Erinvale Festival 1 - South Africa 2023

Come and join us for a couple of weeks of friendly, yet competitive golf in the middle of the South African summer. Escape the UK’s dark mornings, icy blasts, snowfall and course closures. What better way to get your game in shape for the 2023 golf season than playing in shorts/skorts and polo shirts in temperatures in the mid 20s, on superb golf courses, surrounded by stunning scenery and where balmy evenings can be enjoyed sampling some of the best food and wine anywhere in the world.

Ken Stevely (PGA Professional, one of whose early protégés is LPGA tour player Janice Moodie) is your host for this fabulous holiday. Ken is a highly experienced golf Professional - both teaching and playing (European Seniors’ Tour) - and has brought together his golfing skills and organisational ability to offer an exceptional, high quality golf holiday in the southern hemisphere.

We have 3 accommodation options available in Somerset West for 13 wonderful nights, all situated just a few minutes away from the classy and superbly conditioned Erinvale Golf Club, Trevor Immelman’s home club. Erinvale has played host to numerous major events, including the 1996 World Cup of Golf, and 2 South African Airways Opens. Many of the world’s top players have walked the Erinvale fairways – Els, Montgomerie, Westwood, Poulter, Rose, McGinley, Jimenez and Schwartzel, to name but a few.

Somerset West is just 45 minutes easy drive away from the wonderful city of Cape Town, watched over by the towering, world- famous Table Mountain; no visit to Cape Town is complete without a trip to the top of Table Mountain to experience the breathtaking views.

Your holiday price includes a car between two people – so you have complete freedom to explore the Western Cape and its fantastic scenery and attractions.

Cape Town has fabulous, international shopping where the ‘big names’ of the international retail trade share mall space with traditional South African stores. Under one roof in the Victoria and Alfred Shopping Mall you’ll find over 450 retail outlets, such as Jimmy Choo, Nina Roche, Armani, Hugo Boss, Gucci, Lacoste and Louis Vuitton.

Three dinners are included in the price of your holiday. In addition, we have table reservations for the group at a number of Somerset West’s top restaurants, offering a la Carte menu service, so whether you want a high quality 3-course dinner with wine, or a light meal with a beer, the choice is yours. Superb dining, at very reasonable prices. Evenings at these restaurants are entirely optional – join the group or, if you prefer your own quiet evening, it is entirely up to you.

THE 2023 ITINERARY:

29/01/2023 Arrive: Evening reception at Willowbrook Lodge at 18:30

                          Welcome drinks and traditional South African Braai

30/01/2023. Golf at Erinvale Evening Group Dinner at Henri’s at 17:30

31/01/2023  Free Day 

01/02/2023 Golf at Erinvale (optional dinner at Avontuur at 19:30) 

02/02/2023 Free Day

03/02/2023 Golf at Arabella (optional dinner at Lourensford at 19:30)

04/02/2023 Free Day 

05/02/2023 Golf at Erinvale (optional dinner at Hussar Grill at 19:30) 

06/02/2023 Golf at Arabella (optional dinner at Giovanni’s at 19:30) 

07/02/2023 Free Day

08/02/2023 Golf at Erinvale (optional dinner at Henri’s at 19:30) 

09/02/2023 Free Day (or optional golf at Hermanus GC) 

0/02/2023 Golf at Erinvale Final Dinner & prize giving at Avontuur at 19:30 Departure

11/02/2023  Departure 

INCLUSIVE CAR HIRE

A small car between 2 people (2 drivers and full insurance) is included in the price of your holiday. The standard vehicle is a 1.2 Toyota Starlet. An upgrade to a larger or automatic car is available. Please let us know if you wish to do so, to enable us to provide you with a quote.

An excess charge applies in the event of damage, but you can insure against this very reasonably in the UK before you travel; to do it on arrival in SA is much more expensive.

MoneySavingExpert has information on some great insurance cover deals. Have a look at sections 5 and 6 in this link - South Africa - Car Hire. 

HOTEL ACCOMMODATION

For 2023 we are offering a choice of three different hotels - 13 nights’ accommodation on a bed and breakfast basis.

Willowbrook Lodge 

Petite Single - £2235pp

Classic Single - £2630pp

Classic Double - £2090pp

Superior Double - £2290pp

Albourne Guest House 

Courtyard Single - £2115pp

Courtyard Double - £1780pp

Manor House Single - £2045pp

Manor House Double - £1885pp

Suite Double - £2099pp

Garden/Pool Suite Double - £2135pp

Somerset Lodge 

Single Room - £1955pp 

Double - £1685pp

1. Willowbrook Country House View Hotel Here 

Willowbrook Country House offers luxury accommodation in an idyllic, private and secluded country setting, amidst lush gardens in a quiet residential area of Somerset West, just a 2-minute drive from Erinvale Golf Club. It has its own on-site restaurant – D’Vine@Willowbrook - serving quality evening meals.

