Rating 4/5
Review of Golf de Domont-Montmorency
In the Parisian suburbs is the Foret de Domont, close to the exclusive Jack Nicklaus designed Paris International Golf Club, approximately 20 to 30 minutes to the centre of Paris. This beautiful clump of woodland is where Fred Hawtree was commissioned to design this golf course back in 1966.
Golf de Domont-Montmorency is an absolutely delightful woodland track with a tremendous variety of holes. However be warned, as I was upon arriving by the friendly club director, the course is brutal to walk, with numerous elevation changes starting from just the second hole.
Fred Hawtree has numerous successful golf projects across France including the popular Golf de Belle Dune, the reputable Golf de Saint-Nom-la-Bretesche, and the most recent redevelopment at Golf des Aisses. All are highly regarded for both the technical challenge as well as the way they make the most of their natural surroundings.
Golf de Domont (for short), does exactly that. The second hole is an uphill par-3 and it’s from this point you realise this will also pose a physical challenge. The third hole is a magnificent par-4 with an elevated tee box, wide fairway and a green surrounded on all sides by bunkers.
As you continue to weave through this gracious woodland, you are again confronted with more blind tee shots to overcome, on both the fifth and tenth holes, both of which are elevated tees. Although I enjoy the challenge of these shots, I can’t help but feel they penalise those first-time players when in hindsight, you would have selected a completely different club (yes, I lost a couple of balls…).
At no point do you come out of this dense forest and I can’t help feeling this adds to the charm. Golf de Domont is incredibly good value; I played here in the summer months and it was just €40. The large welcoming clubhouse is more like a family home, with a great big dining room and large glass doors opening out onto the terrace.
The shame here is that no-one in the U.K. knows about this course although on reflection, maybe that is a good thing. It still retains its French charm, there is no stuffy atmosphere which you can find at other French golf courses and it wasn’t overly busy. Let’s keep this our little secret.
Detail
- Designer: Fred Hawtree
- 18 holes
- Par 71
- Length: 5,700 metres (6,234 yards)
- Slope 140
- Golf club website: https://www.golfdedomont.com/
- Phone number: 01 39 91 07 50
- Private
- Address: Route de Montmorency, 95330 Domont
