Continental Europe

France

North West France

The Loire Valley has many a romantic pseudonym, including the Valley of the Kings and the Garden of France. It’s certainly an enchanted and historical region with its vineyards and chateaux. Set in the middle of this Renaissance is the beauty and the beast that is Les Bordes.

Les Bordes was the brainchild of Baron Marcel Bich (the man behind Bic pens) and his friend Yoshiaki Sakurai. Together they committed to paper (presumably by biro) the wooded masterpiece that is consistently ranked as one of the Europe’s greatest courses.

Designed by Texan, Robert von Hagge, on a day when he was at his most wickedly creative. Les Bordes opened for play in 1986 and it’s a supreme challenge. The likeable Jean Van de Velde holds the current course record of 71 (one under par) so don’t visit Les Bordes expecting to play to handicap, this monster layout stretches to 7,062 yards from the tips. It really is as difficult as its reputation suggests.

La Sologne occupies an area of approximately 1,500 sq kilometres and the region offers tranquil walks around lakes and woodland and von Hagge has utilised some of Sologne’s lakes to dramatic effect with island greens and water coming into play on no less than twelve holes.

Les Bordes has a slight American feel to it, both in terms of design and conditioning but there is no doubting that you are in France. There is more style here on this tournament condition layout than just about any other course in France. And what’s most impressive is that visitors can actually stay and play here these days… what sheer unadulterated delight.

Gil Hanse fashioned a new 18-hole course to the west of the existing 18-hole von Hagge layout, which officially opened in July 2021. Playing corridors were previously carved through the trees for a second course when the original course (now called the Old) was constructed, but the latest design (named the New) pays scant regard to what was done before.

The New Gil Hanse-designed course at Les Bordes

Les Bordes (Old)

There's a slight American feel to the Old golf course at Les Bordes, both in terms of design and conditioning, but there is no doubting that you are in France.

One of a trio of great Sologne courses that lie just to the south of Orléans, Les Aisses may not be quite in the same top bracket as Robert von Hagge’s 

 but nonetheless, it complements the American-inspired layout superbly.

There are 27 holes at Les Aisses Golf on a massive 625-acre property. Each loop was named Rouge, Blanc and Bleu and each configured with two par threes, two par fives and five par fours to give a par of 36 for each circuit. The Rouge/Blanc course was actually slightly shorter than the other two 18-hole combinations but was rated the toughest of all three possible layouts.

The Blanc nine was famed for its bunkers, with some holes having enormous waste area expanses running down almost the full side of the fairway from tee to green. On the other hand, the main hazard on the Rouge nine was water and this was best seen at holes 6 and 8, which dogleg in opposite directions around large lakes.

In 2010, things changed at Les Aisses, specifically for the Red and White loops. The original Olivier Brizon design was modern and occasionally eccentric, but Hawtree Limited changed all that and the style now harks back to the Golden Age.

The main 18-hole course is now simply named Les Aisses while the Blue course is now called La Canne. Expect to see Les Aisses heading upwards in the French rankings, as it’s now a course to be reckoned with.

Russell Talley, Golf Course Architect at Hawtree Limited, provided the following article:

Les Aisses Golf lies in the wonderful Sologne region below Orleans, just off the Loire River. The low lying well-drained sandy soils are excellent for growing golf turf as well as harbouring flora such as scotch pines, oaks, gorse, and – in this location – four types of heather. Because of this it’s reminiscent of those southwest London courses that are much appreciated in the golf world, but without the urban development that seems to encroach on these illustrious courses.

The owner’s brief for Hawtree Ltd was to re-create an old-style course reminiscent and inspired by the old heathland courses of the UK. The existing course, built in the early 1990s, was three loops of nine, of which two of them, the red and white course, were chosen to comprehensively redevelop in style.

All tees and greens were remodelled, along with new fairway bunkering. The layout is much the same for sixteen holes, with two new holes created. Bunkers and green surrounds have been modelled to reflect old-style shaping. All the par-3s are different in character, with the new 7th now playing across a quarry mined out for the construction of the original design. The quarry has regenerated with heather and is a beautiful hole.

A major aspect of the re-development was enlarging fairways by cutting back narrow tree corridors on many holes. This width expansion will allow much needed sunlight for heather regeneration in the roughs and afford excellent views of the golf course and the wonderful skies of the Sologne. The combination of woodland management and the new ‘old look’ to the course will, through the years, develop with even more character and interest.

Les Aisses (Les Aisses)

The original design at Les Aisses was modern and occasionally eccentric, but Hawtree Limited changed all that in 2010 and the golf course now harks back to the Golden Age.

The fairways at Golf de Granville date back to 1912, when a number of somewhat primitive golf holes were first laid out by local golfers amongst the Bréville dunes on France’s Atlantic coast, forming the first – and so far only – links layout in the country.

The course was requisitioned by the military during the Great War before Harry Colt was brought in to carry out remedial work shortly after hostilities had ended. World War II also brought about closure of the course and it took some time for it to recover once enmities had ceased.

In more recent times, Martin Hawtree (in the early 1990s) and Stuart Hallett have worked on the course, resulting in its selection as host venue for the French Mid Amateur Championships in 2008.

In addition to the 18-hole Links layout, Granville also boasts a short 9-hole course, called Les Dunes, that extends to 2,216 metres with three par threes and six par fours on the scorecard.


Stuart Hallett kindly provides us with the following exclusive comments:

“I have been working with Granville since 2006, in order to progressively renovate the golf course. At that time, the course didn't look like an authentic links, and it certainly didn't play like one either. Our goal has been to revive the original character of the course despite some lost holes in the early 1990s.

We have re-seeded fairways and greens and ensured the return of fescue turf with annual over seeding by green keeping staff. An extensive restoration and remodelling program has been carried out on tees, bunkers and a number of green surrounds. Large numbers of evergreen trees have also been removed.

The 7th hole was altered from a previously poor par three to an attractive short par four and the green on the 14th hole was moved from a heavy soiled corner of the course onto sandy links ground.

We still have plenty of projects and general improvements to put into place but the course has certainly been transformed. The look and feel of the golf course is a unique experience, especially here in France. The praise of visitors and purists is constant and very encouraging for the future.

One person has made all of this possible; club President, Jean Capelle. Since taking office in 2006, he has fought tooth and nail for the course to be developed, thus giving us the freedom to work and move forward.”


Granville (Links)

The fairways at Golf de Granville date back to 1912, when a number of somewhat primitive golf holes were first laid out by local golfers amongst the Bréville dunes on France’s Atlantic coast...

Situated four miles to the west of Dinard, along the sandy shoreline of Brittany’s Emerald Coast at Saint-Briac-sur-Mer, the fairways of Dinard Golf Club date back to the late 1880s when a group of British servicemen established a number of sporting clubs that would cater for the varied leisure interests of their members.

North Berwick professional Tom Dunn was enlisted to set out a course amongst the gorse and broom on a 125-acre seaside parcel of land which was formerly occupied by only sheep and cattle. It wasn’t long before Dinard became one of the most fashionable places to play golf in France, attracting even aristocracy like the Grand Duke of Russia.

Tom Dunn (brother of Willie Dunn, who laid out the course at Biarritz around the same time) was married to Isabella “Queenie” Gourlay, “the greatest professional of her day” and he would later design more than a hundred courses, mainly in England, including the likes of Lindrick and Royal Worlington & Newmarket.

Sadly, the course has been modified many times over the years so much of Dunn’s work has been diluted. What remains constant is the layout’s lack of length because it still measures a modest 5,334 metres from the back tees. With only one par five (at the right doglegged 4th) and five par threes on the card, the course plays to a par of 68.

Because the eighteen fairways are strung out along the English Channel coastline, out of bounds comes into play at many of the holes so accuracy is the watchword at Dinard. One of the feature holes is the 152-metre 13th, “Les Essarts,” which plays uphill from an old World War II concrete fortification to an exposed flag position on a ridge-top green.

 by author George Peper and the editors of GOLF magazine features the 310-metre par four 6th hole at Dinard: “Dunn laid out this seaside beauty in 1887, well before earth-moving equipment was available. The hole’s undulations are wild and untamed, as nature intended. The narrow fairway is the midpoint of a three-step elevation change, sweeping down to the ocean on the right. Mounds up to twenty feet tall can create some interesting stances for the approach, which is played to a steep-faced green surrounded by swales and native rough.”

Dinard

Situated four miles to the west of Dinard, along the sandy shoreline of Brittany’s Emerald Coast at Saint-Briac-sur-Mer, the fairways of Dinard Golf Club date back to the late 1880s...

