“We women sometimes feel a bit left out au golf level ", confides Valérie Seban. With a small group of friends - Natacha, Monique, Carolina alias "Caline" and Gaëlle -, members of the golf des Arcs for the most part, this passionate about the little white ball, director of a communication agency and volunteer during the Evian Championship therefore had the good idea of ​​organizing an event dedicated to amateur players: the Femina Cup. Every summer on the Les Arcs course, perched at an altitude of 1800 meters *, 30 to 45 players have gathered for three years for a competition in a stableford format where smiles are as frequent as the inevitable bogeys.

Femina Cup 2020 - Photo: © DR

Another particularity of the Femina Cup: the presence of numerous caddies, for the most part the husbands or spouses of the participants. Sometimes even with a formula that helps set the mood. “Last year, we played with a string - 40 cm per shot - which made it possible to make up for bad blows indeed to make birdies et that each golfer used as she liked, smiles Valérie Seban, never short of ideas to make the event even more fun. Next year, we will perhaps offer 2 or 3 jokers during the game: the players can thus entrust their club to their caddy at any time. " Small flowerpots with messages ("You haven't finished climbing", "watch out for the river so you don't have your feet in the water", "course or not course to attack the flag?" "...) were even placed at the start of each hole.

Monique's little birds

After the game, the players gathered on the compact course which adjoins the 18 holes for a "Beat the pro" where the head of Julien Constans, the local pro, was up for grabs. From the first shot, Jacqueline had the skin of the pro and the laughter continued to the terrace of the club house, where a tea party was organized before the awards ceremony. All the participants were awarded by drawing lots during a prize-giving ceremony to match the event: Sisley cosmetics, greens fees for the Evian, Grenoble and Les Gets golf courses, a free ICE watch through the jewelry store L'Art et la Fugue, ski passes and passes for the week of the European Film Festival of Les Arcs, which takes place in December. And even little birds in the shape of a snowman made for the occasion by the jovial Monique, a Dutch player who wouldn't miss the Femina Cup for the world and who has the particularity of playing… barefoot. "This year, we had an Irish, a Belgian, a Dutch, a Czech, an Argentina, a Korean and a Vietnamese, we are an international tournament", says Valérie with a laugh.

Femina Cup 2020 - Photo: © Valérie SEBAN

Can not wait for next year !

For the record, Carole won the drive competition, Elisabeth and Valérie the approach competition. The final victory was won in Brut (28 points) and Net (34 points) by Anne Alexis, best index (4,4) of the event, Renata Buckova winning the timpani in the 2^e series in Net. But this is probably not the main thing, especially as the Femina Cup has visibly contributed to creating new vocations. “My husband and my whole family played golf, but I didn't. It was my first time on a course, confides Renata, who owns a shop in the resort. I had a lot of fun, can't wait to be there next year. "

Frank Crudo

*  Read the article on Les Arcs golf course

In Les Arcs, swing in front of Mont Blanc!