A new five star golf course designed by Tom Doak opened it’s first nine holes on May 1st near St Emilion in the lovely wine region of Bordeaux in France.
With seven acres of lake, rainfalls will provide a natural watering of the new Saint Emilionnais Golf Club, that opened for play on nine holes on the 1st og May, with the full 18 holes opening in September.
The golfing legende Mourgue d’Algue family is behind the course, promising a new experience that will combine the art de vivre à la française with the British golf experience.
Saint Emilionnais Golf Club is located in a valley fringed by centenary oak trees and framed by vineyards and located just 6 miles from the village of Saint Emilion.
The selected grass is low on water and the mowers are hybrid. The overall maintenance is top-notch with 12 workers in the long run just for the course, and a highly qualified superintendent, playing off 3-handicap.
75 national titles
Golf is part of the family heritage in the Mourgue d’Algue family. With 30 national titles and 40 selections in the national team, Gaëtan, the father has dedicated his life to the development of golf in France. For 40 years, this visionary has largely been involved in three major golf business activities; the organisation of professional tournaments among which the Trophée Lancôme, the creation of golf courses and of the first European guide Europe’s Top 1000 golf courses-Peugeot Golf Guide, and the first worldwide guide The Rolex World’s Top 1000 golf courses.
His wife, Cécilia has probably one of the most eloquent record in French amateur golf with 45 national titles and two silver medals at the World team championship. After winning the NCAA in 1995, their daughter Kristel turned professional on the European Tour. As for their son, André a scratch player and a national champion in his own right, he joined his father in golf course construction after graduating in engineering and political science.
Oak trees framed by vineyards
Always in search of exceptional sites for golf course construction, Gaëtan and André discovered ten years ago this magnificent 252-acre piece of property located in a valley fringed by centenary oak trees and framed by vineyards and located just 6 miles from the village of Saint Emilion, a UNESCO listed World Heritage of Humanity site.
They fell in love right away with the site so well suited for a golf course not far from the Tower where Montaigne wrote his essays in the XVIth century. They then went into developing a proper concept and got the permits for in turn selling the project to a Canadian company, called Intrawest. A few years later, they got the opportunity to buy back the whole project and to build one of the best courses in Europe.
Having played quite a few of his courses and especially Pacific Dunes in Bandon Dunes, Oregon, the family decided to hire the Maestro of architecture, Tom Doak. His artistic talent is renowned all over the world and so is his love for nature and his ongoing desire to preserve it. The goal here is ultimately to build a natural golf course that respects the site without ever distorting it. It will be fun to play for all types of players while remaining a challenge for the best; two essential components of a good golf course.
The Mourgue d’Algue are also developing a first hamlet composed of 11 houses aimed for golfers or potential investors. Well integrated to the beautiful region of St Emilion, they are located by the clubhouse with views on the course, the vineyard and a XIIth century roman church.
See more:
