Executive Traveler June-July 2005
© Dale Leatherman 2005
"You know, golf started in France, not Scotland."
When 19th hole golf talk lags, I like to drop this verbal bomb, knowing it's akin to saying that cowboys originated in Japan rather than the American West. In truth, it's quite possible that golf (and a number of other stick-and-ball sports) evolved from croquet, a game practiced widely as jeu de mail in France since the 11th century. As the instigator of this heresy, I also know how to end the turmoil. The Scots were the first to incorporate a hole into their game. Enough said. My playing buddies settle back into their chairs. Any duffer knows golf is all about getting the ball in the hole, with a one-foot putt counting the same as an heroic drive.
The purpose of my mischievousness is always to open the subject of golf in France. While American golfers continue to wear a groove in the ocean between the U.S. and the British Isles, Europeans quietly (perhaps secretly) also recognize France as a delightful golf destination, rich in a different sort of history, cuisine and ambiance. The country, which is almost twice as big as Colorado, has about 600 golf courses. In Golf World's ranking of courses in continental Europe, France has more courses in the top 25 (8) and the Top 100 (21) than any other country.
With only two weeks to spend and a desire to see the sights and sample lots of wine and cheese, my photographer and I targeted the very best and the very new: The best: Les Bordes, ranked No. I in the country since its opening in 1986 and second in continental Europe, and Royal Mougins, ranked in the country's top five. The new: two exciting Dave Thomas courses at the Four Seasons Provence at Terre Blanche.
Our selective quest involved a north-south trek through the country. To spice up the road trip, we recruited as our traveling companion/guide Rick Baril, lead architect for the Texas-based design firm of (Robert ) Von Hagge, Baril and Smelek, and the man responsible for the hands-on work on the firm's European designs. Four of the top five courses in France are the work of the firm, including Les Bordes and Royal Mougins. . . .
Contact me to read the entire story or to discuss second rights or a rewrite. daleatherman@cs.com