[Malcolm Mckinnon]

Do not come here to Pas de Calais as a one ball. Misery will ensue as 5 hour rounds are what I endured at both golf courses on a weekend in early April.


But do come and stay at the Westminster Hotel here. It is a gem, with fantastic food!!

Golf de le Touquet was about a 4 hour slog to the 14th tee and then it poured rain. I walked in from there.


Harde-SLOW was the same. I abandoned the golf course after 14 holes to meet friends on time in Leper, Belgium for dinner.


The improvements on Le Touquet by Frank Pont were terrific. Too bad the holes leading up to them were a bit of a let down to me.


Highlights...


New Redan 7th at Le Touquet. Was not yet open for play. Looks great!


DSC00863 by Malcolm Mckinnon, on Flickr


Rebuilt 8th Green at Le Touquet.


DSC00866 by Malcolm Mckinnon, on Flickr


New 8th green


DSC00867 by Malcolm Mckinnon, on Flickr


9th tee at Le touquet


DSC00869 by Malcolm Mckinnon, on Flickr


9th approach


DSC00872 by Malcolm Mckinnon, on Flickr


New 9th Green


DSC00874 by Malcolm Mckinnon, on Flickr


!0th tee, Par 3 , Le Touquet


DSC00875 by Malcolm Mckinnon, on Flickr


Better view


DSC00876 by Malcolm Mckinnon, on Flickr


10th green


DSC00877 by Malcolm Mckinnon, on Flickr


11th tee, Par 4, Le Touquet


DSC00878 by Malcolm Mckinnon, on Flickr


11th again


DSC00879 by Malcolm Mckinnon, on Flickr


11th green


DSC00883 by Malcolm Mckinnon, on Flickr

12th tee


DSC00884 by Malcolm Mckinnon, on Flickr


12th Green


DSC00888 by Malcolm Mckinnon, on Flickr


13th tee!!


DSC00890 by Malcolm Mckinnon, on Flickr


The story of the restoration of "Le Touquet"!!


DSC00892 by Malcolm Mckinnon, on Flickr


13th Green


DSC00896 by Malcolm Mckinnon, on Flickr


13th green again


DSC00897 by Malcolm Mckinnon, on Flickr


And again...


DSC00898 by Malcolm Mckinnon, on Flickr


And That was pretty much that as the weather got worse.


Some highlights of Hardilot les Pins (Hardi-slow) by Tom Simpson to follow eventually...

[John Mayhugh]

Sorry you had such a bad experience in the Pas-de-Calais.  Slow play can be really frustrating. 

Even so, your clickbaity thread title is ridiculous.  Why trash two courses based solely on pace of play on a single visit?  Both courses are quite good architecturally, and that's what should be prominent in this discussion group.  (Note:  as a pace of play counterpoint, our three ball played two rounds at each course in summer 2014 and noticed no pace issue.)

Why do you feel the holes preceding 7 at Touquet are "insipid?"  I thought they were far from being uninteresting. 

You mentioned the "new Redan 7th."  What's new there?  It appears the same as the green complex that I saw in 2014. 

[Rich Goodale]

Ou est les bents d'antan?

[Joey Chase]

I am sorry to hear that you didn't enjoy your time there.  I will be visiting in August as a single, hoping to get out early enough that it won't be a problem to play both. 

[Kalen Braley]

Even so, your clickbaity thread title is ridiculous.  Why trash two courses based solely on pace of play on a single visit?  Both courses are quite good architecturally, and that's what should be prominent in this discussion group.  (Note:  as a pace of play counterpoint, our three ball played two rounds at each course in summer 2014 and noticed no pace issue.)

My one round at Pacific Dunes took 4.5 hours.  As such I can not recommend that dog track to anyone!! 

[Malcolm Mckinnon]

OK, I admit it.


I came for architecture appreciation not pace of play. Yet when I can't traverse 18 holes in 5 hours, in Europe no less, frustration sets in, sorry. I also could not finish either course due to slow play/weather and had to walk off which colored my reviews.


I would suggest to readers that are interested to try to play on a weekday. The Westminster Hotel in Le Touquet was superb and it's excellence should be emphasized!!


Lets continue with views of Hardilot, les Pins. Tom Simpson was damned good at placing bunkers and making them visually deceiving. Also, the more I review my pictures, Simpson was damned good at everything!


Highlights...


Green on 1st hole...


DSC00902 by Malcolm Mckinnon, on Flickr


Another view of 1st green..


DSC00903 by Malcolm Mckinnon, on Flickr


and another...


DSC00904 by Malcolm Mckinnon, on Flickr


5th tee, par 3, tee view...