Each of Willowbrook's rooms is decorated to create a calming, restful ambience and features comfortable king size beds, which can be separated into two single beds, with crisp linen. Your private en-suite bathroom boasts both shower and bathtub. Complimentary Wi-Fi is included.

Willowbrook sits just a short walk away from the world famous Vergelegen vineyard where a free day can take in a wine tasting tour and lunch either in the restaurant or as a picnic under the shade of the estate’s huge camphor trees.

2. Albourne Guest House View Hotel Here

The guesthouse is a beautifully restored Cape-Dutch homestead set on a large property with a lavish, spacious garden offering elegant and intimate boutique accommodation. Located within easy driving distance of a host of amenities and attractions including the Vergelegen Estate and the wine lands of the Western Cape. Erinvale Golf Club is a 5-minute drive away. Albourne offers a selection of spacious, en-suite rooms and suites, including a full breakfast served daily. Complimentary Wi-Fi is also provided.

3. Somerset Lodge View Hotel Here 

Somerset Lodge is a spacious family owned hotel and guesthouse with a warm friendly atmosphere and comfortable en suite bedrooms. It is the oldest recognised resting spot for travellers in the area, the original Cape Dutch farmhouse dates back to 1850. The Tourism Grading Council of South Africa grades Somerset Lodge as a 3 star accommodation venue.

All bedrooms have telephones, satellite television, en suite bathrooms and tea and coffee making facilities, with a room choice of single, twin or double. The Lodge provides secure parking and free Wi-Fi.

THE GOLF COURSES

The competition is organised over 7 rounds of included golf - 5 rounds at the nearby Erinvale Golf Club and 2 rounds at the stunningly beautiful Arabella Golf and Country Club (approximately 60 minutes away). Green fees and buggies for the 7 rounds are all covered in the price of your holiday – so no extra costs when you roll up for your tee time. The competition formats are a mixture of team, better-ball and individual rounds – all played in a friendly atmosphere. Players are mixed in different teams each day and prizes make their way to a wide range of participants.

Erinvale Golf Club View Golf Course Here

Erinvale is a course of two quite different nines. The front nine is relatively flat,meandering through the distinctive, highlyindividual estate properties that provide unobtrusive definition to the fairways and greens. While the back nine climbs into the foothills of the magnificent Helderberg and Hottentots Holland mountain ranges that are the ever-present backdrop to the Somerset West area. From the back nine there are stunning views not only of the towering mountains but also over False Bay and further on towards Table Mountain and South Africa’s Mother City of Cape Town. A perfect setting for inspired golf, or, if the golf’s not going too well, excellent photographs!

Arabella Golf and Country Club - View Golf Course Here 

The Arabella golf course is rated by many as the number one golf course in the Western Cape. It is featured in Golf Digest’s USA’s Top 60 courses outside of America. Designed and built in 1999 by celebrated South African golf course architect Peter Matkovich, this classic parkland course has spectacular views across the Bot River lagoon and the imposing Kogelberg mountain range. It has absolutely pristine fairways and immaculate greens. Some of the holes at Arabella are, quite literally, breathtaking. The 8th hole, par 5, is one of the most stunning you will play anywhere.

Awarded Five-Star Golf Experience Award, the course is complemented by a luxurious clubhouse with bar and halfway house, as well as a fully stocked pro shop and excellent practice areas.

There is no doubt that a round of golf here ranks with the best golfing experiences anywhere in the world. And we have 2 rounds at Arabella, including GPS-equipped buggies, in our Festival of Golf 2023.

Optional Golf Day at Hermanus Golf Club - View Golf Course Here 

We have organised an optional Golf Day at the delightful Hermanus Golf Club. Hermanus is very popular golf course where, in-season, tee times are difficult to come by. We have secured a limited number of tee times, so if you would like to experience a very traditional, yet relaxed, top class South African golf course, please let us know as soon as possible.

Hermanus Golf Club is a longstanding members’ golf club, not dissimilar to a traditional UK club. Very playable, it sits nestled between the mountains to the north and the seafront to the south. Many of its fairways are pine tree lined, but not to the point of being major hazards. Many guests have played here on previous trips, fallen in love with it and taken any opportunity to return.

SUMMARY OF WHAT’S INCLUDED IN YOUR HOLIDAY

So here’s a reminder of what your holiday includes:

• 13 nights on a bed and breakfast basis in a twin/double ensuite room at either Willowbrook Country House, Albourne Guest House or Somerset Lodge;
• 3 excellent evening meals with wine (including a fabulous gala dinner on your final evening);
• 7 rounds of organised golf competition (5 at Erinvale; 2 at Arabella) – buggy between 2 people per round;
• Competition prize table;
• Car hire between 2 people;
• The services of Ken Stevely throughout the holiday. For further information, or to book this holiday, please do not hesitate in calling Ken on07803 921737 or emailing him at ken@golfweeksinternational.com