Fancourt - The road to The Presidents Cup

Fancourt is a luxurious multi-million rand golf estate in George in the Western Cape. It has four golf courses, a health and beauty centre and a conference centre, among other amenities. And it is the venue for the prestigious Presidents Cup in November 2003. This Presidents Cup brings together the 12 best American golfers to compete against the 12 best players from the rest of the world (excluding Europe) and attracts golfing enthusiasts from around the world. While the golf courses at Fancourt are becoming increasingly well known, the colourful history of the estate has never been told. Henry Fancourt White built Blanco House in 1859 in the style of a Cotswold mansion. He lost his money the following year due to the collapse of the George Divisional Bank and died a pauper in 1866. The next two owners also went bankrupt -- a recurring theme in the history of the property. Fancourt's son Montagu acquired the property in 1903 and renamed it in memory of his father, but he was fated to meet an untimely end. Successive owners had a chequered time of running the estate until 1994 when Dr Hasso Plattner became Fancourt's new owner and set about bringing it to its present glory.