Where is "hot Yoga teacher" man when you need him. He seemed to really like the Coore course but hated the (looks of) the hotel.
Personally I quite liked both the course and the hotel. Must have been a dozen years ago and it needed tidying then, but on the flatish terain I doubt it could ever be more than a Doak 6. Lovely greens. The knowledgeable member I played with also spoke well of the Whitman course. I haven't been to Melbourne, but during my July visit I thought it's how I expect those courses to look and play like.
About an hour from St Emilionnaise, it makes a nice trip for Oenphiles. Bordeaux is a cool city too.
However I have to wonder if this might also be "a pied dans l'eau"! The coast from north of Bordeaux to south of Biarritz is for nearly two hyndred miles, one long stretch of heathy (pines!) and dunes. It was mostly marsh until Napoleon 3 planted millions of pines. Somewhere there's room and the right terrain for a Bandon sized development (permits permitting.)
I've also played Golf du Royan, a little to the north which had much more rolling terrain. Another friend confirmed my favourable impressions and likewise he would have been more impressed with the course, if they'd ever turn the watering systems off - squelched accross the course in 33 degree heat! To the south near Biarritz, Chiberta and Hoessegor are better courses. The weather near the Bay of Biscay can be VERY mixed, but I've swum in the sea from February to October and the winters aren't that harsh.
I've often thought of a spring return.