Two 18 holes of high standing on the same site, This is the feat that the Hardelot golf course achieves, in Pas-de-Calais. An essential stopover on the Opal Coast.

"The pleasure is doubled when it is shared", wrote in his time Sacha Guitry. A few kilometers north of Le Touquet, Hardelot offers the rare delight of being able to play two famous courses, each with its own setting and identity. All in a lush wooded environment.

A makeover for the Pines

  • The Pines - © TPlassais / Swing-Féminin.com

To begin with, honor the older of the two. Designed in the heart of the forest, the Pins course was designed in 1934 by the famous architect Tom Simpson, known for being on the golf courses… in a Rolls-Royce with his driver. Regarding the layout of its fairways and greens, the eccentric Englishman - to whom we also owe the Morfontaine, Fontainebleau and Chantilly courses - defended the following idea: " The vital thing about every hole is that it must be harder than it looks or, conversely, look harder than it is. »

Recently renovated by Frank Pont and Patrice Boissonnas, the Pins course has jumped in the ranking of the most beautiful European golf courses and now points to 23e place this year *. " As is often the case when restoring an old track, the first task is to cut trees, both to clean up the terrain and to give the game all the space it needs., underlines Patrice Boissonnas. We have also given back to the bunkers the "embroidered lace" style dear to Simpson.. The sand obstacles whose faces had gradually re-grassed are again clearly visible and make the danger reappear, where Simpson had wished it to be. »

The good map of the Dunes

  • Les Dunes - 18th hole - Front - Photo: DR

More recent (1991), the Dunes course offers a unique panorama, between lakes, wooded valleys and the dune hills of Mont Saint-Frieux. The spectacular departures of the 1 and arrivals of the 18 will amaze you from the start and ensure you end in style, even if we are not specifically talking about the score here.

With its multiple dodlegs and a few blind drives, a good knowledge of the course is useful to make a better map. Speaking of menu, that of the club house snack bar, with its Ciney served with cheese shortbread, is particularly popular with swingers. Such as those of the Côte d'Opale ** pro-am, the largest in Europe, which tread the fairways of Hardelot every spring.

Frank Crudo

For more information www.hardelotgolfclub.com