A handful of new courses have raised this holiday island's profile as a world-class golf destination, boasting courses with varying levels of difficulty. Minty Clinch tours the tees.
1. GOLF CLAUX AMIC
WHERE IS IT? About 5km west of Grasse, 29km northwest of Cannes.
WHAT’S IT LIKE? Cut from a magnificent oak forest, 600m above sea level, Claux Amic (pictured above) is both a welcome escape from the heat of the Riviera and a test of golfing nerve. This narrow sloping layout punishes decent shots with unpredictable roll or bounce. All too often, a long straight drive disappears forever from the middle of the fairway, either into a bed of clover or a heap of hostile rocks. The local rule concerning stones in bunkers (you can move them) sums up the management’s laissez-faire attitude to course preparation. With serious investment, it would be spectacular. As it is, it’s so quirky and so far removed from lush target golf, that it would be a pity to miss it. Take a cart, though: this is true foothill country.
CONTACT: 1 Route des 3 Ponts, F-06130 Grasse, tel 33 4 9360 5544, claux-amic.com
PRICE: 18 holes US$80 (high season), US$60 (low season), under 18, 50 percent reduction. After 1700, US$60. 18 holes plus plat du jour, US$86/US$73 (Tue-Fri); 18 holes plus buffet and wine US$100/US$86 (Sat-Mon).
CAN I RENT CLUBS? Yes, US$20.
CLUB HOURS: Pro shop 0800-sunset.
MINIMUM HANDICAP: 36.
FACILITIES: 18 holes, par 72, 5,896 metres, covered and open-air driving range, putting and pitching areas.
AFTER GOLF: Upstairs bar and restaurant with a long shady terrace (0800-2000). Buffet lunch on weekends, 1130-1545.
2. GOLF D'OPIO VALBONNE
WHERE IS IT? 19km north of Cannes.
WHAT’S IT LIKE? There can be few more relaxing places to stay on-site and play golf than Chateau de la Begude, a 17th-century Provençal country house that has been converted into a comfortable but unpretentious hotel. The first and 10th tees start near the remains of a Gallo-Roman aqueduct in front of the clubhouse, an inspiring feature (though not necessarily for better golf). The course is one of the oldest in the area and was designed by British architect David Harradine in 1966. Set among mature trees on undulating terrain, it is a fair challenge, but not as savage as some of its neighbours. Long less-than-straight hitters need to plot their way around the tight front nine if they’re not to drop shots – and lose balls – in the woods, but they will probably make up for it on the more open return.
CONTACT: Route de Roquefort-les-Pins, F-06650 Opio, tel 33 4 9312 0008, opengolfclub.com
PRICE: 18 holes US$92, nine holes US$61, twilight rate (two-and-a-half hours before sunset) US$68. Under 26, 50 percent discount.
CAN I RENT CLUBS? Yes, US$41 (Taylor Made).
CLUB HOURS: Pro shop 0700-1900.
MINIMUM HANDICAP: 36.
FACILITIES: 18-hole course, par 73, 5,785 metres, covered driving range and practice area.
AFTER GOLF: The hotel dining room and bar double as the clubhouse, with a buffet breakfast (available from 0700) and waiter service at lunch and dinner. The menu is country French, with quality Provençal dishes and a good wine list. The restaurant is open until 2200.
3. GOLF SAINT DONAT
WHERE IS IT? About 18km northwest of Cannes.
WHAT'S IT LIKE? A Robert Trent Jones, Jr layout with a two-sided personality. The first 10 holes are flat, the last eight fairly hilly, with spectacular views and a distinct possibility of serious ball loss. This is a modern facility with sculpted American-style fairways, but handsome trees provide a rewarding feeling of permanency for a course that is only 13 years old. The most serious problem is the rivulet that runs through it, cropping up in awkward places on half a dozen holes – all the more frustrating because the banks are lined with rocks. Again, it is not a long course, so it pays to work out a strategy rather than blaze away in the hope of risk reward. Don’t expect to second-guess the greens, which are both well defended by bunkers and varied enough to punish complacency with the putter.
