Lacanau golf course, a forty-year-old that's aging well...

For surfers, Lacanau is a name that evokes one of the most famous spots on the Atlantic Ocean. For golfers, it's a magnificent course set in exceptional surroundings and, above all, playable all year round.

In 1980, British designer John Harris laid out the eighteen-hole Lacanau International Golf Course in the Ardilouse forest near the ocean. Not very long - 5406 metres from the yellow markers - this wooded course, with its varied species of pine, oak and arbutus, owes its reputation as much to its environment as to the quality of its layout.

With its bumpy, dog-leg or gently sloping fairways, the Lacanau course offers a multitude of playing situations and difficulties. The greens, which are rather small or even elevated, are full of slopes and are well protected. Not to mention the water, which makes a noticeable appearance at the end of the course: the only pond on the course supports the greens on 15 and 17. But its main advantage - not insignificant for our temperate regions, especially in rainy weather - is that it can be played all year round, thanks to its sand substrate.

" The most complicated holes are located right at the start of the course and require good tee shots. 1, a 314-meter par 4 with yellow balls on the dog-leg left, is a tricky hole for a player who is "not very fit". It requires a fairly long tee shot to attack a well-defended green. A visit to the driving range is practically obligatory before tackling this first hole. Next up is 2, a 153-meter par 3 with a sloping green well defended by two bunkers. On 3, a 330-meter dog-left par 4, a blind, elevated green requires a good approach shot," explains Victor Bon, who has been teaching at Lacanau Golf Club for almost 3 years. " Hardly indulgent for big hitters, Lacanau, on the other hand, is a feast of strategy and precision while remaining affordable for players with double-digit indexes... " adds Victor Bon.

Golf de Lacanau, owned by the municipality of Lacanau, has been managed since 2000 by NGF, which became UGolf in October 2016. It is one of 54 golf courses in the Ugolf chain, a subsidiary of the Duval Group, and is run by Alexis Marchive, a native of Cognac who arrived from the Paris region in 2013, where he was director of the Rosny-sous-Bois golf course. Asked about his intentions, he confirms that " UGolf is continuing and will continue its investment efforts in this golf course, one of the two UGolf brands in the Gironde department."

A course that respects the environment

After several years of adapting the course maintenance program, in 2017 the Lacanau golf course was awarded the "Golf Ecodurable" label certified by Ecocert, a label that implies a change in course management methods. In order to obtain this label, the Lacanau golf course had to meet stringent specifications that are essential to changing the negative image of golf courses in terms of sustainable development and respect for the environment.

It must meet requirements grouped into 10 chapters: water, soil, biodiversity, landscape, energy, waste, air, noise, materials & products used, training. " In this approach, several operations are an integral part of this label, including the spreading of shredding chips, the purchase of hybrid machines, soil analysis and many others," stresses Alexis Marchive, index 7, who also wishes to make some modifications to the 40-year-old John Harris design, by lengthening a few holes, raising tee-off areas so that players can appreciate the perspective of the holes from the tees, and organizing a national event in the next few years. Alexis Marchive adds: "When I talk to tourist authorities about Lacanau golf course, I often refer to it as a resort, because on 65 hectares, we offer golfers a genuine golf-tourism infrastructure: an 18-hole course, an academy run by Victor Bon, the Bistrot du golf, and a 53-room Best Western hotel ****." The " Bistrot du golf ", run by the Prohlac family, was renovated last year. Its capacity has been increased to 120 people, and it boasts an attractive terrace overlooking the greens on holes 9 and 18. "Alexis Marchive, President of the Golfin Bordeaux Association, adds: " It 's a real shame that Bordeaux isn't considered a golfing destination, because with flagship courses such as the Medoc and Grand St Emilion, we can offer golfers from all over the world a magnificent wine-golfing region.

National competition and course improvements on the agenda

After Covid 19, which caused the Lacanau Garden Golf Club to lose 14% of its sales, golfing life is back on track for its 650 members, even if a number of competitions have had to be cancelled or postponed. " We had to cancel the sixth edition of Surf & Golf, but the Pro-am des entreprises can be played on October 4, as well as the eponymous Grand Prix on September 12 and 13 ", adds the masked director...

Lacanau Garden Golf

Domaine de l'Ardilouse

33680 LACANAU OCEAN

Tel 05 56 03 92 98

www.jouer.golf/lacanau-ocean/

Green-fee: €72