South Africa 2010, The Classic Winelands Tour,

Cape Town, Fancourt and Jocks Safari Lodge

We started our luxury January tour in one of our favourite places in the world, the wonderful Cape Town, and staying at the Victoria and Alfred Hotel. Located on the Victoria and Alfred, waterfront surrounded by some wonderful restaurants, shops with that great African feel, and with Table Mountain as the backdrop it is difficult to think of more impressive surroundings.

During our time in Cape Town we played the first two rounds of golf firstly over the Jack Nicklause designed Pearl Valley, having recently held a European Tour event the course was in immaculate condition, and our second round was over the ever popular Clovelly Golf Club, a very traditional design not to demanding but always a pleasure to play.

Cape Town has so many things to do, visit Robben Island where Nelson Mandela was incarcerated. Go up Table Mountain by cable car, visit the botanical gardens of Kirstenbosch or like us get on one of the open top tourist buses and simply sit back and enjoy the wonderful scenery and places of interest.
In the evenings there are some wonderful restaurants if you ever get a chance to join us here our two favourites are the Green Dolphin which is a jazz club with a different artist playing every night, and for a great dining experience Quay 4 fine dining and I would recommend the seafood curry absolutely delicious.
The second part of the tour took us along the garden route to Fancourt, South Africans number 1 golf resort and rightly so. There are three courses at Fancourt all designed by the legendary Gary Player the Outeniqua, Montague and the Links home to the Presidents Cup in 2003.

All of the courses at Fancourt are magnificent, but none more so than the Links certainly not for the faint hearted, but out of the group of 24, seven brave soles joined me on the Links on the day off, the course is difficult enough but when the wind blows wow!
We played a further two rounds of the individual tournament and two friendly games over both courses.
The overall winners of the individual Stableford were in the men's event a first time winner David George from Channels Golf Club in Essex and in the ladies from Herefordshire Jackie Wheatstone. Well done to both of them and thank you to all the competitors for taking part.

Our final leg of the journey was the optional tag on to Jocks Safari Lodge in the Kruger National Park and a round of golf at the Augusta of South Africa Leopard Creek.
Firstly Jocks 5 star Safari Lodge absolutely magnificent, game drives into the Park every morning and evening, and we saw everything from spiders, snakes up to the lions, elephants and rhino. It is hard to describe how fantastic it was its best just to go to gallery on the web site and look at the pictures.
Leopard Creek how fantastic, I had an insight being the coach to Dale Whitnell who finished fourth this year in the Dunhill Championship staged there just before Christmas, but nothing could prepare your for the splendour of the clubhouse and the beauty of the course. Designed like most courses in South Africa by Gary Player it meanders alongside a river bordering the park. The thick rough took its toll on most of our guests but emerging as the winner of the mixed Leopards Creek event were Jackie and Cecil Wheatstone so the double for Jackie.

What a great tour and a big thank you to Brenda Ferriman at Distant Landings for putting the whole tour together.
Our next venture into South Africa is in February 2011 to the Winelands and along the garden rout to just outside Plattenburg Bay to the Goose Valley Golf Club. Playing Pearl Valley, Spier, Stellenbosh in the Winelands and Goose Valley twice Plattenburg Country Club and Simola at Knysna
Marion and I hope you can join us for our next South African adventure.

Gary Pike

Feb10

CALENDAR 2010
From:		to	Nights	Country & Location:	Price from
02/09	-	09/09	7	Madeira , Casa Velha 5	£1325*	details
02/10	-	09/10	7	Portugal, Western Algarve, Le Meridien Penina 5	£820*	details	GS
01/11	-	14/11	13	USA, Myrtle Beach	£1,995**	details
20/11	-	27/11	7	Portugal, Western Algarve, Le Meridien Penina 5	£795*	details	GS
CALENDAR 2011
8/01	-	24/01	14	Vietnam Escorted Tour, Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City) & Hoi An	£3,495**	details
31/01	-	13/02	12	South Africa ,The Winelands and Garden Route Escorted Tour. Only 1 remaining place	£3,160**	details
05/03	-	12/03	7	Portugal, Western Algarve, Le Meridien Penina 5	£855*	details	GS
12/03	-	19/03	7	Portugal, Festival of Golf, Penina / San Lorenzo 5	£955*	details
16/04	-	23/04	7	Portugal, Western Algarve, Le Meridien Penina 5	£855*	details	GS
07/05	-	14/05	7	Portugal, Western Algarve, Le Meridien Penina 5	£855*	details	GS
_/05	-	_/05	TBC	Itay , details available soon
10/09	-	17/09	7	Spain, Benalup; Fairplay Hotel and Spa, Luxury All Inclusive 5 £150 single supplement	£1280*	details
15/10	-	22/10	7	Portugal, Western Algarve, Le Meridien Penina 5	£855*	details	GS
__/11	-	__/11	TBC	Dubai, details available soon
				*Prices per person sharing including golf excluding flights **Prices per person sharing including golf & including flights
GS - Golf School     Available Fully Booked