DSC00915 by Malcolm Mckinnon, on Flickr


6th tee, par 5, tee view


Someone has allowed somebody to construct some generic waste areas around this classic Simpson course. More on the back nine but completely out of character and a damned shame to see. Whomever did this should be shot!


DSC00917 by Malcolm Mckinnon, on Flickr


6th green approach and very creative and deceptive from afar bunkers!


DSC00919 by Malcolm Mckinnon, on Flickr


7th green, par 3!


DSC00921 by Malcolm Mckinnon, on Flickr


8th tee, through the chute to the welcoming embace, visually, of a large bunker!


DSC00923 by Malcolm Mckinnon, on Flickr


Approach on 8.


DSC00925 by Malcolm Mckinnon, on Flickr


9th hole, par 4, tee view


DSC00928 by Malcolm Mckinnon, on Flickr


9th approach..


DSC00929 by Malcolm Mckinnon, on Flickr


Closer in..


DSC00929 by Malcolm Mckinnon, on Flickr


And the rest of my pictures are overexposed. I am still suffering here from switching camera mode while pulling camera out of pocket in golf bag.


If you insist I can post.


For those of you who have seen my later tours of Braid Hills and Pitreavie I have corrected the switching mode on my camera issue.


In actuality, I thought the front nine was far superior to the back at Hardilot, les Pins, anyway. I ended up walking off the course after 14 holes as the pace of play was glacial!


Saw what I could of the last 4 holes walking in and have no great regrets.

[Malcolm Mckinnon]

Rich,


Where are the whats???

[Tony_Muldoon]

Malcolm thanks for sharing your experience and photo's.   Others were luckier and I'd like to know what to avoid.

Shame as it's a cool part of the world to visit. PG Wodehouse lived and golfed there in the 1930’s. He was captured by the Germans and after the war continued his preferred lifestyle in the Hamptons.


Were you there late in the day? (...when you started  )
Weekend?

This part of France is in a lot of golf catalogues which try to attract groups. The trouble with groups is they include people who only pick up their clubs once a year on such outings and overall the focus is on socialising rather than golfing. The most galling thing can be following a group where the regular players set off first, always leaving the slowcoaches to go out last holding up everyone else, with a three or four hole gap opening up.  Sometimes I've had to walk two or more holes as they would never call you up.

You haven't quite succeeded in putting me off but I won't now go unless I can plan well in advance and secure an early tee time.


AS an aside. The BUDA group ran into this during our second round at Perranporth.  Most matches were abandoned after 9, 10 or 11 holes. Sadly people seem to behave more like golfers if they've paid the stiffer green fee typical at a well regarded private club?  The higher green fee leads to a smaller no of visitors, which helps. That's pretty much sums up my experience.    Snob, moi?

[Sean_A]

Malcolm


Thanks for the pix.  Le Mer doesn't look anything special to my eye, but Le Pins looks a treat...except for the waste area treatment    I am not sold on the ragged edge bunkering either, but that will likely mellow over time.  I spose if you are there for one the other gets played. 


I think you need to treat resort courses with a more measured temperment.  I am not saying 4+ hour rounds are good, but as Spangles suggests perhaps more specific planning is required to get the full measure of enjoyment out of a resort course. 


Ciao

[Sam Krume]

From from what I can recall, it was Frank Pont that also handled the restoration at Hardelot.

[Adam Lawrence]

Malcolm


Thanks for the pix.  Le Mer doesn't look anything special to my eye, but Le Pins looks a treat...except for the waste area treatment    I am not sold on the ragged edge bunkering either, but that will likely mellow over time.  I spose if you are there for one the other gets played. 

Sean -- in that view you agree with some good judges, notably the eminent Mr T Dunne of this parish, but I take a different view. I can see why people find Les Pins more attractive as of now -- it is more coherent, more obvious eye candy and the restoration work is basically finished. La Mer (sea is feminine fwiw) still has a long way to go because it had been more mucked up, by the war and other things, but its bones and potential are a clear step ahead of Les Pins imo. Hardelot is a lovely course which only needs better turf (it was a total poa factory when I last saw it in 2014) to reach its full potential, but inside La Mer there is a top ten, maybe top five European course struggling to get out. Frank and Patrice know how much they have to do there, and it will take time -- there are a few boring holes in the early part of the round, as Malcolm highlighted, notably the fifth and sixth, on very flat ground and not original Colt holes, though I don't share Malcolm's view that all the opening holes are dull, the second is a classic Colt par three for example.


Here, fwiw, is my writeup on La Mer from last October's GCA.


http://www.golfcoursearchitecture.net/content/a-new-buzz-for-one-of-harry-colts-european-classics

[Sean_A]

Adam


You could be right...I am only judging from pix...which I always do to decide trips.  I may be far more interested in Mer once work is completed...time will tell. 


