At Golf de Belle Dune, Jean Manuel Rossi has designed an average length course, since it does not reach the 6 600 yards from the white tees, but will ask an intelligent game and will often call to your strategy. Belle Dune is an iron golf. No need for oversized drive but of mastery for pleasure. Ranked among the 10 most beautiful golf courses in France, Golf de Belle Dune, about 2 hours from Paris, Belgium, and a few steps away from England offers a route between pines and dunes
The opening and closing stretches of this predominantly sand-based links-style course are routed through a small pine forest. Here you will find tightish undulating fairways, several of them doglegging between the pines. The middle section of the course, from the par-4 8th through to the challenging double dogleg par-5 13th, is where links aficionados will feel most at home. This is where the holes are considerably more open and linksy than you’ll find on the opening and closing sections. Throughout, Belle Dune’s constant undulations are matched by some large and seriously undulating greens; getting down in two can never be taken for granted.
The Marquenterre reserve, in which the course lies, is not only botanic paradise, it’s also home to the diverse wildlife of migrating birds, ducks, pheasants and rabbits. Belle Dune is not overly long for the handicap player, but it will nonetheless test every aspect of your game. Fairways must be found all costs and the greens are always very quick and difficult to read. With the SSS set at 74 from the back tees, Belle Dune is no pushover.
Conclusion : Full of testing challenges for mid and high handicappers, Belle Dune is definitely one of France’s lesser known gems that’s worth getting to know.
