Hardelot is a 1930s Tom Simpson course just south of Boulogne near Calais on France's Channel coast.
The great bunker placement and well-chosen greensites that Simpson is known for are present, but several holes are choked by trees, particularly the par three 5th and 17th holes.
There's lesser land in the middle of the back nine, but the small amounts of interest in the ground are well used to build excitement - along with some great bunkering and tricky greens.
It's infinitely playable, moreso than London's heathland gems due to the absence of heather, and the undulating sand terrain and towering pines make it a great place to play golf.
Also, it rained Biblically the day before I played, yet at 8am the next moning it was not only dry but very firm under foot. Bloody impressive as I had been worried the course might be sluggish, or even worse - closed.
90mins or so from Paris, 45mins from Calais, the great resort town of Le Touquet (with its Colt and Hutchinson courses) just 15mins away, €75 midweek summer green fees... there really is no reason for UK golfers to stay on the boring side of the Channel all the time.
1stWe kick off with a par five, a bold cross bunker dominating the fairway, to be carried on the second shot. At the green the course's theme of significant undulation fronting the putting surface is seen for the first time.
2ndAnother par five, more reachable than the first, though a drive that puts you in range will render the two-tier green blind behind the large bunker set into the dune, while a shorter drive leaves it all out there in front of you.
3rdA gentle dogleg to the left mid-length par four with plenty of movement in the green and another bold bunker short right.
4thThe bunker front right dominates the hole's strategy and has wonderful rugged aesthetics. Likely a mid to short iron approach shot.
5thThe first par three (117m from memory, I've shipped my scorecards and yardage book home) and the first hole where tree encroachment really jumps out at you, blocking the right-hand bunker and stopping the bunkering from dominating the eye the way it does on 13 at Worplesdon or 17 at Swinley, for instance.
6thTall pines line the left with bold dunes down the RHS out of bounds line. The "sperm" bunker in the fairway is just the start of the great sand hazards, and it needs to be flirted with to take the trap short right of the green out of play.
7thA tiny par three, we played it at 95m, over cavernous bunkers, requiring perfect distance control on less than a full shot. Great to see such a short hole.
8thA fantastic driving hole over exposed sand on the dunes that roll in from either side to a fairway that is much wider than it looks. The green sits propped up and the wedge you're likely to have in your hand on the approach needs to be pinpoint as the green surrounds will fend the ball away.
9thStraight into the rising sun, so the pics are bad. A shortish (340m ish?) par four over some imposing bunkers, the hole then doglegging left to a plateau green partially hidden behind pines that appear to have encroached, making the short iron in uncomfortable, but not in a good way.
10thA steep dune fronts the green of this genuine three-shot par five, forming the major feature of the hole.
11th280m from the back, bending left as it climbs the hill, the deep trap short right meaning it's wise to play to your reliable wedge distance, as a weak half wedge in will be severely punished.
12th150-odd-metres and slightly downhill, a ridge coming in diagonally from the front right and running down the left of the green. That combines with the circular bunker in front to make a running approach tricky. My 27-marker dad hit a high 3 wood to 3ft to give me my highlight of the day. Part of Hardelot's massive appeal is that it doesn't bash lesser players around... they will struggle with the shots that are called for at the green, but there's nothing terrifying or straight-up intimidating.
13thA flat ground par five that utilises great bunkering to make you think.
14thA mid-iron par three, with a false front making short pins uncomfortable.
15thA funny little short par four. Only 270m or so as the crow flies. The green is behind the "V" in the trees just right of the bunker in the fairway. A bold drive over that drop in the trees leaves a flick up the hill to a wild green.
16thThe only undulation on this reachable par five comes at the green, but it's a great plateau surface with a fronting bunker, making it tough to run a long club on. Great green makes a potentially plain hole really interesting.
17thThe longest of the par threes at 168m (give or take a metre or two maybe) over an exposed sand dune to a green that drops away hard to the left. Trees encroach on the right, again taking away from the natural fear of the hole.
18thThis used to be a short five (making seven three-shotters for the course!!) but now it's the longest par four on the course. The green flows beautifully out of the left, making it a tough closing par.
