What to Count on on the New Cour du Baron Residences at Les Bordes Property Golf Membership
For those who cherish the finer things of life, a round of golf is definitely on the check list. If playing 18 holes on a championship course can be supplemented with other luxuries, the Cour du Baron residences at famed golf club Les Bordes Estate are the ideal country home for golfers and bon vivants. On offer are top-notch golf courses, exquisite dining options, first-rate amenities, and stunning scenery right outside the front door.
These recently unveiled properties in Loire Valley are an exclusive collection of opulent homes meticulously crafted by the renowned architecture firm Michaelis Boyd in celebration of the region’s fascinating past. Set amidst the fabled Sologne forest in the Loire Valley, a setting renowned for its breathtaking chateaux, famous wines, and idyllic landscapes, Cour du Baron is only 90 minutes south of Paris. On the 1,400-acre grounds of Les Bordes Estate, the three-to-seven-bedroom residences are thoughtfully incorporated into the forest’s natural setting.
Cour du Baron residences: Upscale living in a golfer’s haven
The convivial collection of single-family residences represents a first-of-its-kind opportunity to own a home within one of the most exceptional private communities in the world. Within the storied backdrop of a UNESCO World Heritage Site, residents are offered a 21st-century home ownership experience that offers cosy solitude, airy open-concept interiors, lush landscaping, and plenty of opportunities for relaxation and recreation.
The project’s initial phase included 21 homes, several of which were reserved and/or booked by Les Bordes Golf Club members. The next phase of 24 residences is up for sale, with move-ins beginning in early 2024. For the phase-two residences, three distinct styles are offered: Classical, contemporary, and traditional. In addition, buyers can choose from a carefully chosen array of upgrade choices that best fit their vision, all while valuing the timeless attributes of natural materials and the traditional characteristics of French farmhouse architecture.
In addition to its exquisite array of classic residences, Cour du Baron offers a plethora of family-friendly activities. The private estate is home to endless outdoor pursuits, including Les Bordes Golf Club (a private members’ golf club), natural swimming lake, a white sand beach, boating and paddleboarding, playground, tennis and pickleball courts, padel courts, electric quad rides, go-karting, archery and clay shooting, a petting farm, and more. The clubhouse, which is open to members, is already receiving rave reviews, with executive chef Jerome Voltat dishing up delectable modern European cuisine that celebrates the high-quality produce of the region.
A residents’ clubhouse, kid’s club, farmers market and garden, outdoor theatre, art gallery and workshop, bakery, cafe and juice bar, restaurant, and wine bar are on the cards and are expected to be open in 2025. At the estate’s old Chateau Bel Air castle, the Six Senses Spa Loire Valley is scheduled to open in 2026. Tout ensemble, residents get to experience the best of both worlds — the luxury of a brand-new house and in an upscale residential community — while delving deeply into the traditional history of the region.
Steeped in luxury
Stepping into Loire Valley is like stepping into a Walt Disney fairytale world. Once the playground of the rich and powerful, the verdant countryside is dotted with a multitude of exquisite chateaux, all replete with turrets, towers, and moats, evoking romantic tales and pictures of bygone eras of French royalty. Gorgeous gardens encircle magnificent Renaissance monuments, and rivers run through this enchanted location.
Known as the “garden of France”, the Loire Valley’s moderate climate and rich soil yield high-quality produce that is shipped to French cooks all around the country. There are around 20 Michelin-starred restaurants in the vicinity, including the two Fleur de Loire by Chef Christophe Hay and La Vieille Tour by Chef Alexis Letellier.
Les Bordes Golf Club
Strolling in the crisp breeze is a remarkable experience, enjoying the chirping of birds and buzzing bees and soaking in the reviving sunlight while gazing out across miles of woods. Essentially, this encapsulates the Les Bordes Estate Golf Club, a stunningly serene spot that even non-golfers will find difficult to leave.
Les Bordes Golf Club is a private members’ club accessible exclusively to its members and their guests. A one-of-a-kind golfing destination, the club is all about escaping the outside world, immersing oneself in nature, and playing some exceptional golf.
