Montagu since the First Fancourt Holes
From Twenty-Seven Holes to Two Courses
Gary Player laid out the original holes in 1992, when Fancourt opened with a twenty-seven-hole facility. Nine more followed in 1997, and Montagu and Outeniqua then became separate courses. After the 2005 upgrade, Player returned in 2018 to oversee another round of work. The bent-grass greens were resurfaced and the fairway landing areas enlarged. Bunkering was reduced, and bushes near the fairways were cleared so the water is easier to see.
Montagu is the only Fancourt course on which both nines return to the clubhouse. A river crosses the property and feeds the estate's main storage dam near the fifth tee, so water is never far from play. The par-72 course measures 6,639 meters from the Protea tees and 6,250 from the Springbok markers, with three shorter sets for higher handicaps.
Layout and Signature Holes
The second sets the tone early, a par three played from a high tee down to a green in the valley. At the seventh, an exceptionally long par four, the fairway curves sharply left around the river toward a partly hidden green. The tenth runs downhill as a par five with water along the right for its last hundred meters, and the thirteenth doglegs left from tees on the edge of the main dam.
Most visitors remember the seventeenth. A wide stretch of water separates tee and green on this par three, and the estate's floral display spelling out Fancourt sits beside the dam. The round ends uphill on the shortest par five, where water guards the front and both sides of the eighteenth green.
Montagu on Our Golf Tours
Montagu is a scheduled round on our 10-Day Western Cape Golf Tour and closes the Fancourt golf before the flight from George back to Cape Town. Build a little flexibility into the tee time, as the weather in the valley can turn within the hour.
Elsewhere on the Fancourt Estate
1
The Clubhouse at the End of the Round
There is little need to rush away from Fancourt after playing Montagu. The resort has several restaurants and lounges, with views over the lawns and golf grounds. The main hotel and the Manor House provide different accommodation settings, described on the Fancourt Hotel page. Dining reservations can be arranged around a tee time.
2
Walking the Grounds
The gardens and paths around the hotel make an easy afternoon activity for companions who have spent the morning elsewhere. Established trees, ponds and landscaped lawns are part of the original estate character. An evening walk is possible without arranging a vehicle, weather permitting.
3
George, Wilderness and the Mountains
George has an established town center. Its transport museum has been closed since storm damage in May 2026, but the Outeniqua Power Van still departs from George Station. Wilderness, a drive farther east, has a beach and lagoon. The Outeniqua Pass heads inland from town and is best explored in clear weather. A coastal outing to Wilderness can take up much of the afternoon once lunch and traffic are taken into account.
