I was concerned about spending a few days at Fancourt soon after their epic floods in late November, but those fears proved unfounded. Ryan Reid and the Fancourt team deserve medals for the incredible work done to get the estate and golf courses back in sparkling condition within a couple of days. The only signs of the torrential rain were muddy patches on some fairways, and sand washed out of bunkers. Montagu’s par-5 18th is one of the great risk-reward finishing holes in the Western Cape. The green is within reach of a brave second shot after a good drive. But the water around the green punished me twice for an inferior strike. A small niggle about Fancourt is the relatively short practice range and having to hit balls off mats.