CONTACT: 270 Route de Cannes, F-06130 Plan-de-Grasse, tel 33 4 9309 7660, golfsaintdonat.com
PRICE: 18 holes US$89, with student card US$64, under 18 US$49. Twilight rates: 9 holes+ (starting three-and-a-half hours before sunset) US$64, nine holes (starting two hours before sunset or early in the morning on tee 10) US$49. Compact nine-hole course, US$25.
CAN I RENT CLUBS? Yes, US$33 (Wilson).
CLUB HOURS: Pro shop 0800-1830.
MINIMUM HANDICAP: 36.
FACILITIES: 18-hole course, par 71, 6,030 metres, compact nine-hole practice course, 1,000 metres, covered and open practice range, pitching and putting area.
AFTER GOLF: La Cloiserie restaurant and bar overlook a lake filled with koi carp. The wide circular terrace is a delightful place to sit back and listen to the roar of the feature fountain. Open 0730-2030, lunch served from noon to 1500. The pro shop is a golf fashionista’s dream – or nightmare, depending on the bank balance.
4. LA GRANDE BASTIDE
WHERE IS IT? 17km north of Cannes.
WHAT'S IT LIKE? Leased to Club Med until three years ago, La Grande Bastide is slowly recovering from a long period of neglect. The site is very compact, with holes that criss-cross one another in awkward places. As it is the easiest course in the area – a short walk on flat terrain – it is understandably popular, especially with inexperienced golfers. The management is aggressively commercial, maximising profits by selling as many green fees as possible, undermining the green-keepers’ efforts to get the show back on the road. This also results in a lot of waiting around as hackers struggle with graded fairways, lush rough and huge bunkers, but if you pick your moment – possibly early in the morning – you will likely be rewarded with a high scoring round.
CONTACT: Chemin des Picholines, F-06740 Chateauneuf-de-Grasse, tel 33 4 9377 7008, opengolfclub.com
PRICE: 18 holes US$85, nine holes US$56, under 26 US$42. Twilight rates: nine holes+ (two-and-a-half hours before sunset) US$64/US$32.
CAN I RENT CLUBS? Yes, US$36.
CLUB HOURS: Pro shop 0700-1900 (summer).
MINIMUM HANDICAP: None.
FACILITIES: 18-hole course, par 72, 6,105 metres, open driving range off mats, pitching and putting areas. Group courses with English-speaking pro (tel 33 6 0756 3157).
AFTER GOLF: Small and informal, with an attractive Riviera-style terracotta clubhouse and a spacious terrace with wooden decking overlooking the 18th green.
5. ROYAL MOUGINS
WHERE IS IT? About 10km north of Cannes.
WHAT'S IT LIKE? In a classy area, Royal Mougins is at the top of the “must play” list, but don’t expect an easy ride. This is one tough golf course, designed by Robert von Hagge with intent to daze and confuse the higher handicapper and test the lower to their limits.
On a restricted space, the holes are not long but, as is customary with von Hagge, the water content is enormous. He lays down his marker at the second hole, a par three with an elevated tee requiring an accurate shot onto a handkerchief green surrounded by water and rocks. Splash, or bounce and splash? Take your pick. Characteristically cambered fairways slope towards lakes or rough, making it difficult to keep the tee shot in play, especially if you go for it with a driver. Success in this respect can easily be ruined by an errant approach shot onto large but subtly contoured greens.
The green fee sensibly includes a cart for the long distances from green to tee.
CONTACT: 424 Avenue du Roi, F-06250 Mougins, tel 33 4 9292 4969, royalmougins.fr
PRICE: Weekdays US$233, weekends/holidays US$300. Includes green fee, practice and cart.
CAN I RENT CLUBS? Yes, US$67 (Taylor Made).
CLUB HOURS: Pro shop 0730-1900 (summer), 0900-1700 (winter).
MINIMUM HANDICAP: 30.
FACILITIES: 18-hole course, par 71, 6,004 metres, open air and covered driving range, as well as a practice area.
AFTER GOLF: A handsome clubhouse, recently refurbished with elegant minimalism and a fine eye for detail by British designer Kelly Hoppen. Terrace bar and restaurant open for breakfast and lunch (1130-1600). There is an on-site hotel with indoor and outdoor pools and deluxe spa.
