Golf de Bondues

Stunning! The locals much prefrer the Hawtree course to the Trent Jones, because the latter costs a fortune to maintain with so much water. Very Gallic, with people popping up to have lunch from Lille or the stylish homes dotted around the perimiter of both courses. The 18th hole on the Hawtree finishes in front of the finest club house you will ever have seen. A magnificent period chateau with floor to ceiling windows. Take two days out and play both courses. Trent Jones is littered with water hazards, Hawtree tight and tree lined, with less water but both in magnificent condition when we ( four Lewes GC members h/cap 13 -26) played the last week of September, 2006. And unlike so many northern French courses, mercifully free of loud and often foul mouthed Brit golfers.

Played the Trent Jones Blanc course June 2003. This course is reasonably flat, but requires a great deal of thought to get through with a good score. The course has a great number of bunkers and includes many doglegs, although its main feature has to be its numberous water hazards. These start off on the first and continue through most of the course, with the 16th hole having only water between tee and green! All greens have tricky runs on them and putting from above the hole is not for the faint hearted. Although the carpark was full at 9:30am we weren't held up as the course seams to keep the players well spread out. English is spoken, particularly by the Newcastle born teaching professional.

8 FAIRLY LOW HANDICAP GOLFERS (2 - 10)FROM SUDBURY G.C. IN MIDDLESEX PLAYED BOTH COURSES MAY 2002 AND WERE VERY IMPRESSED PARTICULARLY WITH THE TRENT JONES COURSE. THE SECOND SHOT ON THE FIRST HOLE IS VERY IS PRETTY INTIMIDATING.

I played the two courses both in april and august and found the robert trent jones course to be a very tough test of par golf but the local say it is easier than the martin hawtree course. I disagree the hawtree is longer and a par73 course but much straighter and much less water. overall these two courses are a wonderful challange and with nice greens and bunkers.

Played this course in March 1999 - it was very wet due to the attrocious weather. However the course was still excellent and the greens were as good as I have played anywhere