Golf in the Loire Valley
Golf de Nantilly
Our first game was at Golf de Nantilly, only an hour southwest of Paris. As we approached the clubhouse, I was stuck by a sense of Déjà vu! I’d been here before! Golf de Nantilly - also known to me as Le Golf Parc, is a popular venue close to Paris that I had enjoyed six or seven years previously. The course is laid out over an appealing piece of land, heavily perforated by lakes that don’t come into play as much as you might suspect. I found myself in the trees more than water. There are holes where a slice could leak off into a watery grave but all that blue/green stuff isn’t as intimidating as it appears on the card.
Golf de Nantilly is a good opening gambit. It’s not a great course by any means by European standards but it’s a fun round for sure. I noticed a very reasonable DB&B & Golf price when we visited their charming Gingko Hotel (details below) which looks over the course. A new clubhouse is due to appear next to the hotel in 2010.
Golf de Nantilly
Our first game was at Golf de Nantilly, only an hour southwest of Paris. As we approached the clubhouse, I was stuck by a sense of Déjà vu! I’d been here before! Golf de Nantilly - also known to me as Le Golf Parc, is a popular venue close to Paris that I had enjoyed six or seven years previously. The course is laid out over an appealing piece of land, heavily perforated by lakes that don’t come into play as much as you might suspect. I found myself in the trees more than water. There are holes where a slice could leak off into a watery grave but all that blue/green stuff isn’t as intimidating as it appears on the card.
Golf de Nantilly is a good opening gambit. It’s not a great course by any means by European standards but it’s a fun round for sure. I noticed a very reasonable DB&B & Golf price when we visited their charming Gingko Hotel (details below) which looks over the course. A new clubhouse is due to appear next to the hotel in 2010.
Golf de Limère
Our next round, 10 minutes south of the city of Orleans was Golf de Limère, the centrepiece of Domaine des Portes de Sologne, a modern resort complex set amidst forest and offering accommodation, dining and spa facilities. We only came for the golf and a spot of lunch but I was tempted into having quick, post-golf spa treatment (Balneotherapy). You’ve got to look after yourself on these trips, you know!
I enjoy health treatments especially Shiatsu or a proper back massage and am aware of how golf and spa are increasingly common bedfellows. Balneotherapy seems to be a catch-all phrase for water treatments; in this case you are immersed in a specially-built king-size bath with dozens of tiny jets orchestrated to reach all sorts of parts. Once immersed, I was asked in broken English which sort of additive I preferred, aromatic essential oils, mineral salts or some sort of milk powder - I couldn’t quite make out the name – perhaps ass’s. Feeling adventurous, I went for the mystery milk which was duly added like a measure of washing detergent! They switched on the machine and left me to go through the cycle. Twenty minutes later I emerged feeling no perceptible difference whatsoever - except as if I’d just been inside a human washing machine. I think I’ll stick to the hands-on approach if you don’t mind!
As far as the golf went, Cabell Robinson routed this course through the Sologne Forest with an easy, rolling terrain and a smattering of small lakes. Bunkering and water provides definition and protection to some holes forcing exciting approach shots either over high-sided, greenside bunkers or wide stretches of water. The back 9 seemed to be the better presented and the 18th the most memorable, its green encircled by a lake. Golf de Limère is a well laid out course that has hosted several professional & amateur championships. If you want to stay a day or two, the resort offers attractive cottage-style accommodation with a kitchen in each, ideal for small golf groups. There are also regular hotel rooms and suites, plenty of on-site leisure and first class dining facilities.
Our next round, 10 minutes south of the city of Orleans was Golf de Limère, the centrepiece of Domaine des Portes de Sologne, a modern resort complex set amidst forest and offering accommodation, dining and spa facilities. We only came for the golf and a spot of lunch but I was tempted into having quick, post-golf spa treatment (Balneotherapy). You’ve got to look after yourself on these trips, you know!
I enjoy health treatments especially Shiatsu or a proper back massage and am aware of how golf and spa are increasingly common bedfellows. Balneotherapy seems to be a catch-all phrase for water treatments; in this case you are immersed in a specially-built king-size bath with dozens of tiny jets orchestrated to reach all sorts of parts. Once immersed, I was asked in broken English which sort of additive I preferred, aromatic essential oils, mineral salts or some sort of milk powder - I couldn’t quite make out the name – perhaps ass’s. Feeling adventurous, I went for the mystery milk which was duly added like a measure of washing detergent! They switched on the machine and left me to go through the cycle. Twenty minutes later I emerged feeling no perceptible difference whatsoever - except as if I’d just been inside a human washing machine. I think I’ll stick to the hands-on approach if you don’t mind!
As far as the golf went, Cabell Robinson routed this course through the Sologne Forest with an easy, rolling terrain and a smattering of small lakes. Bunkering and water provides definition and protection to some holes forcing exciting approach shots either over high-sided, greenside bunkers or wide stretches of water. The back 9 seemed to be the better presented and the 18th the most memorable, its green encircled by a lake. Golf de Limère is a well laid out course that has hosted several professional & amateur championships. If you want to stay a day or two, the resort offers attractive cottage-style accommodation with a kitchen in each, ideal for small golf groups. There are also regular hotel rooms and suites, plenty of on-site leisure and first class dining facilities.
