Saint Endréol

The Saint Endréol course is an early 1990s Provencal production from architect Michel Gayon, situated around fifteen kilometres inland from the Riviera, between Cannes and St Tropez. The tree-lined fairways occupy a spectacular setting to the north of the Rocher de Roquebrune mountain, clinging closely to the contours as the holes wind around the meandering River Endre.

The following edited extract is from France’s Most Beautiful Courses by Jean-François Lefevre: “The strength of the course is that it immerses the player in the natural surroundings, preserved for the moment at least, from this region’s encroaching property development. It comprises a walk of over six kilometres amidst pine and broom trees to the heady chirruping of the cicadas: one turns one’s back to the Mediterranean for a moment and the horizon is filled with the Rocher de Roquebrune, the Rouet hills and the mountains of the Haut-Var.”

It’s quite a hilly track and elevation changes play their part in proceedings from time to time, none more so than at the signature par three 13th hole, which plummets sharply downhill to a peninsula green. Measuring a healthy 6,169 metres from the tips, the course plays to a par of 72, featuring a strong run of par fours at the 15th, 16th and 18th (rated stroke index 5, 1 and 4), so expect a tough end to a round here.