La Boulie (La Vallée)

A Biarritz hole is one of golf's most theatrical par 3s: a long carry to a massive, elongated green bisected by a dramatic swale or depression that divides the putting surface into two distinct plateaux. Named after the French seaside resort where the original hole once stood, the Biarritz has challenged golfers and sparked architectural debate for over a century. Most template holes replicated by C.B. Macdonald—the father of American golf course architecture, who pioneered copying famous holes and adapting them to new sites—and his disciples draw inspiration from originals in the British Isles, the homeland of golf. The Biarritz is a rare exception, most commonly traced back to the south-west coast of France, in the region of the same name. There, Tom and Willie Dunn Jr. crafted one of the most famous and infamous par 3s in history. The Original: A Hole Lost to History The "Chasm" hole (the current name for the template is derived from its original host club, not the original hole name) at Golf de Biarritz Le Phare featured a heroic carry over the titular chasm, approximately 160 yards, to a massive putting surface. The third hole's target area featured two large flat zones—one at the front and one towards the rear—divided by a drastic swale running between them, and guarded at the sides by bunkering. It is believed that only the rear platform was ever pinned—totalling between 210 and 240 yards—making the hole essentially a test of a player's ability to hit both long and straight (this was certainly a driver during the Dunn brothers' time in the 1880s). The rest of the putting surface's dimensions are largely conjecture, as the original lasted only four years before construction of a hotel moved the teebox and took the bay out of play. The original green and hole would eventually be eliminated and, later, decimated during World War II. Furthering the mystery is the unlikelihood that Macdonald could have found himself in France during its brief existence. All of these factors—or lack thereof—add up to occasionally contentious conversation amongst golf architecture enthusiasts about what constitutes an authentic Biarritz. Defining Features of a True Biarritz Whilst interpretations vary, most architecture historians agree a Biarritz should include: Length: 180-240 yards (though modern versions may stretch further) The swale: A deep depression dividing the green Two plateaux: Distinct front and rear landing areas, traditionally both cut to green height. Purists claim only the rear was pinned. Massive scale: Greens typically 60-80 yards, or more, deep Strategic question: Can (or should) the front plateau be pinned? Classic Biarritz Examples Macdonald's template showcase, the National Golf Links of America, doesn't feature the model. Instead, Long Island's Piping Rock Club hosts the designer's first Biarritz. In the absence of official documents, the Biarritz swale has traditionally been understood to fit within a range of 1 to 1.5 metres in depth, which describes Piping Rock's variant well. Lacking a bay, Macdonald added a large bunker in front of the first plane. It's important to note that this landing area is not green, but fairway, running down into the swale, which features a similar cut. The effect is a rather micro-version of the Valley of Sin at St Andrews, forcing a tricky up-and-down recovery for shots short off the tee. These specifications inspire the most vocal arguments about whether the front could—or should—be pinned, and whether that act violates Macdonald's intentions. It appears one person who didn't see an issue pinning the front was Seth Raynor, Macdonald's nearest disciple. His Course at Yale hosts perhaps the most famous rendition of the Biarritz, and perhaps the most dramatic as well. Players must carry nearly 200 yards of water to where the green immediately begins, through a swale, to the back plateau. To compound your problems, the green tilts aggressively both front-to-back and right-to-left. Whilst a more "dignified" template, such as the Redan, might flaunt its subtle tweaks from the original, the Biarritz seemingly encouraged imitators to push the envelope ever further. Charles Banks created one of the longest versions at Forsgate Country Club in New Jersey, stretching to 235 yards. Not taking his nickname "Steamshovel" lightly, the designer also added Raynor-style thumbprints—shallow depressions—to both of the green's flat surfaces. The most controversial element, however? His swale can be pinned. Getting back to Macdonald, The Creek gets a nod for its distinct rendition. Missing the green isn't enviable for any Biarritz, but The Creek's takes it to a new level via its Biarritz/Island hybrid. It's a big target, but tee shots are easily pushed by aggressive winds into the Long