Le Golf National and Hubert Chesneau

[Tim Gavrich]

The European Tour is outside of Paris this week at an interesting-looking site, Le Golf National.  It was designed by Hubert Chesneau.  Has anyone played it?  Has Mr. Chesneau designed any other notable courses?

Cheers.

[Mike_Clayton]

Tim,

I played the French Open there five or six times after it moved from Chantilly.
Chantilly was quintesentially French - beautiful ,elegant clubhouse,a fine Tom Simpson course amongst the forest and a fantastic venue.
Also it was close to Morfontaine where we would spend the afternoons after our rounds sneaking in more great golf.
It moved to the Federation owned course with an onsite Novotel for the players in an ordinary part of town that had almost no charm.
The course is build out of heavy clay - material won from the building of a nearby freeway, I think - to look like a links in parts but with all the cliched American water holes - especially the opening pair and at the finish where water is the main feature.
As far as I could tell there was nothing the French could point at as being uniquely French about the course - unlike the best of the Paris courses which are elegant and charming - and fine courses.
It is quite difficult if the wind blows - I see Martin Kaymer did 62 this am so it must have been calm - and would be the course the French are using as their Ryder Cup venue in the upcoming bidding process along with Sweden,Germany and others.

I know nothing else M Chesneau has designed.

[Cristian]

Tim,

I played the French Open there five or six times after it moved from Chantilly.
Chantilly was quintesentially French - beautiful ,elegant clubhouse,a fine Tom Simpson course amongst the forest and a fantastic venue.
Also it was close to Morfontaine where we would spend the afternoons after our rounds sneaking in more great golf.
It moved to the Federation owned course with an onsite Novotel for the players in an ordinary part of town that had almost no charm.
The course is build out of heavy clay - material won from the building of a nearby freeway, I think - to look like a links in parts but with all the cliched American water holes - especially the opening pair and at the finish where water is the main feature.
As far as I could tell there was nothing the French could point at as being uniquely French about the course - unlike the best of the Paris courses which are elegant and charming - and fine courses.
It is quite difficult if the wind blows - I see Martin Kaymer did 62 this am so it must have been calm - and would be the course the French are using as their Ryder Cup venue in the upcoming bidding process along with Sweden,Germany and others.

I know nothing else M Chesneau has designed.

I think von Hagge played a role in the developement of the course serving as a consultant to Chesneau.

I played the course as well; the water holes are indeed a contrast to what links golf should be; a shame since there are some interesting holes between the start and finish which make you feel like you are far away from an industrial area sw of Paris (which you are not). I think a lot of money went into the project and wonder what the course would have looked like if DMK, Doak, or Kyle Phillips would have been invited to design the course. Also I think they put in a top layer of sand to ensure fairly f&f conditions, but only if the course is not overwatered of course. (It looks very Green on telly).

[Christoph Meister]

Fellow German Martin Kaymer just played the course and after winning the French Open there Sunday I am sure he quite likes that course - whar a pity all French Open tournaments are played there given the number of other nice and sometimes historic courses there are in France....

[Ulrich Mayring]

Robert von Hagge lists Le Golf National as his design on his website and gives no co-design credit.

Was the links-style an afterthought, perhaps brought in by Hubert Chesneau after von Hagge left?

Ulrich