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Storm Damage In George Powerful winds felled more than 500 trees on courses at George and Fancourt. BY STUART MCLEAN
fusing with trees lying everywhere,” he said. “I had no landmarks. Tree trunks had become barricades. Many were an- cient blue gums. Their tree rings sug- gested they could be 120 years old.” A giant 60-metre-tall gum tree next to the second tee box crashed on to the 16th green; another fell on the fourth green, gouging deep holes in the put- ting surfaces. “The reason why so many trees fell that day was a consequence of the heavy rain in George the week before,” said Austin. “We measured 250mm, so the ground was saturated, perfect conditions for the tees to be uprooted. Most were gums and pines, but a sad loss for the club was a pin oak right of the tenth, a feature of that hole. Indig- enous trees like yellowwoods weren’t affected too much. “I would say we lost about one third of all the trees on our property, but a number of those weren’t on the course,
THE POWERFUL GUSTS OF HIGH WINDS that ripped through the Garden Route city
kilometres per hour. An estimated 300 mature trees are thought to have fallen on the property, and the clear up operation is likely to last months. A few kilometres away, at the Fancourt resort, more than 500 trees fell across the residential estate, although many younger trees were saved by instant replanting. George GC chairman Daryl Austin was among the first to venture out on his course after the storm had blown through and he was astonished by the amount of devastation. “I couldn’t tell one hole from another, it was so con-
of George on Monday, May 11 caused widespread damage to buildings and felled tall trees as if they were match- sticks. The most high-profile and vis- ible destruction of trees occurred at George Golf Club, one of the region’s premier parkland courses. Motorists driving past the course’s eighth hole on CJ Langenhoven Road witnessed the sight of trees toppling over on to the fairways, flattened by wind speeds of between 100 and 130
George GC chairman Daryl Austin is dwarfed by the size of the roots of a blue gum tree.
GOLF DIGEST SOUTH AFRICA 15
JUNE 2026
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