Island Sound inlet. Modern Interpretations The naturalist tendency of the 21st century has made this template a less-likely choice for new courses, but a few true Biarritzes have emerged. One of the more straightforward versions is the 16th at Streamsong's Red Course in Florida, featuring a 70-yard green that plays between the property's dunes. Tom Doak included a Biarritz-based hole at Bandon Dunes' Old Macdonald, but the Oregon resort's naturalist aesthetic raises some doubts amongst purists. The green does take a pill shape and features a swale through the middle. On either side of the swale, however, Doak enacts rolling features more in keeping with his Pacific Dunes design than the relatively plain planes of traditional Biarritz. And, at 180 yards, it is short even by Dunn's old-fashioned standards. Contested Variations: Where Does the Template End? The most famous examples of the Biarritz don't leave much room for subtlety. Accordingly, some of the more debatable examples are guilty of underdoing rather than overdoing. There is no doubt that a Biarritz green can accomplish its purpose as part of a long par 4 or short par 5, but two of the more notable examples raise questions about whether the template can survive a change in par. For example, A.W. Tillinghast included one at Somerset Hills Country Club in New Jersey. Perhaps because of the 13th hole's two-shot nature, his swale is much shallower than the holes referenced above. This alters the approach, but is it watered down enough to strip the "Biarritz" title? The architecture community remains divided. The "Gate" hole at North Berwick Golf Club in Scotland does more than inspire questions about the nature of the Biarritz; it inspires questions as to the template's origin story. The approach shot on this par 4 is much shorter than a typical Biarritz, but the green is much more severe. Similar to the course's iconic Redan, the green tilts down from front-right to back-left, and is divided by a gully reaching Yale-level depths. If the concept alone weren't enough to stir the pot, some suggest that Gate may be the true inspiration behind the Biarritz. North Berwick was founded in 1832, and Macdonald had decisively visited, unlike the Chasm hole. Two facts take some wind out of this theory, however: first, most historians agree that Gate was added in the 1930s, and it's suspected that Bernard Darwin didn't mention the green during his 1920s visit. Second, Macdonald named the template "Biarritz," not "Berwick." The Bottom Line Despite the mystery surrounding its origins and the ongoing debate about what constitutes an authentic example, the Biarritz remains one of golf architecture's most compelling templates. At its best, it presents a thrilling all-or-nothing shot that separates the bold from the cautious—a test of both distance and precision that has captivated golfers for well over a century. Whether you believe the front plateau should be pinned or consider North Berwick the true inspiration, Biarritz's dramatic swale continues to spark conversation and challenge players at some of the world's finest courses. Originally written by R Book. Edited by J Miners.

Producing a Top 100 chart for Europe isn’t easy as there aren’t many golfers with a broad enough range of playing experience across all the countries. Still, we’ve managed to find a select group of well-travelled panellists who have assisted with this chart and we’re grateful for their input. Normally, we produce these continental listings at the start of a ranking cycle then work our way through the constituent countries. This time, we began with the Nordic countries last year then – after something of a hiatus in the second half of 2022 – we eventually worked through the remaining nations until all were refreshed. Doing things that way made it a good bit trickier to assemble the top-level chart now (as recently revised country positions must remain intact within the pan-national framework) but we think we’ve produced a cohesive ranking list that stands up well against those that have gone before in previous iterations. So, in our new-look European Top 100, twelve courses remain in the same position, twenty-nine move up, forty-two drop down and seventeen make their first appearance in the standings. We’ll now concentrate our overview on most of the big upward movers, along with our highest new entry which arrives comfortably inside the Top 10. Morfontaine But first, we introduce the course which has held the coveted European #1 slot since 2012, the Grand Parcours 18-hole layout at Golf de Morfontaine in France. Golf was first played here in 1913 but it was Tom Simpson’s late 1920s remodelling of the layout that brought the course to prominence. Relatively recent Kyle Phillips improvements have ensured the course