The 2018 Ryder Cup host venue, Le Golf National, is this week home of the inaugural Paris Legends Championship. We take a look at the history of this famous course…
History
Believe it or not, when pen was first put to paper in designing the course which will host The 2018 Ryder Cup, the land at Le Golf National was completely flat.
The choice of land, which had previously been used for agriculture, gave concept designer Hubert Chesneau free rein in constructing what was described as a ‘golf stadium’, a purpose-built venue for the Open de France.
As Paris expanded as a city, building works were taking place and it was agreed that the site of Le Golf National would be used as a spoil tip for sites being excavated in the French capital. For three years, 400 trucks per day transported 1.6 million cubic metres of soil, adding to the 600,000 cubic metres moved on-site to create water features.
The course was then modelled on top of the deposited construction soil, and was inaugurated in October 1990 by Ray Floyd, Greg Norman, Jeff Sluman and Frenchman Marc Farry.
The Course
The course has hosted the European Tour’s Open de France on all but two occasions since 1991, and has been a happy stomping ground for many a European Senior Tour member with Paul Broadhurst, Miguel Angel Jiménez, Miguel Angel Martín, Colin Montgomerie, Sam Torrance and Costantino Rocca all having won there in the past.
Torrance, however, perhaps deserves a special mention. After shooting 64 on the first day in 1998 to hit the front, he never looked back as he cruised to a two-stroke victory. The course has also been selected to host The 2018 Ryder Cup.
Redesign
Water is a prominent feature, especially over the closing holes with hazards coming into play on the 13th, 15th, 16th and 18th holes, as well as the two opening holes.
The course measures 7,249 yards, and has recently undergone major renovations with new drainage irrigation, lake edging and bunkering as well landscaping, hospitality platforms and road construction in preparation for the 2018 Ryder Cup.
The green and surround on the first hole has been redesigned to create more pin positions. The fourth and fifth holes have been remodelled to accommodate larger crowds ahead of the Ryder Cup, with new fairway bunkering also added.
The seventh hole will be played from a new slightly shorter and elevated tee. The 11th hole has been completely remodelled with new bunkering, a new lake and back tee option.
The 12th hole has new fairway bunkering, while the 14th hole has a new forward tee option. The 16th green has been remodelled to provide new pin positions. The course is mostly exposed, so the wind may certainly play its part during the inaugural edition of the Paris Legends Championship.
