GT's art director, Warren Keating, recently spent a week in Lyon, France and its surroundings playing golf on what he reports are "breathtakingly natural," "picturesque" and "pristine" courses. We admire Keating for keeping his focus throughout his tour. The longtime GT employee moonlights as a painter and we're sure he was tempted to trade his driver for a paintbrush on a hole or two. Instead he brings us this detailed account:
A couple of weeks ago, I was fortunate to be included in a group of journalists that were invited to visit the Rhone/Alpes Region to review/photograph some of their golf courses. It was a short trip, Sunday to Wednesday, but the P.R. people made sure that we experienced a lot of gourmet food, great golf and some of the culture of the villages and towns of this incredibly charming region.
Golf in France is one of the best-kept secrets in Europe. While most Americans think of Scotland or Ireland as the ultimate destination for golf in Europe, Northern Europeans have already discovered that the courses in France are beautifully natural, moderately priced and the weather and culture can't be beat. The Rhone/Alpes region is home to the "real France," with old castles and villages surrounding the Rhone, dotting the hills of the Ardeche Mountains, a region inhabited by unbelievably friendly people. This is truffle and wine country, so the food and drink found here at the 19th holes is superb. We were able to have a meal at the fabulous gourmet restaurant, Michel Chabran, feasting on delicately prepared courses of regional cuisine and sampling Rhone Valley wines. During the trip, I made friends with an Irish and a German journalist, and we did our part to empty the casks of local wines, each night...and into the morning.
La Valdaine Motelimar Golf Club was our first stop. It's an unassuming, but interesting layout, situated at the foot of the Castle of Monard which houses 35 rooms and serves as three-star accommodations for visiting golfers. From December to March, the site hosts very successful truffle and golf weekends, and, in May, the course hosts the Pro Am des Nougats d'Or.
The course is the most southerly in the Rhone Alps region and meanders through plenty of natural water hazards and a beautiful river that runs through several of the holes. With slight elevation changes and mature trees, this course is a wonderfully natural experience, although often tempered by mountain winds. The Par 71, 6139 yards course, designed by Tom Macauley, is playable by all, no matter the handicap. Number 9 is the most challenging hole with a 200-yard carry over water off the tee, followed by another long iron over the lake into the green.
The next day we played at Domain de Saint Clair Annonay, located on the grounds of an 18th century castle. Nestle between the Ardeche Mountains and the Rhone Valley, the course is breathtakingly natural and features panoramic views on 172 acres of countryside, framed by century-old trees. A sense of peace and solitude exude from this tract, which plays at 6328 yards, Par 72. The adjoining hotel is a swanky, but affordable three star hotel that feels much more like a four star, complete with gourmet restaurant.
Our last stop was the Golf Club of Albon Senaud, meandering through hills around the majestic castle of Senaud. 296 acres of elevation changes, streams and lakes make each hole entirely unique. From the first tee, you see a picturesque lake, protecting the pristine green whis is framed by the majestic castle of Senaud, and you know that you're in for a treat. A creek meanders through the back nine, providing a peaceful, although challenging, character to your finish. Built in 1990, the course has somehow developed a mature feel.
For more information about the Rhone/Alpes region, click here.
