Patrick, I assume you are talking about the West course, Francis Byrne's second hole.
I think it is in the lower 10% of Biarritz holes built by Madonald-Raynor-Banks - even when the upper tee was used (it may be used now again, I haven't been there in years (RIP) - hah)
When I first started playing there in the late 1950s, the hole was 220 played from an built up upper back tee box (typical Banks thinking - he would like you to see the problems you faced clearly from most tees, if possible).
Yes it was one of the hardest pars on the course but to me, a poor example of the genre.
The swale was very shallow as was the side bunkering.
To me, just a long, hard par-3 - very forgettable.
The Biarritz at Essex County CC if very good and quite different than the norm. We added all the original bunkering thoughts of Banks from the green, all the way up the hill. It is the only I can think of that has a green angled from the direct line of play.