4 Complementary and varied courses in the Landes region

The one hundred kilometers of coastline of the Landes region are fast becoming the new trendy destination on the Atlantic coast.

Since last June, a chic and discreet retreat has seen the light of day: 70 Hectares... & l'Océan, the newborn Domaines de Fontenille on the Seignosse golf course. An ideal base from which to discover the four highly complementary, characterful courses that compete for the limelight within a thirty-kilometre radius. The courses were built in different eras by architects with different philosophies of the game. These include the English inland courses at Hossegor and Pinsolle, the Scottish links at Moliets and the American-style courses at Seignosse.

Moliets: the Landes links

Moliets-et-Maa, a small village of 1,000 inhabitants on the Landes coast, is a sports destination par excellence. Here you can surf, sail, cycle, fish, hike, play tennis and, of course, golf. Especially golf, since the American architect Robert Trent Jones and his assistant Cabell Robinson created a 27-hole course in 1989, laid out over 84 hectares:

- an 18-hole course, La Forêt et l'Océan (5824 m par 72). With its show-stopping holes along the ocean, this course is one of the region's must-sees. From the moment it opened, it was destined to become a major championship course. When this sports complex - offering golf and tennis - was built in 1986, the municipality called on Robert Trent Jones Sr - who is credited with over 450 courses worldwide - to design the course. He slid the first twelve holes into the Landes forest, on steep terrain amidst maritime pines, and then imagined an anthology amen corner - from 13 to 16 - along the immense Landes beach. Planted on the dune, these four signature holes undulate like a wave amid tall-grass roughs and large, wind-swept greens. The course is straightforward, intimidating like the 5 with its wide expanse of water and often difficult to score on, with multi-faceted greens well protected by bunkers and water hazards. The course is characterized by short, playful par 3s, long par 4s and fairly short par 5s. The only drawback for walking golfers is the relatively long links between holes. Constructed on sandy soil and very well maintained, the course can be played every day, in all weathers and all year round.

Today, the Moliets golf course is back on the map. A number of improvements have been made to the course - long and demanding in windy conditions - to bring it back to its former glory: the roughs have been planted with tall grasses, the greens have been made faster, and the bunkers have been given a new Scottish look. The proof is in the pudding: today, several professional players, including Benjamin Hébert, Mathieu Decottignies and Grégory Havret, come here regularly to train.

- And a 9-hole course at L'Airial (1854 m par 31), a short but technical course that can be played in 2 hours, whether you're an experienced golfer or a beginner. This is the course of choice for trainees, who can try their hand on the greens at their leisure.

. A Wedging Stadium, Dave Pelz's test circuit, which enables players to assess their level of short game based on the 8 situations most commonly encountered on courses around a green. The wedging stadium's great originality lies in the organization of workshops that can accommodate 24 players on the wedging plateau and 16 players on the Dave Pelz circuit at the same time.

GOLF DE MOLIETS Tel 05 58 48 54 65 www.golfmoliets.com Green-fees: Low season: €65 High season: €81 Carts: €35

Pinsolle,

Created as part of Miacatouristique (Mission interministérielle d'aménagement de la Côte Aquitaine), by Satel (the Landes regional development authority), the Pinsolle golf course, near Soustons in the Landes region, has been open since June 1990. In 2004, it became a private, publicly-funded structure in the form of a société d'exploitation des intérêts de Port-d'Albret. Originally designed by architect/urban planner Pierre Thévenin, the golf course featured a pitch-and-putt course, and was particularly original in that it had a driving range over water, a 7-hectare pond on a 15-hectare site that was probably the largest in France. The golf course really took off in 2000, when it was transformed into a nine-hole course. " This approved 9-hole course is set in an environment of pine and oak trees, just a few hectometres from the ocean," stresses manager Karine Laudouar. Well-situated between the 2 golfing monsters of Moliets and Seignosse, Pinsolle is the ideal complement that can be played in 2 hours... "Subscribers are very assiduous, especially seniors, as the course is flat" adds Karine. It's a flat course, with a few difficulties on holes 3 and 4, where you have to position your drives and approaches correctly, and the par 3s on 1 and 6, where you have to cross the water, which always presents some apprehension for an inexperienced golfer. Hole 9 has recently been modified, making it much more "golfable". "In 2019, a driving range and 3 practice holes will be created on the former hole n°9," adds Karine Laudouar, underlining that "future modifications will be made to the course to make it even more attractive and interesting to play".

The appeal of the Pinsolle golf course also lies in its attractive rates. "Beginners can immediately enjoy playing on a flat, technical course where the golfer can tackle all game situations," adds Karine. In addition, the site boasts an exceptional practice area, with no less than 3 putting greens, one of which has a bunker exit, and 30 driving ranges on water, 6 of which are covered.

Golf de Pinsolle. 05 58 48 03 92. www.golfdepinsolle.com. Green fee from 30 to 40 euros

Hossegor: a club steeped in history.

