It often sleeps in the morning bundled up under a mattress of thick clouds, even in summer, and knows how to be desired. But when the sun reaches its zenith, it finally opens its big white curtains and reveals itself, majestic. The presence of Mont Blanc, as a backdrop, gives Les Arcs golf a unique character. Necessarily. On the other side of the valley, this 4809 m fop suddenly stops yawning and stretching out his big snowy arms when he sees you unsheathing your driver at the start of 1. It must be said that the first shot of the course does not leave indifferent either. From a distance, the fairway seems to be 5 meters wide, with two large trees which play the cerberus, tall grass on the left and a slope which descends towards the practice - fortunately protected by a net - on the right. But where should we put the ball? The wisest will opt for an iron, the others for a mulligan ...

Golf des Arcs is definitely not a course like any other. On the way out, the wide, sloping fairways lead to devilish greens, some of whose slopes trickle down to Bourg-Saint-Maurice, 1000 meters below, in the hollow of the valley. This is the case of hole n ° 2, a pretty par 3 whose green carpet seems to be lost in the steep horizon. For a bit, we wonder if the 3-putt is not more the rule than the exception here. Another peculiarity of this par 70 of 5500 meters, almost every second shot is played blind and a good knowledge of the topography of the place is not a luxury. In good, self-respecting mountain golf, the many slopes spice up your summer walk with the club in hand, like this long and chilly par 4 of 4, the highest point of the course (1900 meters) still covered with a blanket of snow at mid-May.

Photo: © Valérie SEBAN

the 9^e act, a par 3 tumbling down to the starboard clubhouse, is the prelude to a change of scenery for the return holes. We suddenly switch to a forest course, even if here again, the feet are never flat. The highlight of the show is on the 12 (par 3). A corridor of larch balèzes leads to a green which plays the playboys and seems to strike the pose on the edge of the precipice, with the top of Bellecôte, the station of Plagne or a glacier in the background. The opportunity to take out his putter and his camera together. The space of a few holes, the fairways seem to tighten more and more, a pearl of sweat would almost flow on your forehead, until the final fireworks display and this steep par 3 of 17, little brother of 9 and distant cousin from 2 to Evian.

The green of 12. @ F. Crudo

Built in 1974 and refurbished in 1990 by architect Robert Berthet, Les Arcs golf course is sure to take in the sights while breathing a great breath of fresh air in summer, between late June and early September. "It's a holiday golf course, underlines its director, Bertrand Favre. With all that that implies. We sometimes have hikers or mountain bikers hurtling down the middle of the course, we also serve as an emergency landing strip for paragliders. Once, we even had a family who settled in the middle of the driving range for a picnic! " And to add, a smirk: "There are also the cows which push the barriers of their enclosure because they find that the grass of our golf course is greener than elsewhere ..."

Frank Crudo

WHERE TO STAY? Located 2 km from the golf course by car and placed at the heart of the HERO PASS activities, Hotel du Golf Belambra is the ideal place if you are traveling with the family, with multiple activities, a kids' club (ages 3 to 17), an outdoor swimming pool and a spa to relax after your ride. Half board or full board in the form of buffets.

https://www.belambra.fr/club-arc-1800-hotel-du-golf/ete

HERO PASS Archery, trampoline, climbing, adventure garden (tree climbing), mini-golf, circus… more than 30 activities are offered in Les Arcs in July and August. The pass also gives access to the ski lifts to access the golf course or to reach the top of the mountain, with an exceptional view of Mont Blanc.

https://www.lesarcs.com/hero.html