The Classic South African Garden Route Tour 2009

The Garden Route tour of South Africa is on many golfers wish list, weather it be the fine wines and dinning the magnificent golf courses, the weather, great value for money or a combination of all factors who knows? But one thing I do know is if you ever make this journey you will not be disappointed and I bet you will always return.

We started our tour just outside Cape Town in Franschhoek at the Colonial Protea Hotel. This is very well appointed at the bottom of town, where we were able to walk out to all of the fabulous restaurants.
The history of Franschhoek can be traced back to 1667 when Simon van der Stel and 23 pioneers travelled from Stellenbosh over Helshooght (Hells Pass) and into the valley, which would in future be called Franschhoek or translated means French Corner. By 1692 a total of 201 French Huguenots had settled in and around the Cape most of them in the Franschhoek area. The Dutch East India Company encouraged the Huguenots to move to the Cape, they were highly skilled farmers with a speciality in the farming of grapes. Today we are the beneficiaries of their labours, with wines and wonderful cuisine set in the beautiful town of Franschhoek.

Our golfing tour started at the Gary Player designed Erinvale host to many International events, then onto Pearl Valley designed by the legendary Jack Nicklaus and recently hosted the European Tour. Our third round Clovelly a very traditional English club and finally for the first part of the tour Steenberg designed by on of my favourite designers Peter Matkovich.
After the first four rounds in the men's event it was extremely close, leading the field from the Warren Golf Club Terry Jones closely followed from Camberley Heath Keith Morris and in third place from Dublin Shah Kingklip Byram.
The ladies was developing into two golfer race with Ann Whittington from Sheringham winning the first four days, and second over the first four days Vanessa Adams from the Warren Golf Club. Who was very unlucky and kept finishing second on countback.

Also whilst we spent the first part of the tour in the Winelands we took the opportunity for a full days wine land tour. Starting at the university town of Stellenbosh wine tasting and lunch at Spier complete with warrior face painting, do you recognise the well known Essex golfer answers on a post card please? Our final tasting was at the lovely Boshendale, a great day.

The second stage of our tour was along the Garden Route to the wonderful Fancourt home of the 2003 president's cup. Fancourt is ranked #1 golf resort in South Africa. There are five restaurants onsite, two magnificent golf courses the Outeniqua and the Montague, excellent practice facilities and also the legendary Links Course that staged the Presidents Cup, not for the faint hearted. In fact we bumped into Challenge Tour professional Brett Taylor and Essex professional Jason Levemore in the hotel and their description of the course was simply brutal.
To play on the Links is optional, and ten of us took up the challenge. We had a great time but the course was the winner it is hard to paint a picture of the course other than thousands of tons of earth were moved to create a golf course that could be on the East Coast of Scotland not just outside George in South Africa.

Marion on the other hand took the rest of the group to Knysna for a day. Knysna is a beautiful town situated on a lagoon; it is rather like a mini Cape Town with a waterfront area and a chance to lunch out on the John Benn as it floats around the lagoon out to the Knysna Heads. I am sure this experience was far more relaxing than toiling round the Links course at Fancourt. Which I might say is still my favourite course world wide.

No visit to Africa can be complete without seeing some game, just above Mosselbaai is a game farm called Bottlierskop, spread over a smaller area than a reserve you get the opportunity to see many animals in their natural environment and follow this game drive with a dinner of typical South African cuisine and of course the odd glass of wine.

The final positions on the leader board in the men's event were, after a very close contest that went right down to the wire, in first Keith Morris, second Shah Byram and in third Terry Jones. In the ladies event were in first place Ann Whittington second Vanessa Adams and third Betty Byram, well done to all of them and all the other competitors.

We are returning to Cape Town and the Garden Route to Fancourt next January with an optional holiday extension to Jocks Safari Lodge in the Kruger National Park, the full details as well as all of our holidays and golf schools are on the web site escortedgolftours.com, If you would like to join us please book now as we already only have a few spaces left, we hope you can join us.

Gary and Marion

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