Golfy in Charente-Maritime: sea greens...

By Claude Granveaud-Vallat​

Let’s start the walk by La Rochelle which, for more than a thousand years, has done nothing like elsewhere... La Rochelle la Rebelle! Village of fishermen in the Middle Ages, freed from feudal guardianship since the 12th century, this port city was enriched by the wine and salt trade. The city resists Louis XIII and Richelieu, an affront repressed by thirteen months of siege in 1628. Protestant stronghold for centuries, the city has opened, more recently, on pedestrian streets, with free bikes and an avant-garde urban lifestyle. Between strolls in the cobbled alleys, the ascent of the Saint-Nicolas or the Lantern towers that watch over the entrance to the port, a sports break is welcome at the Golf de La Prée – La Rochelle. Born in 1989, carved by the hand of Olivier Brizon and the wind, along the Atlantic coast to the north of «la Rebelle», the course awaits hole 6 to «touch» the Ocean to the left of this copious par 4.

Going back up on land, the route takes advantage of the strong wind before returning to the waves for the attack on the return, where water comes into play on the 11th and 12th, holes bordered by a pond and estiers, these small natural channels allowing the tide to enter into the ground. On the 13th, the sea is again closer to the game while the wind pushes the balls into the ground, phew... The viewpoints on the island of Ré and the bay of Aiguillon then move away until finding the terrace of the club-house, a haven of comfort on days of high tide...

Continuing our walk, a few kilometers south of La Rochelle, the small town of La Jarne is home to the magnificent Château de Buzay, an 18th century building. A living residence with perfectly proportioned lines that can be visited. Very close to this area, the Golf de La Rochelle Sud extends its 9 holes in an exceptional setting. It was redesigned in 2013 by Robert Eugène, making its journey longer and more technical. Apart from the dogleg of the 1, the holes follow each other without major concern on a flat ground remarkably wooded.

Born from the imagination of its president Michel Duquenne and a motivated team, a new compact 18-hole course will be inaugurated on June 10, 2022. The golf bistro opens onto the course, a friendly restaurant where you can enjoy fresh and seasonal quality cuisine.

From the Rochelais port of Les Minimes and its 3600 rings (the 2nd largest marina in Europe), you reach the island of Oléron by boat, with the charm of taking to the sea... Otherwise, the bridge over the ocean ensures passage at any time. Leaving the continent and the estuary of the Seudre in Marennes, we feel that the oyster makes the country live. The cabins at the edge of channels, the clear ones, the flat-bottomed boats, the same applies to Oléron, opposite drive! Here the professions of the sea are an economic, tourist, gastronomic, ecological and friendly reality!​
Before leaving the continent, to better soak up this alchemy between sea and land, a stopover at Aux Basses Amarres (partner "Bonnes Adresses" Golfy) is recommended. In Mornac-sur-Seudre, between the estiers, the oyster parks, the very lively port on the return from fishing, a Romanesque church, old halls of the 16th century, cobbled streets and lined with white houses enhanced with hollyhocks, the table of Franck Berthier deserves a stop. The chef of Landaise origin roamed, traveled, was inspired by the cuisines of the world before settling down about ten years ago in this village where, according to seasonal arrivals, he adapts his menu every morning. If fish inspire him, he also works with meats and poultry, not to mention foie gras from the Landes, a youthful atavism! For the oysters, he only has to cross the street to serve himself at Jérôme Miet’s, a breeder refiner (partner "Bonnes Adresses" Golfy). A man who has made tradition his passion and innovation his conviction, all at the service of quality oysters. Based in Mornac-sur-Seudre for thirty years, Jérôme Miet always improves his products and now sells online. It is no coincidence that one finds his oysters on the best tables in the region, including that of Pascal Moreau, at the Golf de Royan. Leaving the Basses Amarres, with a full stomach, a cheerful heart, a walk in the alleys of Mornac will always be welcome, if only to get drunk by the sea air...

En face, dessiné en 1990 par Olivier Brizon sur la côte est de l’île, le Golf d’Oléron évolue entre l’Océan et les claires au gré des marées, l’huître est partout ! Après que les trois premiers trous aient longé la mer, l’eau remonte dans les estiers sur les suivants, autant d’obstacles bordés de piquets rouges… Entre les pins et les oyats, les petits greens ravissent les adeptes du petit jeu. Face à fort Boyard, sans être sûr d’apercevoir le père Fourras au bastingage, prenez le temps d’une éclade de moules, un moment de convivialité arrosé d’un coup de blanc ! Rien que la mise en place des moules en colimaçon sur une planche de bois, bien serrées pointe vers le haut, avant d’enflammer les aiguilles de pin, vaut le détour avant la dégustation.

