GOLF HOLIDAYS IN MONS
The best courses for golfing breaks near Mons.
Royal Hainaut Architect: T. Simpson (1933). 18 holes (Bruyères & Etangs): 6,258m: par 72.
A delightfully welcoming Royal Golf Club with no hint of ostentation: just 27-holes of parkland golf, an unobtrusive Clubhouse and lots of friendly smiles. The original layout was the Quesnoy and Bruyeres nines; with Les Etangs being added about twenty years ago. The original 18 holes are high quality parkland golf through groves of mixed trees. There are no real hills on the original 18, but plenty of hummocks and hollows that add an element of chance to your game and the occasional sloping Fairway that demands a little extra thought from the Tee. Les Etangs runs over much hillier ground and presents a very different challenge through much denser woodland. It is well worth playing all three loops - and two days at Royal Hainaut would be no hardship at all!
Mont Garni Architect: T. MacCauley (1987). 18 holes: 6,331m: par 73.
A fine red-brick manor house meets your eye as you enter Mont Garni, which pleasingly turns out to be the Clubhouse! A youngish course that belies its age thanks to the thick forest that two-thirds of the course runs through; the remaining are in stark contrast out on an open plain. The forest holes are tight with small Greens and many are dog-legged too, to test both your accuracy and distance control from the Tee; sensibly these holes have limited bunkering as there is enough to think about already! The holes out on the plain (7-12) are pretty much devoid of trees, testing you instead with some big water features and big bunkers. A nice variety of golfing styles that provides a tough, yet enjoyable test.
La Tournette - American Architect: C. Clark 18 holes: 6,031m: par 72.
The huge white farmhouse that nowadays forms the elegant clubhouse at La Tournette, stands guard over two contrasting courses that you would be happy to play over and over again. It would be very hard to choose a favourite between these two highly enjoyable courses; your debate will run and run...
There is a slightly more US feel to the 'American' with its generously sized water hazards and scultpted bunkers.
La Tournette - English Architect: P. Alliss. 18 holes: 6,024m: par 71.
The 'English' on the other hand is a more reserved style of golf course as one might expect from the hand of the genteel Peter Alliss. La Tournette's English layout relies more on the natural features of the landscape to lend definition to the holes as it winds its way through the trees and hills surrounding the fine white Clubhouse.
Rigenee Architect: P. Rolin. 18 holes: 6,450m: par 73.
The village of Rigenée sits quietly in the midst of vast tracts of farmland and pasture, making it a lovely spot to play golf. The Club is rightly proud of its Solheim Cup player and is a place where the spirit of the sport is paramount. The course wends its way at first through the pretty village and then broadens out onto the plain opposite. You are assured of a great day at this most welcoming of clubs.
Mormal Architect: J. Cornillot (1991). 18 holes: 6,024m: par 72.
Over the border into France, Mormal is a busy course that has a lively local membership, so there is always a buzz around the big red-brick farmstead that now forms the Clubhouse. There was just enough land here to create 18-holes, consequently Fairways run side by side in many places although there are stretches of woodland too. In general the holes are not hugely long (especially from the forward Tees), so many rely on dog-legs or little twists in the tail to keep you thinking.