Le Golf National has hosted other major events, including the 2018 Ryder Cup.
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All four of this year's men's medals are in the books, but the top three are still up for grabs. Olympic golf is about to begin. The tournament starts on Thursday in the men's division where 60 players from 32 countries will compete for gold, silver and gold (the women's competition, which includes 60 players from 33 countries, starts next Wednesday).
The format is four rounds, or 72 holes, of stroke play, and the venue is the Albatros course at Le Golf National, outside Paris. The long-time host of the DP World Tour's Open de France (and the site of the 2018 Ryder Cup), Albatros is known for its brilliance. But many fans may find it unfamiliar. To help you familiarize yourself, here are five things you should know about the course.
A Marlboro man helped design it
Located in the town of Guyancourt, about 18 kilometers from the Eiffel Tower, the course, which opened in 1990, was jointly designed by Hubert Chesneau and Robert von Hagge. Chesneau is French. Von Hagge, who died in 2010, was an American architect who, before starting a career in golf design, starred in television commercials as the Marlboro Man.
It was once a farm
Long before it produced its first bird, the soil here produced crops. The course is located on a former farm, a once-flat area that has been converted into a rolling fairway with a 45-foot change and a stadium-style setting with room for up to 30,000 spectators.
Sir Nick found it “difficult but fair.”
In 1991, when the course hosted the first Open de France, Nick Faldo followed up his opening round of 71 by calling the course “tough but fair.” Earlier this week, Tom Kim echoed that sentiment. “I think it will be a great test of golf for everyone,” said Kim, representing the Republic of Korea. “You're really not fooling around here.” Recorded history proves that. In its season as host to the Open de France, this course ranks among the toughest on the DP World Tour.
It has a watery edge
A firm course that favors precision over power, Albatros can be kind to inverted drives and approaches. It grows especially unforgiving as the round goes on, with punishing tees that bring water into play on three of the last four holes.
You can play it
Owned by the French Golf Federation, the course is part of a luxury hotel that is also home to the 18-hole Aigle course and the nine-hole L'Oiselet course. All courses are accessible to the public. Play times resume on Aug. 13.
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