There are not many places left in GB&I where you can experience truly unwatered summer links conditions on a quality course. Many clubs are simply too afraid of presenting non-perfect fairways to members and guests, but that is precisely the point! In really parched conditions, your tee-shot could roll 100 yards into a pot bunker...or hit a bump and miss the trap but end up in a divot instead. To me, golf was never meant to be 100% predictable science, like 142 yards to pin, hit PW, putt for birdie...yawn.

Reading Jim's review and seeing the photos Ross submitted in his review below reminds me that these pleasures still exist at a few clubs in France. I certainly had the pleasure of playing the course at Granville like this when I visited many summers ago.

My recommendation is to go as soon as your schedule permits. Once they install the sprinklers along the fairways and turn on the taps, the opportunity might well be gone forever! (Might still be "a good course to seek out in the area, worthy of a full day out", but no longer a unique experience)

Having said all this, I am aware that not watering at all during a very hot and dry summer (like 2018 was in many places) is not an option for a course that is not on perfectly sandy soil. In August 2018, I saw wide cracks in unwatered ground (between tee and fairway for example) at many courses on clay-based soil which took a long time to heal.