What are the new features at Golf Dolce Frégate Provence?

First of all, you should know that we changed owners in 2014. We were bought by the Marseille hotel group Maranatha, which is now at the head of sixty establishments in Paca, Rhône-Alpes and Ile de France. The Group also has two establishments abroad, one in Brussels and the other in Switzerland in Crans Montana. These new owners have big plans for Frégate and they intend to invest in both the golf course and the hotel structure to bring the product up to date. In July 2015, we received the delivery of 15 two-bedroom bastides. We therefore recovered 30 additional rooms in a four-star hotel residence. We are currently renovating the 100 rooms in the main building. We also proceeded to the total renovation of the indoor swimming pool, hammam, jacuzzi. The modernization of the catering areas, the changing rooms, the caddy master, the golf shop and the club house will take place at the end of 2016. We are also in the process of creating a spa which will be managed by the Omnisens brand and which should see the light of day in January 2017.

Philippe Grosset-Grange - © DRaynal

Have these changes had an impact on golf?

Yes of course. As far as the golf course is concerned, we have redone all of the 50 bunkers in the 27 holes for a total investment of 300 euros. We have used the new “Capillary Concrete” process, which uses a layer of clay balls and porous concrete that are positioned on the bunker sub-base. This allows to create a permeable crust which avoids during the heavy rains that we can have in the south to have bunkers filled with water. Today this problem has completely disappeared and even though we have enormous precipitation, a quarter of an hour later it is possible to play as if the bunker had never had water. This technique has also been installed on the Golf National which will host the Ryder Cup soon.

What are your strengths compared to other golf courses in the region?

One of our main assets is of course our exceptional geographical location in the Var. It is also of course the quality of the course and the fact that we see the sea on 15 different holes. It is undulating, but it alternates difficult holes on which you have to be careful and holes which allow the opposite to release the pressure a little. We have been continuing our pruning and felling program every winter for 4 years to recover views of the Mediterranean Sea but also on grassed play areas. We actually try with the field team to offer neat courses all year round.

What activities do you develop yourself?

We launched the business club in 2015, which brings together some twenty companies from the region, with a monthly meeting, a small competition followed by a lunch and a business afternoon. We have also changed the formula a little this year by adding a business breakfast. We have also done a lot of work on the competition calendar. This year, we are starting to reap the fruits of our efforts since we benefit from sponsors like Porsche or Héritage who trust us and who have scheduled events in our 2016 competition calendar. Today, we have partners who contact us for organize events for the general public, open to all on Frégate, which was not the case before.

What is the number of licensees and the average cost of the green fee?

Currently, we have 120 licensees for 350 members. We always have three types of subscriptions. A weekly subscription, a 10-month subscription excluding July and August and a full-time subscription, with a price range from 2000 euros to 3500 euros. The public rate for green fees is 70 euros in low season and 95 euros in high season.

What is your policy with schools and young people in general?

We welcome a very small number of schoolchildren in collaboration with the schools of the municipality of Saint-Cyr-sur-Mer. Today, the problem for us is not so much the place or the time, it is rather to find funding to bring children by bus to the golf course. Unfortunately, schools or town halls do not necessarily have the means to cover this expense. On the other hand, it is a desire on our part to continue to develop golf for the youngest. Our golf school is growing. Every Wednesday and Saturday, we welcome almost 100 children compared to 80 last year. We have also more than encouraging results since we have a young champion of France this year, Lucie Malchirand, who won the French championship of young "U12" which took place in Bordeaux. Our school has also seen the emergence of young talents such as Julien Millet, Alexander Levy, Thomas Boulanger in recent years. We are also the first golf course to have a school referenced with the sports label of the French Federation in Paca. On our nine-hole course in Frégalon, we organize special departures for children under nine. Finally, we are proposing participation in the various championships that the French Golf Federation can set up, namely the French “U17” team championships for girls and boys. We welcome and identify more and more “seeds of champions” which should have promising results in the coming years.

How is the supervision organized?

We still work with a golf school called Golf Exclusive Academy. We have four teachers who are on site and provide group and individual lessons. They also organize courses for adults at all levels all year round. We also have a formula that we have called "Golf à gogo" where we offer a 5 night breakfast package. The person thus chooses five green-fees or five days of training courses for a price of 525 euros. This offer is valid all year round except July and August.

In the future how do you intend to continue to preserve this exceptional site?

We are already fortunate to have a course that is very natural. There is no construction around since the only real estate part is that which is at the level of the hole n ° 18 where you have the hotel as well as the hamlet of Amandiers, the village of Frégate. Of course, we continue to pay close attention to water management. It is the most important post after the payroll. We are using less and less fertilizers and phytosanitary products for the benefit of additional mechanical operations, in particular in view of the future law which provides for their total ban in the long term. The list of prohibited products is growing year by year. In addition, their use is more and more expensive and imposes very large constraints since there are re-entry deadlines to be observed. Our greenkeeper Jean-Marc Gohard has also gone to the United States for two years in a row in winter to get up to date and soak up the techniques that appear in this field.

Interview by David RAYNAL

Golf Dolce Frégate Provence offers two approved courses, the Frégate (18T, 6m, Par 209), the Frégalon (72T approved, 9m, Par 2) and has 400 driving range, 29 putting greens and 50 golf carts.

For more information on offers and prices: http://www.dolcefregate-golf-provence.com/

Dolce Fregate Provence

Place called Fregate,

Route de Bandol, Saint Cyr sur Mer 83270

+33. (0) 4.94.29.39.39