[Sébastien Dhaussy]

An easy one :

[Mike_Clayton]

Can you imagine we went from playing the French Open at Chantilly - with post round games three times a week at Morfontaine - to play this course?

[Sébastien Dhaussy]

Good call, Mike  

it's indeed Le Golf National, site of the French Open since 1991.

From the French Golf Federation :

"Historical record  

The French Golf Federation’s Executive Committee and its President Claude Cartier decided the construction of the Golf National in September 1985. Three years of work, from July 1987 to October 1990 finalised the course. It was then inaugurated by Ray Floyd, Greg Norman, Jeff Sluman and Marc Farry.
Hubert Chesneau golf-course designer was invited to create from past corn fields of over 139 hectares (350 acres), around the Chateau of Versailles (once home of Louis X1V), a Stadium course of International stature. On completion The Golf National would not only be the home for the French Open but also a centre for both National and International Championships. It would also be open throughout the year to the amateur golfer on a pay as you play basis.
The concept was based on opening a tip for roads or building diggings.
400 lorries a day moved a total of 1600,000 cubic metres of material with a further 600,000 removed to create water hazards. It was a tremendous challenge, which could have not succeeded without the total support of all involved.
One might be surprised with a links course with water hazards. These hazards and rolling terrain similar to that found in many Scottish Links courses became the concept. Trees took too long to grow in a short period of time when the course had to be, from 1991, a championship course. The hillocks or hummocks offered excellent facilities for television coverage of future championships.
As the course was created from a "clay base" it was essential that irrigation be of major importance so that the fairways would remain dry whilst any water would flow into the "hazards".
After the inauguration of The Golf National, the Albatros Course was the venue for the first French Open in June 1991 when, in a day of both wind and rain, Nick Faldo described the course as both tough but fair. Faldo was not the only world-class player to speak favourably of The Golf National, and it was of prime importance that many others supported Faldo. In March 1994 Golf Weekly ranked The Albatros Course 3rd European Championship Course through a survey carried out within the PGA Tour Professionals.
The Albatros Course is now the permanent venue of the French Open.
The Oiselet (Birdie) 9 hole course was opened in April 1991 and the Aigle (Eagle) 18 hole - in November 1991."

I will post tomorrow old GCA threads on Le Golf National.

[Steve Okula]

Can you imagine we went from playing the French Open at Chantilly - with post round games three times a week at Morfontaine - to play this course?

I can imagine it. Golf National is a good course, not a great one, but a good one. Contrary to the French Golf Federation's contention, it is in no way a links course, it is an inland course with trees, water, clay, and the bunker styling making it more parkland.

I heard rumors that Van Hagge had a lot to do with the National design.

 Golf National has far better infrastructure, space and parking to host a professional event than Chantilly has, the latter being an overrated layout that depends on the name of the designer rather than its own virtue.

What do you mean "three post round games" at Morfontaine?
Morfontaine and Chantilly are separate entities entirely.

[Mike Nuzzo]

I heard rumors that Van Hagge had a lot to do with the National design.

VonHagge is the architect that popped in my head when I saw the aerial.

I'd also say it is more than a rumor - it's listed on their website....

Cheers

[Mike_Clayton]

Steve,

Chantilly may be overrated by some - I guess it depends on how highly you rate it in the first place - but it was a fantastic tournament course and it was French with a beautiful typically Fench clubhouse to match.It is one of the most beautiful in the world.
They say the alterations to the course have not been so good and it is hard for me to imagine they now don't use the holes we played as 16,17 and 18 on the main course.They were three of the best finishing holes I have ever seen.
I think each countries national open shoud be a celebration of the particular countries golf and the course should reflect the individuality of their golf.
The new course was an American TPC course that demended that style of golf - something that is not seen on any other French course I have played. It had no relationship to traditional French golf which is fantastic.
It was difficult and it had a great infrastructure for tournaments - but that was the problem with most golf courses on the European Tour.As the money went up the quality of the courses went down because there was a perfectly good commercial reason for going to a poor golf course every week.Witness last years Ryder Cup.

I first played Morfontaine as an Amateur in 1980 in a match against the French team.
We went over one day after an Open round at Chantiilly (1988 I think) and asked if we could play.The club somehow remembered we had been there before and could not have been accommodating.
We finished up playing quite a lot of golf there over the years and it remains one of my favourite courses.

[Sébastien Dhaussy]

Here is a good old GCA thread on Le Golf National.

http://www.golfclubatlas.com/forums2/index.php?board=1;action=display;threadid=20376

Great photos of the course from Keith Durrant and good inside information from Rick Baril who works for Mr Von Hagge.

[Tags:]

Tags:

[Tags:]

Tags:

Call to undefined function theme_linktree()