Located 90 minutes south of Paris, the new Les Bordes course is nestled in its magical 560-hectare estate in the heart of the Sologne forest. Its par 72 design was created by world-renowned American golf course architect Gil Hanse and is set to open in May 2021.

The first Hanse-designed golf course in continental Europe, the New Course's Landes style is in direct contrast to the Old Course Les Bordes and, when combined with the site's short 10-hole version, the Wild Piglet, also created by Hanse and opened in 2020, members of the Bordes golf club then receive one of the most beautiful golfing experiences in the world.

Hanse said:

“We visited the site and fell in love with the whole property. The new course is stylistically very different from the original 18 hole course which in my opinion is positive as members will have two very different golfing experiences. "

“We realized that it was possible to create specificities, bold and spectacular strategies for this golf course. We wanted to create a course that would be in harmony with the discrete nature of the site, and its spectacular holes adding magic to the course. "

Drawing inspiration from legendary golf architect Tom Simpson, Hanse and his team worked with club president Driss Benkirane, founder and managing partner of private equity firm RoundShield Partners. To create the latest Bordes masterpiece, its president relies on his solid experience as a golfer with six indexes and that of a member of several leading golf courses, including The Berkshire, Royal Cinque Ports and Ballybunion.

© Les Bordes

With maximum care and attention taken to clear the site and preserve the natural environment, the New Course blends harmoniously into its surroundings, the fairways blending perfectly into the natural vegetation of the forest.

Featuring large bunkers, subtle elevation changes and incredible, complex greens, the layout displays 7211 yards from the back tees.

Jack Laws, Golf Director at Les Bordes, said:

“Gil lived with us on the estate for over three months during construction and was incredibly efficient. Awakened at 6 a.m., he had a croissant and coffee at the clubhouse and then started his day on the bulldozer at seven to get off at sunset. He did this six days a week and his team was just as thorough.

“The course has heathland characteristics but it is built on sand and has large areas of waste like at the Pine Valley Golf Club (where Gil is a member) and in that regard it is a unique style for the 'Europe. It is an exceptional golf course with truly incredible architecture; I was based in Sunningdale for five years before moving to France and for me it rivals Harry Colt's job which is terribly exciting. "

Hanse, who created the Rio 2016 Olympic course and the Castle Stuart and Ohoopee Match Club courses in the top 100 courses in the world, has already completed work on the 10-hole short training course in Les Bordes called the Wild Piglet. , which the American site Golf.com immediately placed among its 25 best courses (par 3) in the world.

In addition, Hanse's team members have also worked alongside the golf club's greenkeepers to implement a series of improvements to the legendary Old Course, designed by Robert von Hagge, which further elevates the golf experience. game of members and their guests.

© Les Bordes

Among the changes made, a new maintenance and watering program has been implemented to make fairways and greens firmer and faster; the tees and fairways have been reseeded with fescue to improve their condition throughout the year; large amounts of excessively penalizing rough were removed, the lanes of play were widened and a number of trees which infringed play were removed from the 2nd, 3rd, 11th and 17th holes. In addition, the 16th tee has been raised 1,5 meters to provide more visibility on the fairway and reduce the severity of the tee shot.

Off the course, Michaelis Boyd also completed the decoration of the Club House as well as the renovation of 24 chalets for members. Work on a new members' gym, sports bar, mini-spa with private lounge and games room, including a golf simulator, will be completed in March 2021.

The global appeal of Les Bordes Golf Club is now greater than ever, with members of the Pine Valley, Merion, Riviera, Sunningdale, Royal St George's, Friar's Head, Royal Melbourne and Morfontaine golf clubs among the few. 140 members who have joined since the club, which is accessible only to members and their guests, was formed in August 2019.

Lee Strutt, Golf Superintendent and Estate Manager at Les Bordes, added, “We are a completely private membership club with the primary focus on golf enthusiasts. We have members who come from the biggest clubs in the world and we strive to maintain our standards as such.

“The Wild Piglet completes both courses. Gil Hanse is credited with building the best short course in the world at Pinehurst, so to say that the Wild Piglet is in the same league is exceptional for us. It will be an incredible asset to the golfing experience, with holes ranging from 70 to 120 meters, and will be a lot of fun to play. "

"This will give members a choice of very different golf courses that are unique for a single location and will help us achieve our goal of offering one of the best golf experiences in the world over 46 holes"

© Les Bordes

Les Bordes Golf Club remains a private club, run separately from the rest of the estate and, although membership is not linked to property opportunities, many members have reserved houses.

Since taking over the estate in mid-2018, the new owners, a group of executives from RoundShield Partners and a few outside partners, have spent the last two years implementing the golf club and estate, and have developed a community in Les Bordes where all family members have endless possibilities for entertainment and adventure. On-site facilities include natural bathing lakes and swimming pools, beaches, water sports, go-carting, fishing, horseback riding, a children's farm, and cycling and walking trails.

Future investment plans include an announced partnership with Six Senses for the transformation of the 19th century Chateau Bel Air into a luxury hotel and spa, a village square with shops and restaurants, and a choice of stylish residential villas. varied, as well as an equestrian center, an organic farm, an art gallery and an open-air amphitheater.

To know more : www.lesbordesgolfclub.com | www.lesbordes.com

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