each hole brings to the course. A heightened sense of interest comes upon the golfers as we discussed the names of the holes and appreciated the character that each hole brings as you aggregate them all together. It’s easy to remember every hole on this course, which is a true testament to its merits. This premier course needs to be on every South African golf itinerary.

The first thing to mention is that of the 100’s of courses that I have played around the world, The Links is an instant favourite and straight into a personal Top 5. Manufactured links course normally at best can be called ‘links like’ – the Links at Fancourt breaks the mould and is good as many of the world greats in GB&I that set the standard – if you think Royal County Down, Royal St. George's, Ballybunion etc. (all world ranked) then you are on the right lines. The dunes, the rough, the turf and the greens are perfect….. My recent round (walking and with caddies) was a delight from start to finish and I could write a book about all of the holes – but I’ll save that for another day and just pick my personal choices. The par-3 2nd ; around 200 yards downhill with six bunkers protecting is a great hole and picture perfect. The 9th is a strong par-5, it can play around 600 yards from the back tee and for most is a 3-shot hole with the approach being most key; a small ditch to be negotiated plus some severe run-offs. Nice touch at the halfway house, the food ordered on the first tee is ready and waiting ahead of starting the back nine… Special mention to the last four holes, all very good indeed. The 15th is called ‘Roon The Bend’ – a mid-length par-4 turning left with plenty of water left and behind the green – The 16th is another strong par-5, this hole is called ‘Westward Ho’ with obvious references to the Royal North Devon Club, England. The penultimate hole is a par-3 called, ‘Prayer’ and is arguably one of the toughest short holes I have ever played as there is very little room for error. The stone-walled burn that runs short and left of the green will collect anything slightly pulled, while playing safe to the right may result in a very tough chip shot – brilliant design. The par-5 18th is a joy to play; the tee is way lower than the fairway which gives an intimidating feel but there is a wide fairway waiting – a raised and undulating green ends the round – one of the most enjoyable ever. The Links is very private but there are times available as a Fancourt hotel guest; everything here oozes quality and the Links is the jewel. Must play, must stay.

Well, this is a moment I was waiting for! Writing a review on a place I think and believe is at the top of the list on any ranking: golf courses, resort, maintenance, attention to detail, staff, scenary, everything is extraordinary. I wish many people were able to go to Fancourt and experience all their 3 courses at least once, and if possible replay The Links, a golf venue which hosted 2003 Presidents Cup and believe me has the highest standards in course design, maintenance, atention to detail and challenge. I was there on a Fam Trip invited by fellow Operator Scott Edkins from Ascott Tours and we played all over the place, but this course and Pinnacle Point were the highest points on the scorecard, really something every devoted golfer needs to experience by himself. We stayed there for 3 nights (the Resort Rooms are inmense, very comfortable and of very high quality) and on the first day we were made to play The Links. The course is something like 2500m from the Lobby, so you are driven in a very comfortable shuttle. Once there the Starter receives you and with the mandatory caddies asigned, some putting practice and you are ready to go. First high point is that on 1st tee you have to order your half way menu, which will be waiting for you when you arrive. Then caddies: they look like non golfers but they are very good, they know the course and can give you very valuable advice, go ahead and trust them!! And then the course ...WOW!!! All you can expect of a Top World venue together: design and challenge, greens speed like 12 feet, walking and feeling every step, playability, fast pace of play, can you ask for more? Just a note that more than 500.000 m3 of sand were moved to produce the course. About the holes: no bad ones and many memorable, like 2-3-4-8-9-10-12-15-16-17 and they tee shot from the back tee (mandatory carry of 250yds) of 18th give you the Full Monty. Is it tough? Yes, but fair and if you are in a good day, you can score. I scored 44 (+9) and 37 (even) with 4 birdies 12-13-15-16, a shame my first 10 holes were very bad but all the same I had a fantastic experience and I say is go and play it, you will want to play it again!!! And at night a wonderful barbecue at the Club House made the entire day a jewel. If you consider a new destination, South Africa will give you a lot more than expected.

Very exclusive - The best course I have played in SA and probably ever - this bearing in mind I play 70 courses a year. This is without doubt the most expensive round of golf I have ever played which totalled in cost around £400 - the green fee is £160 and you have to be a Fancourt resident to play £200 per person plus compulsory caddies. That said it was an excellent day - the staff take you clubs and look after you all day. The caddies were all very helpful considering we had 2 higher handicap golfer (ladies over 30 handicap). The course condition was excellent and the layout and views fantastic. Considering the course is inland by 10 miles it plays and feels like a true Scottish Links course - but warmer.