September 2

Golf Holiday on the Garden Route

September 2, 2010

 

Terence is the glue behind Rhino Africa. The keratin in our Rhino horn. He’s the “I” in our IT department and the “hand” in our handyman.

After being part of the crack squad that organised David’s 40th birthday at the Mount Nelson, Terence took a well deserved break. While Tiger Woods was distracted by his financially calamitous divorce, Terence stole his mojo and set off for the Garden Route to reap the rewards. Four championship courses in five days. , Pinnacle Point, Pezula and Simola.  A tough challenge even for Retief…

Golfing the Garden Route

As befitting a semi-pro like T-Dawg (as he is affectionately known in the office) he stayed in the 5-Star luxury of Pezula Resort Hotel & Spa. Pezula has a spectacular location on the Eastern Head of Knysna in the heart of the majestic Garden Route. It’s perched high above this exquisite coastline and is a sanctuary of privacy and indulgence. The playground of the rich and famous. And Terence.

Set on a stunning 1,000 ha estate, known for its secluded beach, sweeping fynbos landscapes and ancient indigenous forests, the Pezula Resort has breathtaking views of the Indian Ocean, the Knysna Lagoon and the Outeniqua Mountains. There’s fantastic food at Zachcary’s (named after the owner’s Labrador!) a world-class spa (where Little Miss Ryan indulged in a couple of treatments while Mr Ryan was on the golf course), a vast range of outdoor activities and of course a championship golf course.  They even have a couple of private castles on the breathtakingly secluded Noetzie beach – special treats only need apply.

Golfing the Garden Route

Oh, and did I mention that it was also Terence’s birthday? With a just a few years left until he qualifies for the seniors’ tour, Terence took on his first challenge – Oubaai. Oubaai is a spectacular lynx course in Herald Bay (reasonably close to George). A rusty start saw the Ter(ence)minator shoot triple figures. But, on Ernie Els’s hardest and most famous hole – the par 3, 17th, Terence smacked a gem of 9 iron 4 feet from the pin! Child’s play. He three putted.

Things couldn’t get much worse? Or could they? Next up was Pinnacle Point – a dastardly course on the edge of the Indian Ocean.  Faced with a tricky par 3 that required pin point accuracy, Terence missed by a proverbial mile. A massive shank down the cliff face – the ball hurtling towards the crashing waves below. By some small golfing miracle, the ball ricocheted off two rocks, went soaring back into the air and landed on the green. Not enough to save Terence the humiliation of a club house guffawing 109. It’s a tough and demanding course – the saving grace was that Terence came out slightly less red faced than his playing partner who managed to break a 6 iron in half out of sheer frustration.

Golfing the Garden Route

With Terence’s golf skills on the fringes of dignity, it was time for a comeback. What better course for it than the Jack Nicklaus designed Simola? The Simola Hotel includes the Orchid Room Restaurant and Sushi Bar, Sir Roy’s Bar, a professional hair salon, spa and a fully equipped gym. Simola was actually Terence’s favourite course – in his own words ‘it was immacurate’ – he’s not Chinese, but working with computers all day takes its toll on his English skills. On a still day, Terence came storming back with a blistering 94.

Finally, the home course, Pezula – with WAGS looking on, it was time to turn up the heat. Massive slice on the first tee. But when the going gets tough, the tough get going. And Terence is tough. He’s a man’s man. A Bar One man. He needed an eagle on the final hole par 5 to break 90. Only 5% of  golfers ever break 90…

Golfing the Garden Route

Terence Ryan

Terence got a par, keeping him firmly within the other 95% but giving him his best score of the week, a respectable 91 and something for the girls to cheer about.

The Garden Route is a golfing Mecca. There are literally hundreds of courses to play and there are even more luxurious lodges, hotels and guest houses to choose from. We can recommend the best places to suit your individual needs and budget. Just drop us an enquiry and we’ll help you plan your ultimate golfing holiday!


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About the author 

Matthew Sterne

Matt discovered a passion for writing in the six years he spent travelling abroad. He worked for a turtle sanctuary in Nicaragua, in an ice cream factory in Norway and on a camel safari in India. He was a door-to-door lightbulb-exchanger in Australia, a pub crawl guide in Amsterdam and a journalist in Colombia. Now, he writes and travels with us.

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