Dr. B's course review of the week -- Installment 1-- Golf de Fountainbleau

[Bart Bradley]

Okay guys….

I decided to start a new regular series of posts of course reviews.  I will attempt to do one new course per week.  I am hopeful that my opinions will be taken as such and will serve as a starting point for some interesting discussion.

As a background, I will admit that routing and green complex interest are more important to me than some other (and valid) rating criteria.

I will try to develop a standard format for presentation as we go along but may have to try a few to find the right combination.



So, here we go.

Installment #1.…

GOLF DE FOUNTAINBLEAU

Attributed to:  Tom Simpson 1909

Location:  Fountainbleau, France

What makes it great: 

   The course has an interesting and intimate routing moving through a property with some elevation change, hardwood trees, boulders, and heather.  The first nine is basically an outer loop with the backside holes in the center.  The course has some very interesting bunkering and I particularly enjoyed the par 3s.

A picture of the framed routing inside the Tudor clubhouse:



Here is the par 3 14th 145m.  Note that the top of the bunkers are 2 or 3 feet higher than the green surface behind.



What makes it unique?

The interesting and quirky par 5 12th.  Players must decide how to navigate a large field of boulders that sits approx. 30 - 100 yards short of the green.  Players ending up in this “hazard” might find themselves lucky and have a shot forward or they may be stymied up against one of the boulders.



What makes it NOT so great?

The greens complexes, although above average, lack some of the character and movement at other courses attributed to Simpson.  Tree removal and trimming could open the playing corridors and provide for more playing angles. 



My visit:  April 2010

My overall rating:  7

Let the fun begin 

Bart

[Scott Warren]

Great to see some of the course - I have been to Fontainbleau twice (what a great town) but never had clubs with me. Looking forward to future installments.

[Mac Plumart]

Bart...

what does a 7 mean in your rating system?

[Bart Bradley]

Mac:

a 7 would be a very good course but would fall outside the World Top 100 ...7s would be in consideration for the Top 200-400 courses worldwide.

a smart aleck answer would be "better than a six and worse than a eight". 

Bart

[Mac Plumart]

Got it...better than 6 but worse than 8.  That helps out tremendously!!

I like this idea.  Can't wait for your Grandfather review!

[Ed Oden]

Bart, thanks for reviewing a course not many of us have seen.  Visually, it looks a bit like a cross between a heathland and a parkland course.  Is there anything in the US that would be at all comparable?  Perhaps its just coincidence, but the pictures seem to suggest that the course is better attacked through the air than on the ground.  Is that representative of the course as a whole?

Ed

[Jim Briggs]

I see the 12th is only 455 yards from the tips.  Probably tempting for most everyone to go for it in 2 with a decent drive, but certainly doesn't provide for the "proportionate penalization" that some prefer for off line/short shots...pretty random outcomes possibe as you point out.  Would you consider this a half par hole?

[Bart Bradley]

Bart, thanks for reviewing a course not many of us have seen.  Visually, it looks a bit like a cross between a heathland and a parkland course.  Is there anything in the US that would be at all comparable?  Perhaps its just coincidence, but the pictures seem to suggest that the course is better attacked through the air than on the ground.  Is that representative of the course as a whole?

Ed

I agree...I know of no courses in the USA with heather...you?  I don't know of anything comparable.

The turf was firm and there was certainly a good amount of run on the ball, but I thought many of the shots required an aerial approach.  I will try to post a few more pics of the heather soon.

Bart

[Bart Bradley]

I see the 12th is only 455 yards from the tips.  Probably tempting for most everyone to go for it in 2 with a decent drive, but certainly doesn't provide for the "proportionate penalization" that some prefer for off line/short shots...pretty random outcomes possibe as you point out.  Would you consider this a half par hole?

Certainly, the 12th is half par hole.  I did have a go and came up just on the front fringe...The green is quite deep with multiple ridges and tiers, and given my inadequate short game, I failed to get up and down and made par (I do think the hole location was the most difficult, just a few paces from the back edge).  My 15 year old son laid up to about 120yds and made par from there...taking the boulders and cross bunkers out of play.  It is an interesting hole (I have played nothing quite like it)..but probably not a great one. 

Thanks for checking out the thread.

Bart

[Steve Okula]

I haven't been to Fontanebleau for a couple of years, but I recall that par 3 14th hole. The green is actually set back 2-3 clubs from the bunkers, but standing on the tee it looks as though it is hard up against them, as it appears in your photo. It's a great optical illusion.

I agree 100% with your comment regarding tree removal. Fontainebleau is the poster child for the chainsaw deprived. If they would open up those narrow corridors it would easily surpass Morfontaine as the best course in France.

[Anthony Gray]

  Bart,

  Please keep them coming.These threads are what keeps people coming back to the DG.As a lover of quirk and Simpson's Cruden Bay this is a great start to your series.The Bolder field gives me chills.I would be extactic to hit into that just to see what happens.Again thanks for your contribution.

  Anthony

[Andrew Mitchell]

I agree 100% with your comment regarding tree removal. Fontainebleau is the poster child for the chainsaw deprived. If they would open up those narrow corridors it would easily surpass Morfontaine as the best course in France.

I agree - looks to be a great course there being choked by those trees

[Adam Lawrence]

Steve - I haven't played Fontainebleau, but I have Morfontaine, and I loved it - would be very interested to hear your comparison between the two.

Adam

[Rob Miller]

Bart- Thanks for the photos. 

The bunkers on that par 3 look like land mines.  Are they considerably short of the green?

Is there anywhere else in the world that has a semi-playable field a boulders as a hazard?  Was it interesting, or just unusual?

[Andrew Bertram]

The course is located in Fontainebleau Forest which is classified as a Royal or national forest.

For the Club to remove any tree they need government approval, in a very french manner they find that far too much of a hassle to be bothered with.

I found that the only holes where the trees were too much in play were 15 and 18, while the rest of the course has far too many trees they really do not come into play.

Even with a scorecard i have always thought 12 was a 4, i had to drag my card out to confirm it was a 5.

The biggest difference i fine between here and Morfontaine is that the greens at Morfontaine are far more interesting, Morfontaine have clearly managed the tree issue far better and on an ongoing basis.

 

[Bart Bradley]

Bart- Thanks for the photos. 

The bunkers on that par 3 look like land mines.  Are they considerably short of the green?

Is there anywhere else in the world that has a semi-playable field a boulders as a hazard?  Was it interesting, or just unusual?

Rob:

Yes, the bunkers on the par 3 14th are several steps short of the green.

I think the the boulders are interesting AND unusual...but you certainly wouldn't want to count on having a playable shot from that area...but you certainly could get lucky and have a swing.  I like quirk and find this feature to be fun.  I don't know of any other hole like it...but I don't claim to know it all.

Thanks for your interest and comments.

Bart

[Bart Bradley]

Bart, thanks for reviewing a course not many of us have seen.  Visually, it looks a bit like a cross between a heathland and a parkland course.  Is there anything in the US that would be at all comparable?  Perhaps its just coincidence, but the pictures seem to suggest that the course is better attacked through the air than on the ground.  Is that representative of the course as a whole?

Ed

I agree...I know of no courses in the USA with heather...you?  I don't know of anything comparable.

The turf was firm and there was certainly a good amount of run on the ball, but I thought many of the shots required an aerial approach.  I will try to post a few more pics of the heather soon.

Bart

Ed:

I promised a couple of more photos...check out this fun par 3 with an almost "G" shaped bunker (ha!)  and a tee shot among lots of heather.











Enjoy.

Bart