Golf de Morfontaine

Golf de Morfontaine: located in the Forêt d'Ermenonville, this wonderfully natural, very private, and excellently maintained golf course is quite simply one of the world's greatest heathland courses ... right up there with Sunningdale's Old Course. No surprise it's habitually ranked the No.1 course in Continental Europe.

From the understated cottage-style clubhouse to the individually crafted tree-lined holes, Morfontaine exudes tranquility and an aristocratic air. The good-width fairways are handsomely flanked by vast tracts of heather, with Scots pine also much in abundance. Rocky outcrops also feature strongly, with one such outcrop in front of the par-4 14th green paying more than a passing resemblance to a frog.

On this expansive layout, three loops (1 thru' 4, 5 thru' 9, and 10 thru' 18) take you out-and-back from the clubhouse. Along the way there are no water hazards to worry about. The key to scoring well relies firstly on straight-hitting from the tee and staying out of the copious volumes of heather. Second, is to avoid the opulently-sized silver-sand bunkers, which stoutly guard the large and dramatically contoured greens.

On a couple of occasions a blind drive is required, as at the beautifully crafted par-4 8th, which takes you up and over a small ridge. For many, the straight par-4 9th and bunkerless par-4 10th are also favourites. The first of this pair is now played from an elevated "crow's nest" tee. One of the toughest holes on the course is the good-length par-4 16th. A fairway-crossing band of heather is in range from the tee, and a challenging uphill approach is required to a well-defended green.

Pick of the holes: understated elegance bestrides most of the holes on the Grand Parcours. The finish is memorable with a short bunker-surrounded plateau-green par-3 at 17. Then onto a sweeping tree-lined avenue that guides you along the short par-5 18th.

Vallière course: Morfontaine's original course, the nine-hole Vallière, is often characterised as a more eccentric shot-maker's layout than its younger, more expansive, 18-hole sibling. It starts with a tightly dog-legging short par-4, before significant elevation changes take over, at the tight par-4 3rd and plunging downhill par-3 4th. The Vallière's mesmerisingly undulating greens are tricky ... to say the least. The course settles down at the par-5 5th, perhaps offering a worthy warm-up for the Grand Parcours challenges to come.

Limited access: this is a private club, with courses generally playable only by members and their invited guests. If you should be invited to play here, grab the opportunity with both hands; you will be in for a treat!