March April Newsletter 2018

DAY 6 AT FANCOURT COUNRTY CLUB Well, the number one golf course in South Africa, The Links at Fancourt certainly lived up to all the expectations. The wind assisted in making the hardest course I have played into a thorough beat down of all of the Greystone members including the pro. It was spectacular. The course was challenging (pot bunkers, heather everywhere but fairway, 20 mph winds). The conditions were awesome. The scores were not. At the turn I had a chicken pie which was the only decision I committed to all day. Fear dictated the day on the links. After golf we were whisked away to walk with the lions. Scary to see them after being told they would kill you. The experience was spectacular and the lions were well behaved. Seriously, I could have just reached out and touched them. We stopped by the Indian Ocean on the way home just to dip our feet. John and Sonya Bland invited our entire group to a cookout at their house. Great food and wine andsuch great hosts! Thanks John and Sonya for making Fancourt great! We then had to say goodbye to Fancourt. It was sad because the golf was out of this world here. DAY 7 CAPE TOWN We awoke to a beautiful leisure morning in Fancourt with eggs benedict and croque madame. Next we said our goodbyes to our wonderful hosts, John and Sonya Bland, then headed the airport to wait for our 50 minute flight to Capetown. We arrive to this giant city and checked into the Table Bay Hotel. Then we all enjoyed a lazy afternoon at the waterfront in Capetown. Kelly and I walked around seeing all the shops and interesting eating places. We had a little snack and some drinks by the water. After a relaxing afternoon, we assembled for an unbelievable dinner on the Waterfront where we were joined by Andrew and Michelle Whitelaw. After dinner we enjoyed cake for Jackie’s birthday, then it was off to bed! DAY 8 CAPE TOWN We began the day with breakfast at the hotel, then took off for the Cape of Good Hope. We traveled a road around the mountain on one of the most beautiful drives in the world. When we arrived at the Cape, we were greeted with seals and baboons. To follow was the most spectacular view imaginable. These pics will not do it justice but here ya go. After that, we went to see penguins (penguins in Africa?). They were awesome! Then my favorite part of the day, lunch, at the Harbor House on False Bay. Again, these pics are a small indication of how majestic this place was. Our drive home got a little spicy when we hit Capetown traffic. Country music in South Africa.... it just felt right. Our driver Deon didn’t agree. We then arrived at 12 Apostles Hotel on the ocean where I experienced one of the best dinners ever. From the sunset to dessert, we enjoyed a wonderful evening of food, drinks, service, and atmosphere. Life is good! DAY 9 LEAVING SOUTH AFRICA We had very pleasant weather the entire trip, but this day we got the heat. It was about 95 degrees for our early morning golf round at Pearl Valley Golf Club. We had twelve golfers, the other two enjoyed a “girls do anything day” around Cape Town. We enjoyed the course with bent grass greens which were very true and quick. Everyone enjoyed lunch at the club and cooled off for the afternoon adventure to one of the many vineyards in this region. Some did wine tastings and others visited a car museum. Needless to say, the wines were fantastic. Visiting all of the vinyards in this region could be a separate vacation in itself! We arrived back to the hotel for showers and our last night in South Africa. As we finished our final dinner together, we remembered the sites, people, sounds, and the cuisine from this truely remarkable part of the world. This trip has changed me forever and I’m so to have had the opportunity to travel to South Africa with these 6 couples.

To learn about other upcoming Member Golf Trips contact Steve Smith at 986.5151. 9