Rating 4/5
Review of Golf de Barbaroux
Barbaroux golf club in southern France is testament to the creativity and vision of Pete Dye and his son P.B. It is a fascinating design full of typical American features including vast rolling greens and copious bunkers. Many people who play Barbaroux rate it as one of France’s best and purely for the lack of tradition and history I’ve not considered placing it higher
It is located just under an hour’s drive from the French Mediterranean coast and is in an area of France, the Côte d’Azur, which is home to many great tracks. However, very few share the same design features and philosophy as the Golf de Barbaroux.
Peter Dye and his son P.B. who shared the design duties here, created a magnificent layout which aims to test even the most proficient of golfers. But before touching on some of the more demanding aspects of the course, the elegance is to be appreciated as well. The Dye’s are well-renowned for their willingness to include railway sleepers within the design, and this can be seen around most of the water features here.
The variety of different design features is fantastic with numerous holes providing a considerable challenge even for the better golfers out there. For example, the 11th hole is immense, with a big carry over water needed to reach the narrow fairway. Once this hazard is out of the way, there is still the possibility of pushing your approach into the same encroaching water feature.
In fact, all throughout the course there are numerous challenges and amusements. These include blind approach shots like on the 3rd hole, water on the 1st, a 15th green almost fully surrounded by bunkers and fun distractions like a tunnel under the 4th green to access it. Add to all this the fact it has Europe’s biggest green!
This is more than just a fun course, it is a premium example of quality golf course design. Approachable to higher handicaps with its large fairways, yet still challenging to better players with the choice of tee boxes and numerous hazards, Golf de Barbaroux is definitely worth a visit.
Detail
- Designer: Peter & P.B. Dye
- 18 holes
- Par 72
- Length: 5,516 metres (6,032 yards)
- Slope 138
- Golf club website: http://www.barbaroux.com
- Phone number: 04 94 69 63 63
- Public
- Address: Route de Cabasse, 83170 Brignoles
