Golf de Saint-Nom-la-Bretèche - Paris, France

On Sunday the Continental Europe team won against Britain and Ireland at the Seve Trophy, hosted by the course at Golf de Saint-Nom-la-Bretèche. This week’s course review takes a look at the golf on offer at one of France’s premier championship courses.

Located on the outskirts of Paris, the golf course at Saint-Nom-la-Bretèche is a 36-hole layout set against the beautiful French landscape. The course is accessible from Paris and Versailles, and has become one of France’s most prestigious clubs since opening in 1959.

The layout at Saint-Nom-la-Bretèche consists of two 18-hole courses, known as the Rouge and Bleu (red and blue), which can be played separately or combined to form a single 36-hole course. During tournaments, selected holes from both courses are combined to make up 18 holes of superb championship golf.

The Fred Hawtree design at Saint-Nom-la-Bretèche has resulted in a scenic parkland setting that will test the skills of any golfer. Because both courses can be played in 9 or 18 hole formats, a great deal of variety can be expected by golfers who have the opportunity to play both courses. Undulating fairways and tricky greens are the norm, with generous landing space for balls that are launched accurately off the tee.

Both courses are known for their bunkering, making the already tight greens a challenge for players whose short game is a little rusty. The presence of water hazards, especially near the greens of many holes at Saint-Nom-la-Bretèche, is a further challenge to golfers – all in all, both courses favour players with a developed short game while rewarding long hitters for accurate drives.

Saint-Nom-la-Bretèche is a private golf club, catering for its local membership. Although visitors are not strictly permitted without a member, golfers may enquire about opportunities to play the course when travelling through the area, or take the opportunity to play one of the many other excellent courses in the area.

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