Golf de Limère is located just to the south of Orléans and is set in the delightfully secluded Sologne Forest. It’s a modern, thoughtfully designed Cabell B. Robinson layout which opened for play in 1992 and can be enjoyed equally by golfers of all abilities. Naturally you’ll need to select your tee box carefully. From the back tees Limère measures a modest 6,221 metres but don’t be fooled into thinking it’s a pushover as the course tests the very best during annual National Championships held at the club.

Routed across relatively flat and easy walking terrain, the Limère challenge really starts at the greensites which are invariably well bunkered, large and rather tricky to read. But you’ll also need to safely negotiate the trees which can cause a fair few dropped shots if you are wayward from the tee.

The course is nicely balanced, you can expect to use all the clubs in your bag, and the 18th is one of the finest closing holes in France with its island green. The whole Limère experience can be summed up as a very pretty picture, so don’t forget your camera!

Limère

Limère is a modern, thoughtfully designed Cabell B. Robinson layout which opened for play in 1992 and can be enjoyed equally by golfers of all abilities.

Pleneuf-Val Andre is widely considered one of the best and prettiest courses in Brittany and is set between heathland and the sea. Rather links-like in style, Pleneuf-Val Andre is one of Alain Prat's best designs largely due to the excellent topography of the site.

Wide fairways encourage positve ball-striking from the tee, but approach shots require thought due to well defended greens. The signature holes is the par five 1tth where there's a panoramic sea view from the back tee which is perched on a jutting cliff edge. The three-shot hole plays parallel to the English Channel and it's a thriller.

Pleneuf-Val Andre is not long, measuring a little less than 5,900 metres from the tips, but the trick here is to keep keep the ball in play, wrestle with the fickle wind and negotiate many uneven lies.

“The course on the cliffs of the municipality of Pléneuf-le-Val-André in the Côte d’Amor is not yet of an age to reminisce and wallow in nostalgia; it is too young and tradition will come later. For this sea resort only comes to life in the summer and for a long time, golf was limited to miniature golf matches on the lawns of the municipal casino.

When the new Val André course replaced the temporary structures with a permanent clubhouse, the builders were careful to place the bay windows of the dining room towards Verdelet, a small island, rising up out of the sea like a pyramid, beyond the port of Piégu.

In front of the restaurant is the back tee of the 10th hole, a par four which begins the short sea sequence. For the drive you have to aim at the Nantua beach straight ahead to reach the blind fairway leading to a green below. The next is the signature hole and in order to make the most of the outline of this par five you have to climb to the top of the tiny rocky platform which acts as the teeing ground for the very good players.

On the left, fifty metres below, the Vallées beach extends into the huge Nantua beach. On the right of this strip of immaculate sand, the fairway leads to an irregular-shaped putting green. A small ruined house, with the windows wide open and two twisted pine trees at the left of the fairway entrance are the landmarks for establishing position. To reach the lawn, the ball has to travel nearly 180 metres – this is not for the faint-hearted!”

Pleneuf-Val-Andre

Set out along the chalk cliffs to the north of Le Havre, with spectacular coastal views of the English Channel, the original course at Golf d’Étretat extended to only thirteen holes which meant five of these had to be replayed in order to complete an 18-hole round.

Englishmen formed the club in 1908 and they installed Bernard Forbes, 8th Earl of Granard, as the first President. Prominent inaugural members included the likes of Lord Denham, a future deputy governor of Australia, and Lord Wodehouse.

Julien Chantepie and Arnaud Massy, who were based at La Boulie in Paris at that time, designed the initial layout. Massy, who was the first foreign golfer to win the Open, would eventually choose Étretat to retire to and he passed away there quietly in 1950.

The club didn’t function during World War II but the course reopened for play in 1949 (once landmines had been cleared from the property) and Didier Fruchet further revised it in the early 1990s. Today, the layout extends to just over 6,000 metres.

The most exciting sequence of holes arrives at the back nine, between the par five 10th and the par four 14th, where these five fairways run along the edge of the cliffs. The par five 18th is also a fine finishing hole, doglegging left and downhill to the home green.

Étretat

Set out along the chalk cliffs to the north of Le Havre where spectacular coastal views of the English channel are on offer between the 10th and 14th holes as the fairways run along the edge of the cliffs.