keeps pace with modern technology, at the same time retaining much of the original design intent. This 5.5-ball review was posted a few months ago: “Played this course last year around September. Amazing course. Every hole is beautiful. We were all alone with our 4-ball and a caddy. They were blowing away the leaves in front of us, just as if it was just for us. Perfect conditions. We played the championship course in the morning and the [9-hole] Vallière in the afternoon. An amazing experience.” Lofoten Links The remote course at Lofoten Links in Norway was listed just inside the top half of the table last time around in 2020 but it now makes a prodigious 43-place leap up the listings to the #4 position – which is not that surprising when you consider it was a new entry in our World Top 100 when it was refreshed last year. Designed by Jeremy Turner, this 18-hole layout in the Arctic Circle enjoys one of the most stunning locations imaginable. Les Bordes Entering the standings for the first time, the New course at Les Bordes Golf Club in France is our highest new entry at #6. Laid out by Gil Hanse on the site of a former 36-hole set-up close to Robert von Hagge’s Old course, the New is a heathland-style track featuring expansive waste areas, formidable bunkers and captivating green complexes, with great emphasis placed on the ground game in a firm and fast playing environment. Visby A few folk probably raised an eyebrow when we published our Swedish Top 100 last year as the 18-hole layout (called “The One”) at Visby Golfklubb on the island of Gotland took over the #1 position from the Stadium course at Bro Hof Slott. It now rises twenty-nine places to #17 in our continental standings, improving on the #25 position it held in 2014. Pierre Fulke and Adam Mednick deserve great credit for the remodelling work caried out at the club. Royal Antwerp The Tom Simpson course at Royal Antwerp Golf Club in Belgium climbs nineteen spots to #22 in the new chart. It’s hard to imagine this place fell from our European Top 100 in 2014 and only reappeared when we last reappraised the standings three years ago – all credit to the club for its willingness to restore the layout to its original design objectives, removing a vast number of trees to greatly improve the overall agronomy on the property. Palmares The Praia and Lagos nines at Palmares Ocean Living & Golf Resort in Portugal found favour with our Portuguese panel a few months back (rising two to #3 in the national chart) and it now makes substantial progress in the continental listings, moving up eleven places to #27. Situated on the Atlantic coast in the eastern half of The Algarve, the original 18-hole course was revamped into a 27-hole complex in 2010 by Robert Trent Jr. and the club has never looked back since.  Les Aisses The 18-hole Les Aisses course at Les Aisses Golf in the Sologne region of France jumps twenty-five places up to #31 in the chart. Hawtree Limited was engaged in 2010 to reimagine the original Olivier Brizon design, recreating an old-style layout in the spirit of the heathland tracks found in England around London. Woodland management, heather regeneration and remodelling of bunkers have all contributed to the new look here. Real Moraleja Real Club La Moraleja in Madrid owns the largest private golf facility in Europe, with four Jack Nicklaus-designed 18-hole golf courses operating across three locations around the Spanish capital. The club’s #3 course now advances fourteen places to #40 in our chart, with sand-capped fairways routed around four large lakes on a rather flat site where a fair amount of soil was shifted to create contouring during construction. Royal Limburg The course at Royal Limburg is another Belgian track that has dramatically turned its ranking fortunes around. Positioned at #33 in 2018, it plummeted inexplicably to #88 in 2020 but it’s now back with a bang, soaring 47 places up to #41. Designed by Fred Hawtree in the mid-1960s then subsequently altered by his son Martin, the course underwent a complete bunker renovation by architect (and club member) Bruno Steensels in 2018 – so it’s taken a full five-year period for that work to be fully appreciated now! Real Puerta de Hierro The Abajo course at Real Club de la Puerto de Hierro in Madrid (up fifteen to #48) has benefitted from the design talents of several top architects since 1912, starting out with Harry Colt and Tom Simpson in its formative years, followed by John Harris and Kyle Phillips in more modern times. Frank Pont consults currently as the club continues to revise and refine both the Abajo and its sister layout, the Arriba, at a wonderful 36-hole facility close to the city centre. Pärnu Bay The 18-hole layout at Pärnu Bay Golf Links in Estonia (up twenty-three to #52) is a Lassi Pekka Tilander design, shaped by Mick McShane, that first opened for play in 2015. Situated on a sandy coastal strip of land where the forest meets the sea at Pärnu Bay, the raised fairways weave around expansive sandy waste areas and small lagoons, leading to multi-tiered, sand-protected greens. Drought-tolerant fescue ensures firm and fast playing conditions all-year-round. Linna The top track in Finland is the course at Linna Golf (up fourteen to #65) which Tim Lobb designed when he worked with European Golf Design in the early years of the new millennium. Located halfway between Tampere and Helsinki, the course is routed through a pine and birch forest next to the famous Vanajan Linna Hotel, with views across Lake Katuma to the west of the property. Royal Bled The 18-hole King’s course at Royal Bled in Slovenia (up sixteen to #79) dates back to the late 1930s but it was largely abandoned until Donald Harradine redesigned the layout in 1972. Fast forward almost forty-five years and the club commissioned Swan Golf Designs to reconstruct tees, green and bunkers, install new irrigation and introduce new water features on the back nine. It’s pleasing now to see this extensive upgrade receive the recognition it fully deserves. Olgiata Located half an hour’s drive northwest of Rome city centre, the 18-hole West course at Olgiata Golf Club in Italy (up eleven to #87) is a 1960s Cotton & Pennink parkland track that Jim Fazio renovated in 2010. The club has hosted the World Cup twice (in 1968 and 1984) and staged three Italian Opens, the last of which was in 2019 when Austrian Bernd Wiesberger won the event by one stroke from Matt Fitzpatrick. To view the entire detailed list of our latest Top 100 Golf Courses of Continental Europe click the link. View list here. If you have any comment to make on the above article then please use the “WRITE A RESPONSE” link at the bottom of this page. Jim McCann Editor Top 100 Golf Courses

More French resorts vying for your attention  We published an article on French resort golf last year, starting with courses on the French Riviera then proceeding through Aquitane and Normany on the west coast before ending up at the National golf centre outside Paris. This time, we set out from the east side of the country then advance southwards along the border with Germany and Switzerland to return to a cluster of resorts in the wonderful Côte d'Azur region on the Mediterranean coast. Of course, we understand that these two articles only scratch the surface of resort golf in this under-rated golfing nation and there must be dozens of other worthy golf facilities, particularly in the centre of the country, that get overlooked whenever items like this are written. If you know of any such place – perhaps even one that we currently don’t list in our French regional rankings – then by all means get in touch and let us know about it. Incidentally, we intended to start this resort feature in the Alsace region at Le Kempferhof, near Strasbourg, but we discovered during our research that the club’s hotel – formerly a 19th-century country hunting lodge – is currently closed, so we sadly had to exclude this establishment. Evian We begin instead on the southern shores of Lake Geneva, where the 18-hole layout at the Evian Resort has annually staged the Evian Championship on the Ladies European Tour for almost 30 years now. The course dates back a lot longer, to 1904 to be exact, when Willie Park Junior laid out the original nine holes at the club. Cabell Robinson updated the layout in the early 1990s and Dave Sampson of European Golf Design carried out further upgrade work a decade ago. Evian is now regarded as one of the major tournament-hosting venues on the ladies’ professional circuit. Two kilometres from the course, you’ll find the 5-star Palace Hôtel Royal, offering 150 rooms and suites across seven floors, with its Les Fresques restaurant awarded yet another Michelin star last year. Nearby, the 4-star Hôtel Ermitage has 80 guest rooms and family suites which vary in size from 17 square metres for a south facing room to 45 square metres for a Lake View suite. If you want a more intimate experience, the Manoir du Golf (originally a family home built in 1911) is located right beside the Golf Academy, with several rooms and suites available for stay and play golfers. Château de Taulane Four hundred and forty kilometres south of Geneva, Château de Taulane lies within a 840-acre domain in the Var department of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeast France. The course is something of a rarity as it’s one of the few European tracks ever produced by Gary Player’s design firm. Fairways are routed around seven lakes and quite a few of the holes are carved out of forest so there are plenty of aquatic and arboreal