01새 단장 마친 르 골프 나시오날, 경기력 좌우할 핵심 변화
DP월드투어 페덱스 프랑스 오픈의 무대인 르 골프 나시오날이 대대적인 코스 개보수 작업을 마치고 선수들을 맞이한다.
이번 리노베이션은 코스 레이아웃과 배수 시스템 등을 정비하여 선수들에게 더욱 정교하고 전략적인 플레이를 요구하도록 설계되었다.
새롭게 변모한 그린과 코스 환경은 대회의 박진감을 한층 더할 것으로 보이며, 변화된 코스 조건에 선수들이 어떻게 적응할지가 이번 대회 우승 향방의 최대 변수가 될 전망이다.
02Original (English) — DP World Tour
After undergoing significant renovations, Le Golf National is back in golf's global spotlight at the FedEx Open de France.
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The long-time host venue of France's national open reopened on September 1, almost two years on from its closure due to the expansion of the greater Paris underground.
While the major national project would result in better facilitating the arrival of fans and players to the venue, through a station just 300 metres from the front doors, it also meant holes four, five and six on the Albatros course required a redesign.
With it, continental Europe's oldest national open last year was held at Golf de Saint-Nom-la-Bretèche - the first time it was held away from Le Golf National since 2001.
The host venue of the 2018 Ryder Cup closed a week after the 2024 edition was won by England's Dan Bradbury.
Earlier that summer, Le Golf National - part of European Tour Destinations - hosted the men's and women's golf events at the Olympic Games.
So, with the Open de France forming part of the DP World Tour's ongoing Back 9, what should be expected following the course's revamp?
Due to the positioning of the aptly-named Metro Line 18, the works to the Albatros have centred around a three-hole stretch, namely holes four, five and six.
As a result of a wide mound being required to the right side of the fourth, to protect the metro line and a new public footpath, the fairway and green of the hole shifted to the left.
The product is a dogleg left with a raised green, which in turn led to a knock-on to fifth and six holes.
Central to the project's architect Russell Talley - selected by the French Golf Federation - was to create a more engaging challenge for the world's best, while balancing the needs of amateurs.
“Our goal was to enhance the playing experience by introducing more movement and subtle topographical interest, particularly on the greens, through varied slopes and counter-slopes,” said Russell.
“This adds strategic depth and a wider variety of pin positions and shot options.
The fifth is a dogleg right from an elevated tee to the original fairway, with the green relocated to a high point providing excellent views across the course, surrounding farmland and beyond.
The sixth is also transformed from what it was, with a split fairway and the addition of some fairway bunkers boosting the challenge, while the elevated green is narrow from front to back.
“For the fifth and sixth, we focused on injecting challenge and interest that the original layout lacked, creating a much more strategic test," added Talley in an interview with European Tour Destinations.
In the view of Le Golf National's General Manager, Philippe Pilato, the changes have vastly improved what was perceived as the weakest hole on the course.
"It was short with no hazards – so we added bunkers and made it a drivable par four for big events, with the green oriented wider rather than longer," said Pilato.
Across those three holes, 17 bunkers have been added.
But beyond modifications to the competitive challenge, it is hoped that section of the course will also be more conducive to spectator viewing.
About half of the new metro line, which connects Paris-Orly Airport with Versailles, is on the golf course boundary, which resulted in the original academy course being demolished and replaced with a new one.
The club's greenkeeping staff took the opportunity to make improvements to other parts of the Albatros course, including the reshaping of greens on holes one, two, nine and 18.
On holes one, two, 15 and 18, the lake edges around the greens have been tweaked following the replacement of the timber walls around the putting surfaces.
Through their commitment to sustainability, Le Golf National has also made the decision to change to bentgrass across the entire Albatros layout.
"With summers getting hotter and droughts becoming more frequent, this type of grass will allow us to use less water, especially when restrictions are in place," explained Pilato.
“So, we embraced this project as an opportunity to proactively modernise the course, enhance our sustainability, and elevate the playing experience for both our customers and professional players.”
After hosting the upcoming Open de France, Le Golf National will build a new maintenance facility which will be powered by solar panels that will produce energy for the building and charge our equipment.
New tee boxes have also been built, again with the aim of easily switching from hosting a major professional tournament with welcoming the average golfer.
The wait is almost over, and it appears Le Golf National is set to be better than ever before.
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