25The Scotsman Saturday 2 February 2008Brittany offers drive of your life8216Dinard
resists the
temptation to
8220bling8221 its
course up for
to u r i s t s 8217PLUS POINTS
France8217s relaxed
approach to the
game is a breath of
fresh air for visitorsPicture: PADuncan Forgan
gets
in the swing of French
golf as he samples a
variety of courses in
the wild north westG olfWHENJean VandeVelde8217s
chances of winning the
1999 British Open at
Carnoustie evaporated in
watery farce in the Barry Burn, many
commentators could notresist the
temptation to remark on a French
tendency towards flaky eccentricity.
Unfair and grossly stereotypical though
that maybe, there8217sno doubtthere isa
certain 8220otherness8221 toFrance8217s golf
scene. Yet, in a sport often characterised
by monotonousstiffness andcountry-
club style exclusivity, that French
randomness comesas abreath offresh
Gallicair, abracingshotof whichIhad
the pleasure of sampling in person last
autumn in Brittany.
Golf tourism isbig business these
days, with lavishly manicured totems to
the game8217smassive pullingpower
springingup everywherefrom Dubaito
Delhi.As alluringas thesedevelop-
ments areto thoseof usinstilled witha
golfing obsession,most aresorely
lacking in soul.
Thankfully, there8217s little artifice about
golfing inFrance8217s wildnorth-western
corner. Brittany offers golf in varying
habitats 8211a morninground inan
ancient hunting forestcan be followed
by an afternoon ona classic links course
8211 butthe componentsremain thesame:
a warm welcome,eye-watering value,
great foodand drinkand anuplifting
absence of witheringglances when you
forget tobutton upyour collarin the
clubhouse.
Our Bretongolfing odysseybegan in
beaming sunshineat PleneufVal
Andre8217s championship course. Having
experienced Brittany on family holidays
asa child,I hadvague memoriesof
rolling countryside, rugged coastline
and firm golden-sanded beaches.
However, my fadedrecollections failed
to do justice to the reality.
Havingarrived thepreviousevening
withthe countrysideshrouded indank
October drizzle, hopes were not high for
the forthcoming days.The golfing gods
canbe generousas wellas cruel,how-
ever, and by the time we made the first
tee, theearly morningmist hadcleared
to revealsun-dappled sea,bright green
grass and autumnal trees.
While my own play was sorely lack-
inginthe inspirationalqualitiesof
the surroundings, the course 8211 home
toan eventon Europe8217ssecond
professional circuit,the Challenge
Tour 8211is amust fordiscerning golfers.
With most of theholes winding their
wayinlandover undulatingterrain,the
courseisnota linksinthetruestsense.
However, the layout8217s signature hole,
the 11th, standscomparison with any
seaside beauty in the world.
Considered by many to be the most
attractive inFrance, the550-yard par58217s
tee sits 200 feet above a fairway
bordered on the left by a wide sandy bay
and on the right by gorse-studded hills.
Nextday westuck tothe coast,and
pitched up atDinard golf course.
Designed bythe Scottisharchitect
Willie Dunnin 1887,Dinard isthe
second oldest course in France and it
retains atimeless feelthanks toits
idiosyncratic ragbag of holes and its dis-
tinctiveArtDeco clubhouse.Despiteits
relative fame, thegreenkeeping team at
Dinardhave resistedthe temptationto
8220bling8221their courseup forthe benefitof
tourists, resultingin awild andrugged
test inkeeping withage-old golfingtra-
ditions.
While Brittany8217s most compelling
pullis undoubtedlyits fabulouscoast-
line, theregion8217s interioris studded
with golfoptions ofthe highestcalibre.
Our base during our stay in Brittany was
at theGolf de Saint Malocountry club
near thesmall villageof LeTronchet.
Situated inthe MesnilForest, aformer
hunting ground of famed corsair Robert
Surcouf, thecountry clubcomplex
offers highly competitive three-star
accommodation, two great restaurants
and a championshipstandard course
designed by Hubert Chesneau, architect
ofthe GolfNationalcoursein Paris8211the
annual venue of the French Open.
Another inlandtreasure isLa
Freslonniere. Although a mere stone8217s
throwfrom thering roadsurrounding
the region8217s capital cityRennes, it feels a
million milesfrom theurban whirl.The
course is situated in an ancient forest,
whichencroaches onall sides.Every
tree-linedholegives thegolferthe
impression of being in splendid isola-
tion andthe courseprovided amore
than fitting finale to our trip.
It8217s all too easy to take France, and
especially the country8217s northern
reaches, for granted as a golfing destina-
tion, its proximity to these shores often
counting against it. However, with Flybe
operatinga routebetweenEdinburgh
andtheRennes, andfellowbudget
carrierRyanair flyingfrom Londonto
otherdestinations inBrittany, suchas
Brest and Dinard, therehas never been a
better time to re-immerse yourself in the
charms ofone ofEurope8217s mostdistinc-
tive regions.
Endowedwith auniqueCeltic
identity, the area8217s physical beauty is
matched by its wealth of cultural and
architecturalhighlights. Andinkeep-
ing withits traditionof gastronomic
excellence 8211 the kilometers we racked up
on the course were swiftly undone by an
array offresh seafoodseemingly
designed to assuage the pain of the
inevitable misplaced drives,iron shots
andputts 8211Brittanyprovidesa feastfor
holiday golfers looking to get back to
glorious basics.
For more information on golf in Brittany see
w w w. b r i t t a n y t o u r i s m . c o m .Flagging up the continental optionsWHILE the established holiday golf
hotspots of southern Spain and
Portugal8217s Algarve remain
justifiably popular, the
boom in low-cost flights
makes strapping on your
clubs and exploring
options in the rest of
Europe more viable than
e v e r.
If the magical troika of
sun, sea and sand is what
you are after from your
golfing holiday, then
Turkey makes for a
great alternative to the
often overrun Iberian
resorts. In 2004, there
were just nine golf
courses in the entire country. The
Turkish golf federation has big plans,
however, and has set its sights on
establishing more than 100 new golf
courses in the next four years.
For the moment, the jewel in the
country8217s golfing crown lies in the
region of Belek, about thirty minutes
from the popular resort of Antalya,
where a host of championship courses
are winning rave reviews, including the
layout at the Cornelia resort designed
by Nick Faldo (pictured left). For more
information, check out
w w w. g o l f t u r ke y. c o m .
Eastern Europe may not sound like the
most obvious place for a golfing
holiday, but the combination of
competitive prices and a surprisingly
high standard of course design make it
one of the continent8217s up-and-coming
areas. The Czech Republic, in particular,
is experiencing a dramatic surge of
interest in the game and it is easy to
combine a visit to Prague with a round
at nearby championship courses such
as Karlstejn and Konopiste.
Moving away from the Czech capital,
the West Bohemia area of the country is
ideal for a combined spa/golf holiday.
The golf course in Karlovy Vary is
located only a few kilometres from the
famous colonnades and springs of the
largest Czech spa town, while another
Bohemian option includes Marianske
Lazne. See www.golfczech.com for
more details on deals and
accommodation.
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