M
MIND / FANCOURT MOVES
Fancourt Montagu has a new Halfway house Fancourt also constructing a 9-hole course adjoining The Links.
Frontal view of the Montagu’s new halfway house on the tenth tee.
Fancourt have built a new halfway house for the Montagu course, and on the
walls inside hang memorabilia belong- ing to the late John Bland, who passed away earlier in 2023 at age 77. It’s a trib- ute to one of South Africa’s finest golf- ers, who lived at Fancourt and for the past 25 years was an outstanding am- bassador for the Garden Route resort. The halfway house building is directly behind the tee of the par-5 tenth, with tables outside, and is long overdue. The previous one was either in the Fancourt clubhouse or leisure cen- tre. The back tee for 10 is on the side of the building, and the others in front. There’s a framed photo inside of Bland receiving a trophy from Ernie Els. This was the December 2001 Ernie Els Invi- tational at Fancourt. Bland’s two score- cards are framed along with the photo and worth a closer look. He opened the 36-hole event with a 10-under 62 on Outeniqua, playing the back nine in 29, and followed that with a 9-under 63 on Montagu, with a front nine of 31. He had one eagle and 17 birdies, a superlative display of golf. Bland was one of the greatest put- ters in the game, and retained that skill throughout his life. He won 21 titles on the Sunshine Tour (1970-91) and two on the European Tour, represented SA in the World Cup, then made a sensational debut on the US Senior Tour (Champi- ons Tour), winning five times in the space of 12 months from October 1995 to October 1996. His final victory came in the 2010 Wales Senior Open.
Two playoff defeats though to Gary Player in significant tournaments were to cast an edge of regret on his career. The first was in the 1981 SA Open at Royal Johannesburg, after 21 playoff holes, and the other the 1997 Senior British Open at Royal Portrush. Bland was thus denied both a SA Open title (he never won it) and a major champi- onship. He was a runner-up three times in the Senior Open. New 9 holes at Fancourt Construction is underway on a full- sized 9-holer at Fancourt on the site of the Bramble Hill public 18-holer which closed in about 2010. It was ranked in the Golf Digest Top 100 from 2005 to 2009 and bordered The Links at
Fancourt with its own clubhouse. After closing it first became a practice facility, and then four holes were re- tained as part of the Fancourt Academy. One of these runs between The Links at Fancourt clubhouse and the practice facility for The Links. The 9-holer has been designed by Sean Quinn, and earthworks are be- ing done by experienced George-based contractor Philip Basson. Quinn works for Jack Nicklaus Design, before that Golf Data. His original design work in this country includes Katberg (Eastern Cape), Clarens (Free State), and The Club at Steyn City in Gauteng. Basson, now recovered from major surgery earlier in 2023, earned his repu- tation in the industry by rebuilding all 18 greens at George around the turn of the century. He’s worked with design- ers such as Danie Obermeyer (King- swood, Boschenmeer and Robertson), Phil Jacobs (in China) and Peter Mat- kovich, at Pinnacle Point. “The 9-holer will have something of a links theme to the design, with long grass and mound- ing. Extra tees will be built so it can be played as a Par 3 layout,” said Basson. Work is due to be completed by the end of summer, and it may open to- wards the end of 2024. Five new holes, on undulating land alongside The Links at Fancourt clubhouse, will be built and the existing four Bramble Hill holes modernised.
Memorabilia from the late John Bland hangs in the halfway house.
16 GOLF DIGEST SOUTH AFRICA
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2024
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