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Saint-Jean-de-Monts Golf Course vs. Tignes Golf Course: Seaside Escape or Mountain Heights?

1st June 2026 463

In this joint interview with two golf course directors, discover how the sea and the mountains shape two completely different golfing experiences.

Jean-Damien Bureau – Director of Saint-Jean-de-Monts Golf Club for the past 13 years.

"Our course is a real delight, particularly thanks to its layout featuring two distinct landscapes, designed by Yves Bureau. You start the first nine holes well sheltered, in a beautiful forest of pine and holm oak trees. Then, at the 9th green, the scenery changes dramatically; we emerge onto a classic Scottish-style links course for the final 9 holes, completely open to the ocean, with an incredible view of the Île d’Yeu.
It is a course with character, raw and vibrant.”


Alexis Le Meur Director of the Lac de Tignes Golf Club for the third year (held various positions over 10 years)

"The first 9 holes opened in 1969 at an altitude of 2,100 metres! Driven in particular by Alain Pachoud (Director for several decades), the course was then extended with 9 additional holes in 1991, making it the highest 18-hole golf course in Europe!
Our course is quite challenging, undulating, with extraordinary scenery (nestled between lakes and mountains), natural hazards (ravines, streams, alpine terrain) and the ever-present marmots, all of which make for a unique golfing experience."

  • Is there a particular aspect or advantage of coastal or mountain golf that you sometimes envy?

    [Jean Damien Bureau - Saint Jean de Monts Golf Club] The absolute silence of the valleys. I must admit that the elevated tees in the mountains make me dream a little; the pleasure of seeing your ball fly endlessly through the fresh air is spectacular. Here, the terrain is all undulating... but we have the ocean to make up for it!

    [Alexis Le Meur - Golf du Lac de Tignes] The horizon stretching as far as the eye can see!
  • What natural features give you your main competitive advantage?

    [Jean Damien Bureau - Golf de Saint Jean de Monts] The sand, without a doubt. Thanks to it, the course is never muddy. You can play with dry feet 365 days a year. Whilst mountain or inland courses have to close in winter, we remain open in excellent conditions.

    [Alexis Le Meur - Golf du Lac de Tignes] The local flora and fauna, the surrounding peaks and glaciers, the turquoise lake always in view, and an ideal temperature during heatwaves.
  • What are the challenges involved in maintaining a seaside or mountain golf course?

    [Jean Damien Bureau - Saint Jean de Monts Golf Club] We have to contend with the elements on a daily basis. The main challenge is salt; the sea spray means we have to use very specific types of grass. Then there’s the wind, which dries out the soil and blows the sand about. Finally, our course is 100% sandy. This is a boon for drainage, but it requires precise control of watering and nutrients down to the millimetre to protect this fragile dune ecosystem.

    [Alexis Le Meur - Golf du Lac de Tignes] Weather constraints, of course, as we have to wait for the snow to melt before we can fully refurbish the course. We have barely a month to redesign the course, commission the irrigation system, install signage, carry out mechanical work (green aeration), and reseed... In terms of day-to-day operations, the altitude is actually an advantage as there is little humidity, and therefore few diseases.
  • What technical challenges do players face on a coastal or mountain golf course?

    [Jean Damien Bureau - Saint Jean de Monts Golf Club] The wind is the real boss. Depending on the tide and the time of day, the same hole might be played with a 9-iron in the morning... and a 3-wood in the afternoon! To cope, you have to forget conventional golf. You need to know how to play low, use the slopes to roll the ball, and be very creative around the greens. Our greens are firm, undulating and defended by deep bunkers, so the short game is a real challenge.

    [Alexis Le Meur - Golf du Lac de Tignes] A course favouring precision play, with fairly narrow fairways, well-defended greens and distances that can be misleading given the elevation changes and the increased carry of the ball at altitude (around 10% further).

Golf du Lac de Tignes
Rue Du Val Claret
Gare De La Grande Motte
73320 Tignes
golf.tignes@compagniedesalpes.fr
http://www.tignes.net
+33 4 79 06 37 42


​Golf de Saint Jean de Monts
33 avenue des Pays de la Loire
​85 160 Saint Jean de Monts
​accueil@golfsaintjeandemonts.fr
​www.golfsaintjeandemonts.fr
​+33 2 51 58 82 73
​


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