There was a time when the words 'golf property' conjured up images of a timeshare villa on the Algarve, or an identikit bungalow in Florida. Those days are long gone, judging from the example of some of the rather astonishing efforts being made at some of the finest clubs across Europe.
Les Bordes, in France, is a perfect example. The 1,400-acre estate in the Loire Valley was once the home of Baron von Bich, the man who made millions from setting up the Bic pen company after buying the patent from Hungarian inventor Lazlo Biro. The Baron brought in course designer Robert von Hagge to lay out the track for what he turned in to a private member's club — and the results were spectacular. Les Bordes is arguably the finest golf course in France, a 1980s design full of drama, water hazards and beautiful scenery.
Today, the estate is the baby of Driss Benkirane, founder of a London-based private equity firm called RoundShield Partners, and a keen golfer. Benkirane has brought in an even more renowned course architect, Gil Hanse, to build a new course that's completely different in character.
Thought it's not yet open, the course is described as a sandy, heathland track that is openly inspired by Pine Valley, the New Jersey course consistently rated the best in the world — and a place where Hanse is a member. 'I was based at Sunningdale for five years before moving to France,' says Les Bordes' golf director, Jack Laws, 'and, for me, it rivals Harry Colt’s work there which is incredibly exciting.'
Hand-in-hand with the development of the course is the development of everything else: there are homes, shops, restaurants and even a go-kart track among the plans, while a Six Senses hotel is opening in 2024.
A thousand miles or so further south, the Spanish estate at Sotogrande is also moving in to a new era. The golf courses in this part of Andalusia, not far from Marbella, include Valderrama and Real Sotogrande — both, like Les Bordes, are among the best in Europe. But their story here isn't about the new course: instead, it's about the new homes that are being built at La Reserva Club de Sotogrande — most striking of which are The Seven.
The 'seven' refers to seven new villas that are being built in an area shaped by French landscape designer Jean Mus, who has carved out a 12-hectare park in rich rolling land. Each one of the houses has been designed by a different one of the world’s most innovative architectural studios, with the stated intention of 'perfectly integrating with their beautiful surroundings and reinventing luxury living'.
Horses, swimming, beach life and golf — La Reserva's own separate course is ranked in the top 10 in Spain – come together as they have done for over half a century. 'We have been a haven for the elite since 1962 but never has our offering been more attractive and prevalent than in today’s world,' says Sotogrande SA's chairman Marc Topiol.
So keen are Sotogrande to show off The Seven and their other properties — including the six almost equally incredible villas at El Mirador — that they're offering a unique carrot to prospective buyers: a private jet to whisk them in for viewings. The jet will pick up prospective buyers from several pick-up points across the continent and bring them to Gibraltar, 20 minutes away, to spend a few days while making up their minds.
Credit: Toby Keel / Country Life
Les Bordes: The family-friendly millionaire's playground carved out of an elite French golf club
Les Bordes Golf Club earned a big reputation in the 1980s for its outstanding (and outstandingly tough) golf course. Today,
Credit: Sam Hanson / Goodwood
Sporting life: Hickory golf on the South Downs, complete with plus fours and bow-ties
The Goodwood Revival isn't just limited to the motor racing circuit these days – each year, a group of golfers takes
Credit: Kevin Murray
Sporting life: 18 golf courses in the UK that every golfer should play before they die
Roderick Easdale nominates his pick of the best golf courses in Britain and Ireland, with some help from the great
-
‘Some people find it a bit daunting being faced with a big beast and a couple of utensils’: Mitch Tonks on the perfect seafood platterMitch Tonks creates the ultimate fisherman’s feast using crab, langoustines and of course, oysters.
-
The ring ouzel: The mystery behind the common blackbird's feral twinA master of disguise, inexplicably shy and unpredictably wild, the increasingly rare ring ouzel warrants giving any blackbird a second glance.
-
Location, community and charm: the enduring desirability of London's mews housesFrom birds, to horses, to beautiful family homes, the mews of London are some of the nation's most sought-after homes. But why?
-
The distinctive and historic home that might just be 'one of Dorset’s most picturesque'Grade II*-listed Manor House, set in just under eight acres, dates from the 16th century.
-
A 17th century farmhouse in Surrey with one of Britain's oldest squash courtsFords Farm is on the market for the first time in over half a century.
-
The 15 best-value commuter towns for people working in London, according to new research from one of Britain's top estate agentsSavills have released their list of the best-value commuter towns in Britain. But do the sums add up? Toby Keel takes a look.
-
What everyone is talking about this week: Where are the new Cotswolds?The appearance of American Vice President J. D. Vance in the Cotswolds is a sure sign that they're saturated, but where else can you escape to that has the same charm?
-
19 outstanding country homes, from £450,000 to £20 million, as seen in Country LifeA spectacular country house in Yorkshire and an enormously impressive Channel Islands retreat are among the stand-out homes on the market this week.
-
Three homes down by the Thames, perfect for those who love messing about on boatsThis summer’s scorching temperatures will no doubt have endorsed the perennial appeal of Thames-side houses with frontage and private access to the river. Penny Churchill and Toby Keel pick out some prime examples.
-
A pavilion, pool and pleasure gardens at this Devon country house 'with not another building in sight'Ebberly House is a majestic country house in Devon built by one of John Soane's pupils — and as it comes to the market, it's a place Penny Churchill knows well.
