Teeing up Le Golf National: Europe’s first Stadium-style golf course
By Jason Scott Deegan, GolfPass Managing Editor
France isn’t home to a robust golf culture like some other European countries, but there is one course every fan of the game should play – the Albatros Course at Le Golf National.
Le Golf National is one of continental Europe’s premier tournament venues. The long-time site of the French Open hosted the 2018 Ryder Cup Matches dominated by the Europeans and the 2024 Olympic Games, where Lydia Ko (women) and Scottie Scheffler won gold medals.
A new chapter in Le Golf National’s championship legacy launches this fall when the Albatros Course reopens in September after a two-year closure. The course has been closed since the Olympics in October 2024 to make room for the Grand Paris Express Line 18, a new train that, by 2030, will directly connect to the Paris Orly Airport (a 25-minute ride) or Versailles (10 minutes). Golfers will be able to reach Le Golf National without changing trains or worrying about a car rental. That’s huge for visitors.
It will be much easier for tourists in Paris to carve out a day to play Le Golf National and then return to the sightseeing or the family vacation. If you’re a die-hard golfer who wants the full golf experience, the Novotel Saint Quentin en Yvelines hotel onsite is also being renovated to add all the creature comforts necessary to be ranked among the top 25 golf resorts in Europe.
Bring your A game to Le Golf National
The Albatros Course was Europe’s first TPC-style stadium course. The French Golf Federation had always dreamed of owning a course and finally set out to make it a reality in the mid-1980s.
Architect Hubert Chesneau and consulting architect Robert Von Hagge reshaped a featureless landscape just 45 minutes outside Paris by building spectator mounding and digging ponds. They moved 2.2-million-cubic meters of dirt on leased farmland to accomplish the Stadium effect with lots of mounding.
Greg Norman, Raymond Floyd and Jeff Sluman teed it up at the grand opening in October 1990. Many famous players have since celebrated a French Open victory here, including Graeme McDowell, Frenchman Thomas Levet, Martin Kaymer, Colin Montgomerie, Sam Torrance, Retief Goosen and others.
In 2016, a renovation to prep for the Ryder Cup tweaked a few holes to set them up better for match play and upgraded the course’s tournament infrastructure. Fifteen kilometers of new roads and cart paths were laid. Nine kilometers of pipes now provide drinking water throughout the course. The irrigation system was completely modernized. New bulkhead edging now lines every water hazard, providing a refined look. Platform areas outside of playing areas were leveled for grandstands and corporate tents.
A few holes changed as well. The first and 16th greens were redone to locate more pin placements. The biggest impact was a new 11th hole, a well-bunkered par 3 guarded by a pond. Seventeen new bunkers were built and 28 original ones were reconstructed. Two new lakes and four new pro tees added more muscle to the playing experience.
It might be the most intimidating course I’ve ever played. The 6,649-meter (7,271-yard) course reminds me of a love child between Bethpage Black and the PLAYERS Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass. Both Bethpage and Sawgrass are brawny championship courses that the pros can conquer if they’re playing their best or the setup and weather is benign.
The first two holes at Le Golf National — a par 4 and par 3 — wrap around the same pond. With ponds lurking across eight other holes, water is a constant threat. Holes 2 (a reshaped lakeshore), 4, 5 and 6 are being redesigned during the current improvement project.
The finish was legendary, causing drama at both the Ryder Cup and the Olympics. The current par 4s at No. 15 and No. 18 will change during the ongoing improvement project. The 15th and 18th holes used to end at the dual island greens attached to the same sliver of land in a lake. How the new look will impact tournament and everyday play remains to be seen.
The other courses at Le Golf National — the 18-hole Aigle Course (which translates to “eagle” in English) and the 2,138-yard nine-hole Oiselete (which means “little bird” in English) — are more forgiving and affordable. Further developments are planned for 2027, including the opening of a brand-new Pitch and Putt course, a new concept for the golf academy and more.
Upgrading the four-star Novotel Saint-Quentin-En-Yvelines hotel will enhance the whole property. The 131 guest rooms, reception, lobby and golf course clubhouse will all be upgraded.
Bavar is a new dining concept inside the hotel with a varied menu based on fresh produce, tapas specialties and international cuisine. The Club House Bistro Birdie offers a warm atmosphere overlooking the 18th hole of the Albatros course.
Whatever you order, it’s likely to taste great. You’re in France, remember?
For golfers, there may be no better souvenir than a round here—book a tee time at Le Golf National to experience it yourself.