Nouvelle-Aquitaine, France
Golf d’Aubeterre is a nine-hole, par 54 course located within the grounds of the Longeveau estate in the Charente and Dordogne countryside. The layout is designed to offer a challenge for golfers of all abilities, utilizing the natural undulating terrain and mature trees of the estate. The course allows players to complete either nine or eighteen holes, with the latter achieved by playing the nine holes twice. The total yardage varies by tee, with the longest hole, the seventh, measuring 337 metres from the yellow tees, while the shortest, the sixth, is a 100-metre par 3. The course features a mix of par 3s and par 4s, with significant elevation changes and water hazards defining several key holes. The first hole is a 302-metre par 4 that requires a drive down into a valley, avoiding a small lake, before hitting back up to a green protected by a bunker. The third hole, also a par 4 at 255 metres, presents a complex challenge with a ditch across the fairway, a lake to the right, and a pond to the left, demanding a precise second shot over a front bunker. The ninth hole concludes the round with a 252-metre par 4 that opens into a wider fairway but finishes on a two-tiered green, which is described as the most difficult feature on the course due to the risk of balls rolling back down the slope. Out of bounds and local hazards play a significant role in the difficulty. The fifth hole, a 195-metre par 3, has out of bounds on both sides and reputedly plays left to right, while the second hole’s rough is described as unforgiving with farmland to the left marked as out of bounds. The eighth hole requires players to avoid a field containing bulls behind the green. The course is approved by the Fédération Française de Golf (FFG) and carries an SSI rating of 111. Golf d’Aubeterre hosts a variety of competitions throughout the year, managed by the Association de Golf d’Aubeterre. Regular events include Wednesday and Friday morning or evening Stableford competitions, a monthly medal, and sponsored tournaments. The club’s major annual events are the Club Plate Competition, which is played by handicap, and the Club Championship, a scratch competition held over three days. The course also welcomes visitors for social roll-ups on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Saturdays, typically played as Texas scrambles or stablefords.