When he was on vacation on the Landes coast, François Mitterand was a regular at the club, of which he was a member from 1982 to 1994. But there's much more to the history of celui-ci than this anecdote. It is closely linked to the rise of this seaside resort during the Roaring Twenties. At a time when artists were frequenting the shores of Lake Hossegor, developer Alfred Eluère wanted to turn it into a chic resort in the image of Biarritz. Under the slogan "The resort of elegant sports", he launched tennis, rowing and golf. The 18-hole course designed by John Morrison, with the help of the only Frenchman to win the British Open, Arnaud Massy, opened in 1927 and immediately became a benchmark. Since then, its typically British layout has remained virtually unchanged. In 2008, American architect Cabell Robinson, a former assistant to Trent Jones, refined the design to make it more accessible to "average players", while retaining the technicality that makes it a course appreciated by very good players.

Less than 1 kilometer from the ocean - which can sometimes be heard rumbling by - it glides its fairways between pines, arbutus and cork oaks, and punctuates them with greens that are flat at first glance but hide their game well. Although the slopes are difficult to read, the course is honest and straightforward. Today, Hossegor has 950 members and receives 10,000 visitors a year.

Golf d'Hossegor. 05 58 43 56 99. www.golfhossegor.com. Green fee from 70 to 90 euros

Seignosse: resolutely contemporary

On the eve of its thirtieth anniversary - in 2019 - the Seignosse golf course, designed by American architect Robert Von Hagge in a typical Landes setting, has matured in the shade of the pines. The signature of the man who is a master of modern layout design is evident. Water hazards set with berlins, immense sandy beaches and large, fast-moving greens - all the ingredients of an American-style course - blend in perfectly with the environment. It's a relatively short course on paper, but the elevation changes quickly add to the difficulty. On many par 4s, the drive drop is narrow enough to optimize the second shot. Far from being flat, the course undulates between pines and cork oaks. There are a few sporting climbs on the programme, such as the one to the green on 4 and the more regular one on 18, a very long 666-metre par 6. " One day in spring 2014, a friendly match pitted Edouard Espana and Jean-Charles Cambon against the Spanish-Basque pair José-Maria Olazabal - Telleria. At the end of this little friendly tournament, Olazabal came to see me to say that it would be a good idea to lengthen the 12 by 15 meters and reduce the 18 to a par 4, or to lengthen it to a par 6. It was the latter option that we chose," points out Christohe Rondelé, director of the Landes course.

The continual beauty of the views sometimes allows the golfer to forgive himself a few blunders, often due to the difficulty of certain holes. The tee shot on 11, a 529-metre par 5, is a case in point. From the back tees, a sort of elevated promontory, you overlook the Landes forest with the Atlantic Ocean in the background. In fact, water is very much a feature of Seignosse.

This is particularly true on 2, where it's wise to place your second shot correctly to reach the green on the peninsula. On 3, it's the tee shot you can't miss: a water hazard next to the finish of 17 makes it tricky, as does the second shot on 17, which also requires a great deal of precision.

Kbane, new for 2021: Located on the driving range of the Seignosse golf course, Kbane is the place to spend a convivial moment, whether you've come to practice on the driving range, or simply to enjoy a drink on the terrace while savoring a plate of hot or cold tapas in an exceptional setting! The terrace is open every day from 6pm to 11pm (except in bad weather).

Golf de Seignosse. Tel 05 58 41 68 30. www.seignosse golf.com. Green fees from 70 to 90 euros

A haven between greens and ocean

Closed for over ten years and in a state of total disrepair, the Hôtel du Golf, a large three-storey wooden building that stood at the foot of the Seignosse golf course, was a sad sight. After major renovation work to anchor the building in the local landscape and completely rethink the interior spaces and decoration, the new establishment in the "Les Domaines de Fontenille" Collection opened its doors last spring to reveal 33 rooms and suites. Surrounded by pines and cork oaks, overlooking the rolling fairways of the Seignosse golf course, which seem to tumble down to the sea. "70 hectares... and the ocean" stands like a lookout in the heart of the forest. Heir to an architecture tinged with Californian accents that characterizes the golf course's immediate surroundings, its wooden structure blends into the Landes forest. Spanning 3 floors, the 33 rooms feature large bay windows opening onto the pine trees. The vast ground-floor spaces house lounges, a bar, a restaurant and seminar rooms. The decor is cheerful, rhythmic and graphic, and plays on the codes of local sports: marked lines on the floor, bright and cheerful colors, all of which link the worlds of golf and gliding. "70 hectares... and the ocean" completes the Landes experience offered by Les Domaines de Fontenille. Just a few kilometers from Les Hortensias du Lac, which celebrates surfing culture, and not far from the Cabane des Estagnots facing the ocean, "70 hectares... and the ocean" is the perfect choice for those in search of an authentic stay in the heart of verdant nature.

From €180 per room

www.les domainesdefontenille.com