Hotel du Golf Barbaroux Est. 1989

Golf courses in Europe designed by legendary architect Pete Dye are rare, countable on the fingers of one hand. Barbaroux is one such course, a collaborative design by Pete Dye and his son P.B. Dye. Recognised as one of the best layouts in the south of France, this tree-lined and open parkland course lays down some testing challenges. The par-4 1st is your scene-setter: a dog-leg right over water, possibly played with the wind in your face. An equally tough par-4 follows, this time requiring a tight, blind drive and then a difficult approach to an elevated green. The third also demands a blind drive, leading to an approach shot into a plunging canyon. This is certainly a testing layout, but at the same time a wonderful course full of risks and rewards. The more undulating front-nine and easier-going back-nine offer many wonderful views out across the surrounding woodland and rural countryside. At one point the proximity of the A8 highway creates a bit of traffic noise, but is generally not too distracting. The Dye's appear to have drawn on ideas collected from many great and varied courses. The 13th's pudding bowl green is in the mould of Pinehurst No.2; a dune-like fairway bunker at the short par-4 14th could be found on a Scottish links; at the 9th, a 60-metre green again brings a British links to mind; the short par-4 7th is perhaps reminiscent of Gleneagles, while the fabulous 11th is not unlike a hole on Pete Dye's Kiawah Island Ocean course. Not a course to miss when in the south of France - but just hope your game is firing on all cylinders.