Ciao 

[Matt Dawson]

Tony has it spot on, in my experience

Without wishing to generalise, I have noted that golf in mainland Europe (esp France) has traditionally had a certain social cachet. In my experience (I have played most of the courses on the Opal Coast & Biarritz area) golf outings there tend to attract relatively affluent mixed sex groups. Their main focus is on the social aspects of good food & wine, conversation and fashion.

The course itself, and the physical aspect of playing golf, tend to be an afterthought. In fact the gathering need not necessarily take place on a golf course at all; it could just as easily be a party or lunch on the clubhouse terrace whilst wearing smart sports attire, in order to benefit from the positive association with golf

Much like a good wine and general ambience of the country itself, the experience is certainly not to be hurried, and the concept of "time taken" is largely irrelevant. Failure to understand this cultural difference may lead to frustration and disappointment. Nobody involved is likely to change their approach, nor see any reason to rush.

I will say however that last time I was there, it was noticeable that younger junior golfers seemed much keener on golf itself i.e. practice & play, than the older generation

And I found La Mer quite enjoyable, despite challenging weather conditions on my visit...certainly a cut above the others in terms of strategy and difficulty

[Ally Mcintosh]

For what it's worth, when I played here in 2005, I preferred Hardelot over Le Touquet La Mer.

It was a shorter, more compact walk and I just loved the variety in some of the holes, features and green complexes.

But I know what Adam is saying. La Mer is a bigger course, could have a beautiful links feel restored and really become a contender. Much more of a second golden age type course.

For me though, Les Pins was heaven

[Malcolm Mckinnon]

Ok, so here are the opening 6 holes! Judge for yourselves!


I was wondering what I was doing here. Thankfully 7th hole and mid-course were terrific!!



Hole 1, Par 5, Tee view!


DSC00845 by Malcolm Mckinnon, on Flickr


Hole 1 view from fairway..


DSC00846 by Malcolm Mckinnon, on Flickr


Hole one, closer in..


DSC00847 by Malcolm Mckinnon, on Flickr


Hole 2 par 3, About 180 yds...


DSC00848 by Malcolm Mckinnon, on Flickr


False front bunkering...


DSC00849 by Malcolm Mckinnon, on Flickr


2nd green...


DSC00850 by Malcolm Mckinnon, on Flickr


3rd tee, par 4


DSC00851 by Malcolm Mckinnon, on Flickr


3rd approach...


DSC00852 by Malcolm Mckinnon, on Flickr


4th Tee, ZZZZZZZZZ


DSC00854 by Malcolm Mckinnon, on Flickr


4th fairway,  ZZZZZZZZZ


DSC00857 by Malcolm Mckinnon, on Flickr


4the green, yawn


DSC00858 by Malcolm Mckinnon, on Flickr


5th tee, snoozing right now..


DSC00859 by Malcolm Mckinnon, on Flickr


View of 5th green...ZZZZZZ


DSC00861 by Malcolm Mckinnon, on Flickr


6th tee view, Yawn!


DSC00862 by Malcolm Mckinnon, on Flickr

[Jon Wiggett]

Malcolm,


seems to me that what the first 6 holes need more than anything is a decent bunker scheme. Greens seem to look okay from a contour point of view but holes appear to lack form/shape.


Jon

[Ed Tilley]

A few years ago, I was on holiday near Biarritz in SW France and got up early to play at Seignosse. This is a Robert Von Hagge course built around 1990 with tree lined undulating faiways and a fair amount of water. Nice course and quite highly rated - around 30 in continental Europe I believe.


I booked and started at around 7 am as I was on my own and all was going fine until around 12th when I encountered 2 groups of approx 10 juniors each getting some on course coaching. They clearly weren't letting me through so I was forced to skip a couple of holes. When I returned home I got an e-mail asking why I hadn't turned up and that I should pay for my round even though I hadn't played. I assured them I had turned up, had paid, and was in fact a bit annoyed that I'd had to skip holes due to them sending out a coaching session in front of me. I was told that there was no way they could have held me up as they sent them off the 10th an hour after I'd gone off on the 1st ant it would take me 2 and a half hours to play 9 holes!


Anyone who thinks 5 hour rounds are an aberration in France needs to think again. That is how long they think it should take. You've actually got more chance of a quick round at Hardelot and Le Touquet because there will likely be a number of English golfers playing on any day due to its proximity - it's a lot closer to London than St.Andrews is!


I liked Hardelot les Pins a lot even before the restoration. it was definitely the best of a reasonable bunch in the area inclunding Le Touquet, Belle Dune, and Hardelot les Dunes. A very easy trip from SE England with good courses and the obvious benefit of a complete culture change. For those Little Englanders you can play at Wimereux near Calais as you can see the white cliffs of Dover from the course on a clear day.

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