GOLF ESCAPES

Short Haul: France
where
to stay
Formerly the summer mansion of
Napoleon III and Empress Eugenia, the
Hotel du Palais overlooks Biarritz’s main
beaches and boasts 120 rooms and 30
luxurious Suites, three restaurants, an
outdoor sea-water swimming pool and a
Spa including sauna, hammam, fitness
and treatment rooms. Visit
hotel-du-palais.com
The secreT of france
Biarritz
South-east France has some of Europe’s best golf – available for an amazing price with a special pass.
Arcangues is a terrific
Ron Fream design.
The Basque Coast is a privileged area
that attracts golfers from around the
world, seduced by the quality,
diversity and beauty of the courses.
The area boasts an exceptional
concentration and variety of courses in
addition to a mild climate, fascinating history
and heritage, as well as a laid-back lifestyle
that make it a paradise for visiting golfers.
So golfers from far and wide have
discovered four of the most beautiful courses
on the Basque coast: Arcangues, Biarritz Le
Phare, Makila Bayonne and Seignosse.
Seignosse is the best known to British
golfers by virtue of it being consistently in
Golf World’s Top 100 ranking of
Continental European Courses – but the
other three are extremely worthy colleagues.
And you can play the quartet for an
astonishingly low price through the Biarritz
Golf Pass. It allows you to play two rounds
Biarritz Le Phare was designed by the Dunns... in 1888!
for €100 (low season) up to €130 (high
season), three from €150 (low) to €195 (high)
or four from €200 (low) to €260 (high).
Contact one of the four clubs to book the pass
or via the website www.golfpassbiarritz.com.
These are the courses you could be playing...
Arcangues
Designed by Ron Fream in 1991, this 6,756-
yard course offers nice views on the Basque
countryside and the Pyrenees.
There is a good flow between the holes, which
sit nicely in the diverse landscape. After your
round, you can enjoy the wonderful view from
the restaurant which overlooks the 1st and
10th tees and the 18th green.
Makila Bayonne
Prolific American Rocky Roquemore laid this
splendid course out in 1993. Slightly longer
than Arcangues, it is routed around
Exacting Seignosse is one of Europe’s very finest courses.
magnificent oak trees yet provides large
fairways so is not overly punishing.
Roquemore made a terrific job of assimilating
the course in this large natural woodland site
in front of the Pyrenees.
Biarritz Le Phare
This is a course of immense history, dating
back to 1888. It was designed by the famous
Tom and Willie Dunn and is a cute sub-
6,000-yard course in a prestigious
environment in the heart of Biarritz city.
Biarritz Le Phare was later tweaked in 1920
by Harry Colt, making it one of the most
illustriously-designed courses in Continental
Europe. Oozes French golf history and the
sports tradition of the Basque Country.
Seignosse
Celebrated American architect Robert Von
Hagge created Seignosse in 1989, and it has
been a fixture in Golf World’s European Top
100 for many years. It is under 7,000 yards
but is one of the most challenging courses in
France as a result of narrow fairways lined by
mature trees and numerous water features. A
real masterpiece, its undulating layout covers
a natural mixture of pines and cork oaks. n
Contact details:
t: +33 (0)5 59 03 71 80
w: www.golfpassbiarritz.com
e: info@golfpassbiarritz.com
46 GOLF ESCAPES 2015