Michel Gayon established his design company in 1983 and he’s had a hand in over fifty golf projects since then, with most of his architectural effort carried out in his native France, though his work on the 

 courses at Gloria in Turkey certainly helped to raise his international profile around the start of the new millennium.

The 27-hole development at Sablé-Solesmes was unveiled in 1991 and it arrived at a time when Gayon was at his most productive, having just completed courses in different parts of the country at L’Ailette (near Reims), La Domangere (close to Nantes) and at Esery, located less than ten miles from the city centre of Geneva in Switzerland.

The brief at Sablé-Solesmes was to create a golf course “of the very highest quality, carefully planned down to the smallest detail, where excellence and a strong golfing challenge would go hand in hand with pleasure and serenity” and there can be little doubt that the architect satisfied this demanding mandate with some distinction.

The nines of La Forêt and La Rivière combine to form the championship course at Sablé-Solesmes. Not that the third nine, La Cascade (which is named after the small stream that tumbles over a waterfall on its way to the nearby River Sarthe) should be easily dismissed as it complements the other two circuits rather well.

La Forêt borders the Forêt de Pincé and its fairways wend their way round a flattish landscape, routed around stands of birch, elm and ash trees. The par five 3rd is a particularly strong hole, with a long, narrow fairway that doglegs slightly right to a large, well-protected green.

La Rivière nine is shorter and a little more undulating, with water coming into play at five of the holes. The 174-metre par three 3rd is the feature hole on this circuit, played from an elevated tee position to a peninsula green that’s also surrounded by a long, narrow sand trap.

Sablé-Solesmes (La Forêt & La Rivière)

The architect's brief at Golf de Sablé-Solesmes was to create a golf course “of the very highest quality, carefully planned down to the smallest detail...

The 18-hole layout of first choice at l’Hôtel Barrière de Deauville comprises the Rouge and Blanc nines, with the 9-hole Bleu as an additional playing option. Tom Simpson set out the fairways for the original 27-hole complex on land owned by the Marquis de Lassay in 1929 and the club subsequently hosted the French Open here in 1931 and1956.

Aerial photos from just after the end of World War II show that there was only an 18-hole course in operation at that time but further overhead images from 1961 prove that a refurbished 27-hole layout was back in play before Henry Cotton was called in to carry out a course upgrade.

The modern day Deauville is a magnificent golf facility, comprising a mix of tree-lined and open parkland holes that are draped over beautiful, rolling terrain, with a recently renovated clubhouse – stylishly designed in a neo-Norman manner – situated in front of the imposing 250-bedroom hotel.

Barrière de Deauville (Rouge & Blanc)

The 18-hole layout of first choice at l’Hôtel Barrière de Deauville comprises the 9-hole Rouge and Blanc nines, with the 9-hole Bleu as an additional playing option. The club hosted two editions of the French Open here in 1931 and 1956.

Situated an hour’s drive south of Nantes, the course at La Domangère is one of around fifty operated by the Blue Green management group. Designed by Michel Gayon and unveiled in 1988, this 18-hole parkland layout was the first course to be built in the Vendée department of the Pays-de-la-Loire region in west-central France.

With intimidating water hazards threatening at no fewer than thirteen of the eighteen holes here, it’s easy to understand why this course is rated such a tough test from the back tees. Indeed, it attracts one of the highest slope ratings in the country when played from the tips so visitors are advised to be very careful when choosing their tees.

And yet, a round begins here rather benignly with a par three hole, played to a green that’s protected by sand on either flank. The 2nd, a long par four, gives an indication of what’s to follow, bending left off the tee then right to the green, with water encroaching on the right hand side of the fairway as it narrows towards the putting surface.

Care must also be exercised at the 597-metre 7th, one of the longest holes you will play anywhere. Rated stroke index 1, this daunting par five is regarded as the signature hole on the Blue Green La Domangère course and it flirts with yet more water on either side of the fairway as it snakes right then left between the tee and a very distant green.

La Domangère

With intimidating water hazards threatening at no fewer than thirteen of the eighteen holes at Golf de La Domangère, it’s easy to understand why this course is rated such a tough test from the back tees.

Set out beside the Atlantic Ocean, the sandy-soiled fairways at Golf de Saint-Jean-de-Monts weave their way through a maritime forest before emerging into the open for what Martin Hawtree had described as “a true links finish”.