hazards to contend with. Playing corridors are reasonably wide though, so it never feels as if it’s an overly penal round when playing here. Accommodation in the on-site 4-star hotel – converted from a former 18th century residence – comprises 29 rooms and suites and it’s possible to rent another 18 rooms in the annexes of the castle for larger groups that wish to take over the entire property for a special event. The spa features an indoor heated swimming pool, sauna, jacuzzi and Turkish bathing. Massages and treatments require advance booking. In the Trattoria da Mario restaurant, buffet breakfast is served from 7:30am to 10:00am; lunch from 12:00 noon until 3:30pm; then dinner in the evening from 7:00pm. Royal Mougins An hour’s drive from Château de Taulane towards Cannes is where you’ll discover the Royal Mougins golf resort and its 18-hole layout. Yet another design from the prolific portfolio of Robert von Hagge, the course extends to just over 6,000 metres, playing to a par of 71, and fairways are set out across hilly terrain, with a flatter forest area on a valley floor. Holes are routed around eight lakes which are linked by a river system, with waterfalls and streams to enhance the visual aesthetics. A valued member of the IMG Prestige network, Royal Mougins boasts an on-site 4-star hotel with 29 design suites (each of 50 square metres) and a spa located in an authentic 19th country house containing treatment rooms, a jacuzzi, outdoor pool and a solarium. The Royal Garden restaurant just off the 18th green enjoys superb views across the domain, allowing guests to savour the specialties of the Mediterranean menu in a sublime setting. Saint Endréol Fifty-five kilometres east along La Provençale A8 autoroute sits Les Domaines de Saint Endreol Golf & Spa Resort, which first opened its doors to visiting golfers in 1992. Designed by Michel Gayon, the course occupies hilly terrain to the north of the Rocher de Roquebrune mountain, with fairways clinging closely to the contours as holes wind their way around the meandering River Endre. Measuring almost 6,200 metres from the back tees, the layout concludes with three tough par fours at the 15th, 16th and 18th (rated stroke index 5, 1 and 4) so no flagging permitted over the finishing holes here! The 4-star hotel offers 50 air-conditioned rooms – classed as Standard Prestige or Superior Prestige – all of which feature a kitchenette and balcony. The spa has an indoor pool with counter current, a stream room, a solarium, separate men’s and women’s sauna and a deep relaxation room. The restaurant fucuses on local, seasonal produce and during the summer there are barbecue evenings twice a week. Barbaroux Heading another 45 minutes west on the A8 highway brings you to the Barbaroux Golf, Hotel & Spa complex near Brignoles. Pete Dye and his son PB are credited with the design of the golf course in the late 1980s and it certainly splits opinion with reviewers on this website – love it or loathe it, this is one of the more unconventional golfing layouts that you’ll ever play and it’s also one you’ll not forget in a hurry. There aren’t too many examples of the Dye design style in Europe and this is one of the more controversial specimens. The adjoining Mercure hotel extends to 52 air-conditioned guest rooms, each with its own private terrace. The Golf Brasserie hosts golfers after their round in the dining room or on the terrace overlooking the fairways and the Spa boasts several traditional (and not so traditional) relaxation options, including a Scandinavian-style sauna, a hot steam bath hamman, a sensory shower and an ice fountain.  Frégate Provence We finally reach the south coast of France and the Mediterranean Sea at the 27-hole Frégate Golf Club Provence on the heights of Bandol, between Marseille and Toulon, where Ron Fream set out the 18-hole Frégate course and 9-hole Frégalon short course in the early 1990s. Occupying a cliff top location, with vineyards and olive groves surrounding the property, the tree-lined fairways lead to large, lightly bunkered greens which are very hard to read when the coastal winds get up. The 4-star golf hotel Le Frégate Provence incorporates 100 guest rooms and suites, spread out over two typical Provençal buildings, with the accommodation facing south over the golf course and the Mediterranean beyond. Next to the hotel, Les Bastides Residence provides 15 double rooms and 15 apartments (for 2-4 people), each with a private terrace facing on to a pine forest. There are also 3 tennis courts, 2 pétanque courts, 5 swimming pools and the wellness centre includes a sauna, hot tub and fitness area. If you have any comment to make on the above article then please use the “WRITE A RESPONSE” link at the bottom of this page. Jim McCann Editor Top 100 Golf Courses