 
Our golf pros Cédric and Fréd pack their clubs and take off for a round in the south-east of France
In this review, we take you
to the Golf Club de Lyon
where, in 2001, José
Maria Olazabal won the
French Open. Les Brocards
course, designed by the
English architect Fred
Hawtree, was opened in
1964 and Les Sangliers, by
Hughes Lambert, was added
in 1991.
Only 5km from the
motorway and 30 minutes
from the city centre, the
course is easy to find.
The clubhouse is well
organised with bridge room,
TV room, space for
seminars, a large terrace and
a gym. There is even a
monitored children’s area.
Built in country style the
place is very cosy, the
welcome warm and the
service good. The
nearby Auberge de Jons
offers packages for
between €95 and €150
including room, green
fee and breakfast.
The recently
revamped restaurant
opens at 7.30am and
closes late. Menus
include a set meal for
€10.50 and a cold
buffet for €15.
Thanks to the club’s
partnership with the
famous Golf Plus Lyon
store, the roomy proshop
is well-stocked.
Green fees are from
€45 to €70 and there is
a 20% discount after
4.30pm. You can play
both courses in one day
for €67 or €95.
The driving range is
well-structured and close to
the club house. You will find
24 tees, 14 covered, a large
putting green and a chipping
green. A bucket of 40 balls
costs €5.
The two courses are of a
high standard but quite
different in their playing
strategy, athough on both of
them you will have to face
the same tree-lined fairways,
demanding good precision
driving. Les Sangliers will
favour the power players
(due to its length) in contrast
with Les Brocards, where
precision players will come
into their own.
Les Sangliers is an 18-
hole, 6,727 metres par-72
course. You’ll find numerous
water hazards to deal with
and uneven lies are common.
As for Les Brocards, it too is
an 18-hole par-72 but a bit
shorter (6,223m). One
particular aspect is the length
of the par-3s which make
them very hard to score on.
Course knowledge is a
bonus, indeed many holes
have sharp doglegs and you
need to know where to place
your ball off the tee in order
to have a clear second shot
to the green.
The reputation of the city
of Lyon, in sports and in
gastronomy, is growing and
the Golf Club de Lyon is
becoming quite a landmark –
a great golf club that we
thoroughly recommend.
EUROPEANGOLF-BIARRITZ RATING CHART
0: Bad 1: Average 2: Fair 3: Good 4: Great 5: Best
Access 5
Parking 4
Club-house 4
Restaurant 4
Pro-Shop 4
Driving range 4
Course layout 4
Green quality 4
Location 4
Overall rating 4.1
|
News 