From La Tremblade to Royan, the Côte de Beauté is aptly named. So much so that the Golf of Royan has added it to its patronymic! Between the forest of La Coubre and the beaches of Palmyre, facing the lighthouse of Cordouan at the entrance of the Gironde, the fairways take advantage of the shade of pine trees to offer them a bit of freshness. Between the dune valleys and the alleys of conifers, the route, signed by Robert Berthet in 1977, is not lacking in charm even if the ocean is summed up with the distant noise of the swell. We must wait for the 14th, one by three, to see the sea and the Cordouan lighthouse above the trees. The only water feature on the course, the recently redesigned and enlarged 18-metre pond, ensures a spectacular show for all those who, sitting on the terrace, enjoy the pine forest as well as the excellent dining table by Pascal Moreau... His plates speak for him!

Before leaving Royan for a walk, look up at the seaside villas, vestiges of the seaside architecture of the late 19th century. Turrets, steeples, bell towers, so many fantasies that seduced Émile Zola, Sacha Guitry or even Jacques-Henri Lartigue who took an evil pleasure in photographing them. The most fortunate survived the air bombardment of January 45 and are today preserved, mixed with the cubic constructions of the "fifties", more geometric and colorful shapes but just as cherished by enthusiasts.

The latest of the maritime Charentaise courses, the Golf de la Palmyre flirts with the sea spray along the 7th as at the start of the 8th from where the lighthouse of Cordouan points to the horizon. The other holes in this drawing by Olivier Dongradi, inaugurated in 2009, wind between the pines, through the dune valleys. One of the reasons for the quality of these flexible fairways, naturally drained and ventilated by a small sea breeze very pleasant during summer heat. In the architectural style of the villas bordering the course, the Rhino’s Club is a vast clubhouse, a low building decorated by Frédérique Dormeuil – the wife of Emmanuel, the owner – around the emblematic animal of Palmyra, the rhinoceros. In these walls predominantly white and black, the rhinos are everywhere, on the wall, on the tables, as many works of art scattered also on the putting-green. Wanting to protect African wildlife is a noble cause but using recycled water – via a filtration station – is an ecological act for this club which sees further than the tee of 1! In the game, the water pieces of holes 4 and 5 are very useful in summer even if they stress the players year-round. But everyone is unanimous in appreciating this fun, sporty and easily playable route on foot.

Because the Charente-Maritime is not limited to its coastline, end this journey with a rural incursion. The oldest course in the region, the Golf de Saintes Louis Rouyer-Guillet dates from 1953. It bears the name of its creator, a cognac merchant who wanted to replace the old Golf de Royan which disappeared during the war. Drawn on its old part by Sandy Bertrand– a very good player -, this course was increased to 18 holes in 1991 by Jean-Louis Péga, a figure of the Southwest. Built with limited means, the extension is slow to establish itself where the «old holes» drawn in the middle of the ruins of a Gallo-Roman aqueduct have something picturesque between the valleys, the doglegs, the small greens, the glades and some welcome water pieces to enhance the game. On the way there, the track evolves over a rough terrain between the legs. In these wine lands, the club-house pays tribute to the divine beverage, it which took place in old cellars, where the angels' share can still make the scorecards crazy...

A quelques kilomètres de Saintes, à Migron, en direction de Cognac, le Domaine Tesseron et son écomusée (partenaire « Bonnes Adresses » Golfy) racontent l’histoire de cette famille de viticulteurs installée depuis 1850. De façon très ludique, voire même poétique, les métiers de vigneron, tonnelier, bouilleur de crus sont présentés avec des ateliers olfactifs, des reconstitutions historiques et des explications en rapport avec la réalité du marché. Cette maison perdue au milieu des vignes possède aussi cinq chambre d’hôtes, un gîte et un appartement avec deux chambres. De quoi se poser, prendre le temps de causer avec les fils Tesseron, aujourd’hui aux manettes, et découvrir les subtilités du cognac et du pineau des Charentes, le temps d’une soirée arrosée…

The eyes filled with images, the head full of memories and the mouth of flavors, along the ocean, this charentaise walk, aerated by a light sea breeze, ends as it had started... smoothly.

1 Golf de la Prée-La Rochelle
Tél. : 05 46 01 24 42 • www.golflarochelle.com

2 Golf de le Rochelle Sud
tel : 05 46 56 61 04 • www.golflarochellesud.com

3 Golf d’Oléron
Tél. : 05 46 47 11 59 • www.golf-oleron.fr

4 Golf de Royan
Tél. : 05 46 23 16 24 • www.golfderoyan.com

5 Golf de la Palmyre
tel : 05 46 05 04 46 • www.lapalmyregolfclub.com

6 Golf de Saintes Louis et Guillet
tel : 05 46 74 27 61 • www.golf-saintes.fr