La Nivelle

The course at Golf de la Nivelle dates back to 1907, when five-time Open champion J.H. Taylor set out the fairways across a hilly site next to the little fishing port of Saint-Jean-de-Luz on the Bay of Biscay.

Holes are routed around a compact, 105-acre wooded site, where only four holes (the 6th to the 9th) occupy anything resembling level terrain alongside La Nivelle River.

The club co-hosted two editions of the Open de France with Biarritz-Le-Phare in 1971 and 1972. The final two rounds of the tournament were staged at La Nivelle on the second occasion, with American Barry Jaeckel beating Englishman Clive Clark in a play-off after both players had posted identical 4-round scores of 265 (11 under par).

Today, the course measures a modest 5,619 metres from the back tees, playing to a par of 70. The front nine is configured with three par threes, three par fours and three par fives, while the back nine has no par fives and only two par threes, at the 15th and 17th.

Highlight holes include the water-laden par four 8th and the right doglegged par four 14th next to the main coastal bypass road.