The Navarrenx golf club
The story of the club is about a restaurant owner in Pau and a solicitor from Navarrenx, both mad about golf, who decided to create their own course in the 100 hectare grounds of Château Nitot. The 9-hole course is celebrating its second year and will soon have 18 holes. With 6,500m, the Navarrenx Golf course will be one of the longest in France and one of the most modern with titanium clubs and fast balls for longer strokes. The ideal place to spend a whole day in a magnificent setting with a breathtaking view over the Pyrenees.
2 Chemin Nitot. Sus.
Tel. +33(0)5 59 66 50 24.
www.navarrenx-golfclub.com
The Pau golf club
The first golf course to be created outside the British Empire was born here in 1856 and embodies Pau's prosperous past. In the 19th century the town was nicknamed the "English town" when British aristocrats used to spend their winters at the foot of the Pyrenees, breathing in the fresh air and working on their swing. More than 160 years later, the Pau de Billère Golf Club still has the same proud appearance with its very British club house and a very good 5,314m long 18-hole course. Charming!
Rue du golf. Billère.
Tel. +33(0)5 59 13 18 56.
www.paugolfclub.com
The Bluegreen Pau Artiguelouve Golf
A 5,639 m long 18-hole golf course designed by Jean Garaïalde. The first six holes, in a woody area on the banks of the Gave, are tricky and require high precision. The twelve following holes, situated on a flat area with wide greens dotted with ponds and palm trees, require long shots. Worth noting, you'll find a pleasant practice area, a shorter course and two practice bunkers.
Domaine Saint-Michel. Artiguelouve.
Tel. +33(0)5 59 83 09 29.
pau-artiguelouve.bluegreen.com
The Helios Golf Club
And a river runs through, le Saleys. The Salies-de-Béarn Golf club offers a rolling
9-hole course with 18 starts (2,195m). The rural setting is dotted with trees, bunkers and water. The fairways are winding and the greens well-protected. The golf course also has the added advantage of being ideally located halfway between Pau and Bayonne, on the edge of the Béarn and the Basque Country. Salies-de-Béarn is also perfectly situated as a starting point for discovering the Béarn des Gaves region.
Chemin de Labarthe. Salies-de-Béarn.
Tel. +33(0)5 59 38 37 59.
www.golfsalies.com
The Pau Idron Compact Golf
Slightly under 800 metres long this compact course, just 10 minutes from Pau town centre, has six holes and can be done in less than an hour. This is the place to come to practice or to play a round among friends with the Pyrenees as a backdrop. The golf has three big greens perfect for beginners and a practice zone with an approach green, a large bunker, a putting green and a huge practice area with 30 positions. All these can be used without a licence or a green card. Perfect for beginners and for playing "en famille".
Lieudit le Camp. Idron.
Tel. +33(0)5 59 27 70 94.
www.golf-compact.fr
Freelance journalist and scriptwriter. He often works for the Sud-Ouest and L'Express, makes television documentaries (Arte, Canal +) and specialises in investigative journalism and books.