Extending to 5,896 metres from the back tees and with holes laid out as two returning nines, the course is an Yves Bureau design that first opened for play in 1988. Feature holes include the par four 1st, doglegging right around a lake to the green, and 186-metre 17th, which skirts the 6-hole pitch and putt course in the centre of the property.

 describes the course as follows in this edited extract:

“This course proved that with a low budget, good understanding of the game of golf and intelligent use of the terrain good courses are possible. Laid out along the sea, this is a homage to links golf even though the ten or so holes which wind their way through a forest of pines and oak trees are too tight to really swing freely.”

Saint-Jean-de-Monts

The Golf de la Bretesche course is a Bill Baker production that opened for play in 1967. According to the book 

, Henry Cotton also submitted a design for the course but his fees were considered too expensive so he was overlooked.

The layout occupies a sizeable portion of the Château de la Bretesche estate, former property of the Marquis de Montaigu and the Barons de la Roche-Bernard.

Measuring 6,015 metres and playing to a par of 72, the course is routed between the forest, the parkland estate and the lake, where the magnificent 14th-century Château sits on an island, its entrance protected by a drawbridge.

Many of the greens are elevated (especially on holes 2, 6, 9 and 16), and sand- protected on the sides. The par five 9th is one of the most beautiful holes on the course, due to the breathtaking location of the green next to the Château. On the back nine, the par three 17th is another memorable hole, with water hazards guarding the front and right side of the green.

“The holes are pleasantly laid out and the greens and bunkers are none too difficult and reasonably well-protected. This gives a seamless course which is fun to play with all the family especially since the whole complex is a very slick affair. While the average golfer is happy in calmer waters, the better golfer might expect a tougher challenge.”

La Bretesche

First opened for play in 1967, the course at Golf de la Bretesche is carved through woodland and its fairways are laid out around a 14th century castle, which sits on an island in a lake with its entrance protected by a drawbridge across the moat.

The 27-hole golf facility at the Saint Malo Golf Resort lies half an hour’s drive inland from the coastal town of Saint Malo, comprising the 18-hole championship-standard Surcouf course and the 9-hole Old course, both of which were designed by Hubert Chesneau.

Fairways on the Surcouf course are set out to the north and south of the Mireloup Lake, where heroic water carries are required at both the par three 6th and par four 16th, with a substantial footbridge allowing golfers access to these two holes and beyond.

The Saint-Malo Golf Mixed Open was held here in 2019, the first ever mixed professional Tour event in Europe, featuring men from the Alps Tour and women from the LET Access Series who competed against each other in the same field for the same prize money.

Saint-Malo (Surcouf)

Fairways on Saint-Malo's Surcouf course are separated by Mireloup Lake, where heroic water carries are required at the par three 6th and par four 16th, where a footbridge allows golfers access to these two holes and beyond.

Situated on the cliff tops above the little town of Port en Bessin, the 36-hole golf complex at Golf Omaha Beach lies less than five kilometres west of the Longues-sur-Mer battery, an artillery position that formed part of Germany's Atlantic Wall coastal fortifications during World War II.

Golf got under way here in 1986 when the 9-hole Les Ėtanges course was unveiled, followed by the 18-hole, par 72 La Mer layout a year later. In 2006, the original 9-hole track at Omaha Beach was extended to an 18-hole, par 71 course and renamed Le Manoir.

La Mer is the championship layout at the club, hosting two editions of the now defunct Open de France Senior tournament in 1994 and 2004. Playing to 6,166 metres from the back tees, the course is more than capable of testing both elite amateurs and professionals.

Holes are named after prominent Allied participants, with the heavily sand protected 6th (“General Omar Bradley”) a real feature hole on the front nine. On the inward half, the 145-metre 15th (“General G. Crerar”) is the best short hole on the card, played to a terrific two-tiered green.

Omaha Beach (La Mer)

La Mer is the championship golf course at Omaha Beach, hosting two editions of the now defunct Open de France Senior tournament in 1994 and 2004.

Nestled in the small village of La Chaussée-d'Ivry in the largely agricultural department of Eure-et-Loir, Le Golf Parc Robert Hersant lives on and thrives in the 21st century, long after the passing of its creator, the larger than life media magnate Robert Hersant

The club’s website terms the original owner as “a specialist in excess and botany enthusiast” who planted around 15,000 trees to create what amounts to an arboretum populated with species from all over the world, including Redwoods from Oregon and Gingko Biloba from Japan.

