Exclusive golf club in France’s Loire Valley now offers 46 world-class holes
Saint-Laurent-Nouan, France – – The gift-wrapping has been taken off Les Bordes’ eagerly awaited New Course, with architect Gil Hanse taking time out from his busy schedule to unveil his first golf-course design project in continental Europe at the start of this month.
Hanse travelled from his home in America to France’s famous Loire Valley to give his personal seal of approval to the new layout, hitting the inaugural tee shot prior to members flying in from across the world to experience his new creation.
In direct contrast to Les Bordes’ Old Course, the New Course features a more traditional heathland style. When combined with the 10-hole short course – the Wild Piglet, also created by Hanse and opened in 2020 – members of Les Bordes Golf Club will receive one of the greatest golfing experiences in the world.
Hanse said: “We’ve never built anything in continental Europe and we wanted to make sure that our first project was going to be something special, and Les Bordes gave us that opportunity. I have always loved visiting France, and to have the chance to create this course and leave a lasting legacy in such a beautiful part of the world makes me particularly proud.
“The golf facilities at Les Bordes are on a par with anywhere else in the world. When you consider the variety and contrast of the Old and New, the originality and quality of design coupled with the Wild Piglet and Himalayas putting green, across the board there are outstanding facilities for serious golf and fun golf – and there are very few places who can say that.
“One of the challenges that we were excited to accept was to have the chance to build a golf course on the same estate as (the Old Course), a course that has been ranked as the best in Europe.
“There are elements of a number of golf courses (in the New Course) including a lot of the great heathland courses around London and Paris. I think that I am always influenced by Pine Valley, which is very near to my home, and I think that some of the scale of National Golf Links is apparent out there too. If you roll all of those into one, I think that’s a pretty good recipe.
“With the three golf courses and the amenities that are already in place and the ones that are coming, I can’t see how Les Bordes won’t be considered one of the finest golfing destinations in Europe or in the world.”
Set 90 minutes south of Paris in France’s magical Sologne Forest, the New Course fits harmoniously into its surroundings, with the fairways blending seamlessly into the natural vegetation and trees, and maximum care and attention was taken by Hanse and his team to clear the location and preserve the natural environment.
Featuring large bunkers, subtle elevation changes and incredible green complexes, the layout measures 7,211 yards from the back tees but, in contrast to the Old Course, is expected to play shorter than its overall length due to the firm and fast playing conditions.
Jack Laws, director of golf at Les Bordes, said: “The opening of the New Course is a significant landmark in the history of Les Bordes and the culmination of many years of hard work from Gil and his team, and everyone here on the estate.
“The New Course is an outstanding golf course with truly exceptional architecture. It’s incredibly exciting what Gil has achieved here, and its addition means that our members and guests will be in the enviable position of being able to enjoy two world-class, but very different golfing experiences.”
The opening of the New Course headlines three years of investment at Les Bordes, developing a community where all family members have endless possibilities for fun and adventure. Completed on-site amenities include natural swimming lakes and pools, beaches, watersports, go-karting, fishing, equestrian, petting farm and biking and walking trails.
Future investment plans include an announced partnership with Six Senses for the transformation of the 19th century ‘Chateau Bel Air’ into a luxury hotel and spa, a village square with shops and restaurants and a variety of residential homes in various styles, as well as an equestrian centre, an organic farm, an art gallery and outdoor amphitheatre.
A new video documenting the New Course and Les Bordes Golf Club can be viewed here.
About Les Bordes
Neighbouring the historic village of Beaugency, 15 minutes from the Chateau de Chambord and just a 90-minute drive from Paris, the world-famous Les Bordes is spread across 1,400 acres of the magnificent Loire Valley and Sologne Forest. Located in the UNESCO World Heritage region renowned for historic chateaux, medieval towns, fine wines, great food and unspoiled landscapes, the estate was originally established in 1987 by Baron Marcel Bich, and offers understated luxury, leisure and sport in a unique natural setting blessed with glimpses of red deer, wild boar, sweeping lakes and natural habitats.
The estate is home to the prestigious Les Bordes Golf Club, a private members’ club which aims to deliver the best combined 46 holes of golf in continental Europe – including its eagerly anticipated second 18-hole New Course, which was designed by globally acclaimed American architect Gil Hanse and opened in July.
The original Old Course, designed by the legendary architect Robert Von Hagge, is already determined as one of Europe’s masterpieces and the enticing 36-hole combination is bolstered by a new 10-hole short course – the Wild Piglet – completed in 2020 by Hanse and already placed in the top-25 par-3 courses in the world by US authority Golf.com.
Offering unique lifestyle choices, Les Bordes is developing a community where all family members have endless possibilities for fun and adventure, with natural swimming lakes and pools, beaches, watersports, go-karting, archery, pony riding and biking and walking trails among the myriad activities available to pursue on-site.
Future investment plans include an announced partnership with Six Senses for the transformation of the 19th century ‘Chateau Bel Air’ into a luxury hotel and spa, a village square with shops and restaurants and a variety of residential villas in various styles, as well as an equestrian centre, an organic farm, an art gallery and outdoor amphitheatre.
www.lesbordesgolfclub.com | www.lesbordes.com
* High-resolution images of Les Bordes may be downloaded for editorial purposes from https://bit.ly/2JdiMUW
* For more information, please contact Dan Shepherd on +1 703-403-5317 or email danshepherdpr@gmail.com.
