Garden Route South Africa Golf Tour – Feb 2016

On balance I think Knysna and the Garden Route is my favourite location and I very much looked forward to the third leg of this years South Africa Tour. We flew from Cape Town to George where the 50 minute journey to Knysna in the heart of the Garden Route takes in my favourite view. As we make a long climb uphill through a wooded valley the Indian Ocean comes into view. At the pinnacle, as the road sweeps around the cliff top several hundred feet above the ocean, we look down on miles of golden sand and the waves breaking along the shore at Wildernes. Each time, depending on the weather, a different breathtaking vista appears – a spectacular welcome to the Garden Route.

The Conrad Pezula Hotel, set on “The Heads” high above Knysna offers superior accommodation, magnificent views and this year we were even more spoilt by everyone being upgraded to Junior Suites as the hotel had over booked.

Our first days golf was played at Knysna GC, a flat easy walking course that is more of a test than it nfirst looks. Mainly parkland with several water features and a stretch that looks and plays more like a links course. I felt the 43 points accumulated mainly by my partner Jean and myself would be good enough but Sue and Patrick pipped us with an excellent 44!

Another 4BBB at the Nicklaus signature course of Simola the following day and this time partnered by Barbara 40 pts was sufficient to come out on top. Barbara quickly followed that win with Kenneth the very next day at my favourite course, Plettenburg Bay. As has become the tradition, our game here was followed by dinner at the rustic Lookout restaurant, set on the waters edge from where another majestic scene awaits overlooking the huge expanse of Plettenburg Bay beach, the dunes and mountains beyond. Always my favourite day.

Following a welcome rest day from the fairways to enjoy the Conrad Pezula Resort or take a leisurely walk around the town and waterfront areas of Knysna we returned to Simola for our weekly Individual stableford. It is probably fair to say the course won, but then it is a Nicklaus signature course and the views are a great distraction too! Arnold prevailed over Patrick by 1 point on the back 9 with Vanessa our leading lady. In the evening, again a bit of a tradition, we took a slow cruise down the lagoon on The John Benn to “The Heads” where the calm waters of the lagoon belie the dangers of the entrance and currents of the ocean beyond.  So dangerous, I’m told, that no insurance company will cover a boat entering or exiting this narrow, innocuous looking entrance to the lagoon.

Our final round took place at Pezula’s own course. A spectacular setting where the front nine plays a little inland before the back nine built, into the cliff top, over looks the Indian Ocean on every hole. A wonderful location to finish off this leg of the tour. Having eaten very well at various restaurants throughout the week we enjoyed another excellent dinner whence we began, in the Hotel restaurant, saying goodbye to several of the group before moving on to Kwazula Natal and the east coast.

By David Short