American architect Ron Fream assisted Robert Hersant with the course design and they certainly took their inspiration from America – Florida in particular – as many of the fairways on a very flat property are routed around large expanses of water.

Measuring 6,301 yards from the back tees, the course plays to a par of 72, with holes arranged as retuning nines.

The star of the show here is undoubtedly the 436-metre 4th on the longer front nine. After teeing off over water, players then turn left and head towards an island green that’s flanked by sand to the right and left of the putting surface – even a bogey will feel like a birdie at this stroke index 1 hole.

We contacted Ron Fream about this project and he very kindly replied with the following:

“It started with a telegram to my Los Gatos office in California: ‘Please come to Paris to discuss golf,’ signed R. Hersant. I was already involved in other golf design projects across France in the early 1980s and I made the trip to Paris, coordinating other site visits.

I met Mr Hersant, who was a very imposing individual. It turned out his family had spent a holiday on a yacht in the Mediterranean and one port of call was Port El Kantaoui in Tunisa, where he’d played the recently opened 18-hole course that my Golfplan firm had designed.

He wanted to create a small golf facility at his weekend residence at the historic village of Ivry-la-Bataille. Mr Hersant had been building a magnificent country retreat on the property and an architect had been scouring local farms and villages for authentic building materials.

The residence – with a full side of sliding glass walls facing south to catch the sun – looked out on a small pond that had been excavated to produce enough fill for other areas on the property. The golf facility was to be several holes of modest length around or near the pond.

Ken Rowe, a British man who had settled in France and had worked with our golf design team in France, Portugal and Tunisia, relocated to the estate to guide construction.

Mr Hersant arrived mostly late on a Friday afternoons before dinner time, exiting his big chauffeured Mercedes then and going into the residence to change into baggy shirt and wool pants tucked into wellington rubber boots to inspect works.

We would discuss what to do next and often we would get new directions as he was constantly negotiating with adjacent farmers to secure more land. It turned out Mr Hersant was using the golf construction and landscape activities as a form of stress relief.

As more land parcels were added, golf holes would be redesigned, adding additional metres to an originally shorter hole. We had to tear out good works from last season, shift a green or bunker, add tees and adapt to unanticipated land-holding expansion.

What was most remarkable was Mr Hersant’s focus on the landscape plantings. The site was open pasture but trucks would arrive from tree nursery plantations with hundreds of liquid ambar, ginkos and maples, to be stored on site to keep the landscape crew busy.

Thirty mature giant redwood trees were delivered, each more than 10 meters high. What I later discovered was the Walt Disney company (where I was working on the 27-hole Disneyland Paris course) tried to buy the redwoods just as Mr Hersant made this purchase.

The golf facility did get used by Mr Hersant and VIP guests but his love of the horticulture was foremost. Unfortunately, Ken Rowe died of a heart attack in the guest apartment, not long after Mr Hersant also passed away and our involvement terminated with his death.

It’s clear that subsequent actions by family members continued to add property and expand the golf facility which we never had space to do while Mr Hersant was alive. The horticultural plantings around the property were exceptional and continue to influence the golf experience.”

Le Golf Parc Robert Hersant

Le Golf Parc Robert Hersant is named after the late media magnate who died two years before the course opened in 1998. With plenty of trees, water and sand in play, this is a tough track when tackled from the championship tees.

One of around fifty golf facilities in France which are operated by the Bluegreen management company, the 27-hole Golf Bluegreen Saint-Laurent complex is located in the Mobihan department of Brittany, not far from the peaceful little town of Auray. The 18-hole Les Pins course first appeared in 1976, followed soon after by the 9-hole Menhirs layout.

Stretching to 6,068 metres from the tips, Les Pins plays to a par of 72 (35 out, 37 in), with holes arranged as two returning nines. There are three par fives on the longer back nine, the longest of which is the 491-metre 12th, rated stroke index 5. Feature holes include the first of the par threes at the 175-metre 4th and the tough, left doglegged 10th.

“Set in rolling landscape planted with pines and oak trees, Michael Fenn’s 18-hole course was designed and built with the most serious of intentions. Many of the holes run up and down, making things easier in the wind but a little less appealing otherwise. With the sea and holiday resorts nearby, golfers can abandon the family for a few hours without remorse.”

