Golf courses in France have seen major improvements

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As France reopens its borders, golfers at Golf d’Hardelot and Le Touquet Golf Resort on the country’s northern coast can now enjoy a number of course enhancements, practice area improvements and new routings.

The lockdown period has enabled greenkeeping staff at Golf d’Hardelot to complete project work on its carefully restored Tom Simpson design. Work on the Les Pins course had originally started in November 2019 and included reducing the elevation of the 3rd tee and softening landing areas on the 14th green to allow for more pin positions.

Le Touquet Golf Resort

All changes have now been finalised and have rapidly bedded in, with recent course closures also allowing for levelling to take shape and renovated playing surfaces to fully recover.

Ludovic Hettinger, head greenkeeper at Golf d’Hardelot, who continued to manage the venue’s two 18-hole layouts throughout confinement, said: “Lockdown has helped the golf course changes bed in really well. We also used this period of closure to increase the size of the putting green at Les Pins by 25 percent, which, unintentionally, will now help with current social-distancing measures.”

Ludovic Hettinger, head greenkeeper at Golf d’Hardelot

At sister venue, Le Touquet Golf Resort, 12 miles (20km) further south, visitors can now experience more flexible playing options on the resort’s 18-hole La Forêt and 9-hole Le Manoir courses.

By re-routing two holes from each of the layouts and creating a new 18th green for La Forêt, players returning to the destination on France’s Opal Coast, now have the option of three loops of nine holes, which all return to the clubhouse. A full 18-hole round on La Forêt can still be played, if preferred.

Le Touquet Golf Resort

Commenting on reopening, Charles Debruyne, Golf Director at Le Touquet Golf Resort, said: “Golfers have been eager to return. In just three days, we received over 800 tee time bookings. We hope the announcement by Prime Minister, Edouard Philippe, which attested people would be able to take holidays within France this summer, will encourage visitors to come and play some of France’s best courses, including its number one links.”

Golf d’Hardelot

Occupying the dramatic terrain between the Côte d’Opale’s expansive duneland and swathes of pine forest, Le Touquet Golf Resort and Golf d’Hardelot sit just 12 miles apart in the southern region of France’s northernmost department, Pas-de-Calais, and are both managed Open Golf Club.