Bluegreen golf course in Rochefort-Océan ©aLamoureux

A new 18-hole course

From this spring, a new 18-hole course will see the light of day in Charente-Maritime. It will complete the Departmental offer already made up of 3 18-hole courses in order to contribute to the structuring of the golf destination. The project was initiated by the CARO in 2009. After several years of study in order to obtain all the administrative authorizations, the works of the Golf de Rochefort Océan began on Monday September 16, 2019.

Directly linked to the development of the practice on the territory, the Golf of Rochefort-Océan is: 515 licensed players (+22,5% in 2022 and the largest sports club in the territory), but it is also more than 3000 "visiting" players from other courses who come to take advantage of the equipment from time to time.

After several phases of work, the course created in 1991, modified in 2004 will therefore go from 9 holes to 27 holes (18+9) in May 2023. The community will have equipment to accommodate the ever-increasing number of golfers in France ( +8,4% in 2021), to organize national events, to introduce new players to golf, and to support the discipline in these new orientations of "tomorrow": opening of the discipline to the greatest number, courses and eco-responsible practice, vector of tourism development.

The layout of the new holes, designed by the golf architect Olivier Dongradi, is inspired by its environment, a very natural course, in the heart of the marshes and a remarkable archaeological site, and with a breathtaking view of the estuary of the Charente.

New 2.0 facilities and for all practitioners

The golf complex will have the following new equipment for this year 2023:

•  A new driving range
•  A new putting green
• A new "shipping" training area
• A new 18-hole course
• A new 9-hole Pitch and Putt course

Bluegreen (current operating company of the Golf de Rochefort-Océan since 2019 and until 2029), has been reinventing itself since 2017 and seeks to attract new practitioners by bringing new directions to the practice. These facilities will therefore be the ideal place and framework to discover the practice, to learn, to meet practitioners, and therefore to make it your daily passion. In its goal of transforming practice, Bluegreen therefore integrated the latest Toptracer technology into it last December, allowing everyone to mix real and virtual practice, alone, with the family, in a playful, fun and convivial way, … or for the performance.

A project with an environmental approach

Bluegreen golf course in Rochefort-Océan ©aLamoureux

The project to extend and rehabilitate the "Golf de Rochefort-Océan" has been part of an approach that respects the environment from the start. The limitation of the impacts of the project, by respecting the regulatory procedure: avoid, reduce and compensate, carried out in partnership with recognized environmental associations such as the LPO and Nature Environnement but also the Conservatoire du littoral (CdL) has made it possible to limit its impact to the maximum while compensating for the residual impacts beyond the regulatory "quota". Two major compensation actions carried out by CARO are the transfer of ownership of more than 80 hectares to the CdL as well as the commitment of CARO to the implementation of a 30-year environmental management plan for the whole of 165 hectares.

This management plan consists of carrying out actions in favor of biodiversity, which translates into naturalist support for the various space managers such as Blue Green and the Coastal Conservatory. In addition to natural areas that are not exploited or grazed, several biodiversity areas have been integrated into the golf course to make the site an ideal place for local flora and fauna.

Golf has already been committed since 2021 to an Eco-Responsible Charter from the Ministry of Sports and WWF. This place steeped in history and nature will therefore become a land of SPORT, NATURE & HISTORY.
The courses have also been named to recall this strong identity:
– The large 18-hole course: Les DOLMENS
– The 9-hole Pitch and Putt course: Le VISON

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