Saint-Laurent (Les Pins)

Situated close to the southern end of the Brittany coast, the Golf Bluegreen Saint-Laurent’s championship 18-hole Les Pins course first appeared in 1976, with the 9-hole Menhirs layout added a short time after to fashion an engaging 27-hole facility.

Situated less than half an hour’s drive from Versailles in the northeast part of the Yvelines department, Feucherolles Golf Course is one of more than fifty golf facilities operated by the UGOLF management company within France and Spain.

Opened for play in the early 1990s, this 18-hole layout is a Jean-Marie Poellot design which weaves its way around five sparkling lakes on a rather hilly 140-acre property.

Extending to 6,348 metres and playing to a par of 72, the course is configured as two retuning nines, each of which features two par threes and two par fives.

Highlight holes include the pair of par fives that conclude both nines in front of the clubhouse, sharing the same boomerang-shaped double green, with both fairways separated by a central water feature.

“This is a comparatively hilly course where relief has been employed intelligently to carefully avoid blind shots. The very varied design brings all types of hazard into play (there are five lakes) and demands every shot in the book. The layout often gives a choice of strategy and some exciting short-game situations around the greens.”

Feucherolles

Situated less than half an hour’s drive from Versailles, the Feucherolles Golf Course is an early 1990s design from Jean-Marie Poellot, with fairways laid out around five sparkling lakes on a rather hilly property.

Fashioned by Fred Hawtree in the early 1960s, the course at Le Vaudreuil was acquired in 2008 by Jean-Claude Forestier, head of the Petit Forestier family business which specialises in the rental of refrigerated trucks and employs four thousand people with a turnover of more than €700million in 2018.

According to the owner, his vision for the property can be summarised as: “trying to make the estate a sort of small resort, with our small eight-room hotel telling the story of the Grand Slam. Beside, we now have villas dedicated to tourist golf accommodation, each also telling a great event.”

Working closely with PGA France, the club operates a Golf Court Academy that has all the latest technology and instrument analysis, along with a fitting workshop for putters and wedges. Outside, there are several putting greens, chipping greens and training bunkers.

Altus Performance Europe is a more recent development, welcoming young players through programs such as weekend camps and school holiday camps. Its main objective is to make golfers aware of all the different performance facets such as technical, tactical, physical, mental, lifestyle and equipment.

The course itself is laid out as two returning nines, the shorter outward half measuring 2907 metres and playing to a par of 35, whilst the longer inward half (featuring three par five holes) extends to 3,322 metres, with par rated at 37.

Highlight holes include the very short par three 5th (“Les Vikings”) and the 358-metre 9th (“Richard Coeur de Lion”) which plays to a pronounced back-to front sloping green. On the back nine, the par four 17th (“Famille Raoul Duval”) is a tough hole, with a centre-line bunker hampering the most direct route to the green.

The Le Vaudreuil Golf Challenge on the Challenge Tour has been held here since 2013, becoming almost a permanent fixture on the men’s second-tier professional circuit in Europe.

Le Vaudreuil

Fashioned by Fred W. Hawtree in the early 1960s, the course at Le Vaudreuil was acquired in 2008 by Jean-Claude Forestier, head of the Petit Forestier family business which specialises in the rental of refrigerated trucks...

We’ve grouped the regions of Normandy, Brittany, Centre and Pays de la Loire to create the North West area of France. There are many good golf courses to be found in the French North West and we’ve still in the process of carrying out a detailed review of the region.

In the north east of Normandy you’ll find Dieppe-Pourville, where the club's original 9-hole course was fashioned by Willie Park Junior, and further west at Le Havre there’s the Tom Simpson track at 

 that was upgraded by Henry Cotton in the 1960s.

Further west in Brittany there’s the pretty coastal layout at 

 and to the south in the Loire you’ll find a lovely Henry Cotton-designed parkland golf course at Golf de la Bretesche whose centrepiece is a delightful castle hotel that features in the Michelin Guide.

A few miles to the south west of Orléans in the Centre Region, you’ll find the jewel of the North West, which was the brainchild of Baron Marcel Bich (the man behind Bic pens). Texan, Robert von Hagge, designed 

 on a day when he was at his most wickedly creative and it’s a must-play golf course that regularly vies with Morfontaine for the French No.1 spot.