Offering the best private club experience in Europe, Les Bordes is one of the world’s most acclaimed private facilities, with a combined 46 holes of golf, two architecturally distinct championship courses, a world-class short course, and unrivalled supporting facilities.
The Old Course
The first course, dubbed “The Old Course”, was opened for play in 1986 and is regarded Robert von Hagge’s finest. For the past 30 years, it has continuously been listed in the top golf courses in Europe. The Old Course is a daunting 7,009-yard, par-72 course that meanders through the Sologne Forest and an enchanting lake complex. The course is as challenging as its reputation implies.
The Old Course, a holdover from a bygone age of golf course architecture, offers the most challenging test imaginable, thanks to its creative man-made mounding, contouring, and bunkering, as well as its shots over vast stretches of water. Over the years, the course has undergone a number of material improvements. The fairways and surrounding areas are riddled with humps, hollows, and dells, giving the course a unique appearance, especially in the evening when the sun goes down. The layout has more flair than any other course in France, despite popular opinion that it has some American influences in terms of conditioning and design.
The Old Course is accessible exclusively to members and their guests.
The New Course
RoundShield Partners, a London-based private equity group specialising in European special opportunities, acquired the Les Bordes Estate in 2018. A fresh concept was brought about by the new ownership, to develop an upscale family retreat in a tranquil, historic environment. Renowned golf course architects Gil Hanse and business partner Jim Wagner were brought in to design an 18-hole course (as well as a 10-hole par-3 layout) in addition to the existing Old Course.
Hanse is renowned for designing numerous modern masterpieces, such as the Seaside Links Golf Course at Castle Stuart, Scotland, and the Rio de Janeiro Olympic Golf Course, and restoring many perennial Top 100 courses, including Tokyo Golf Club, Merion, Winged Foot, Los Angeles Country Club, St George’s Golf and Country Club, and Essex County Country Club. The imposing 7,285-yard, par-72 New Course was the famed architect‘s first layout in continental Europe.
The New Course has a more conventional heathland character, in stark contrast to the Old Course. It sits on stable, sandy ground that is mostly covered in fescue with sporadic heather patches. The course is the only one in Europe made entirely of fescue grass, and is incredibly wide, open, and natural. The New Course requires more strategy than simply avoiding a formidable water hazard, since angles created by clever contouring and well-placed bunkering must be properly negotiated in order to provide the easiest shot onto the green. The course is very walkable despite having all strategic features; in fact, it is a walking-only course. All things considered, the New Course’s layout is captivating, thrilling from the start to finish, and a fantastic substitute for the club’s Old Course.
Like the Old Course, only members and their guests are allowed onto the New Course.
Wild Piglet
The 18-hole classic New Course isn’t the only thing Gil Hanse and Jim Wagner have been working on at Les Bordes Golf Club. Designed adjacent to the New Course, the Wild Piglet, with 10 par-3 holes, was opened in late 2020 and has been a runaway hit. Golf Magazine named the Wild Piglet one of the top 25 par-3 courses in the world. The Wild Piglet is widely regarded an outstanding option for juniors, beginners as well as golfers looking to enhance their short game skills, as Les Bordes strives to cater to both golfers and non-golfers.
One of the newest additions to the global trend of par-3 courses constructed alongside full 18s, the Wild Piglet spreads over 1557 yards of breathtaking French heathland. Hanse designed the holes at this course as dedication to some of the world’s notable one-shotters. With just a few clubs and a shorter round duration, the Wild Piglet offers all the thrills and adrenaline of a regular links golf course. Homeowners of Cour du Baron residences can get into the short course and enjoy the game without having to worry about the challenges of a regulation-sized course or losing golf balls.
The holes on the Wild Piglet course range from 131 to 198 yards and have names like Doughnut, Plain Jane, Blazing Saddles, Rolling Stone, and Baquette. Some of the notable holes are:
Biarritz: Hole 3 is a one-of-a-kind hole. Indeed, it has Biarritz green, but what really stands out is the completely blind tee shot in the bushes.
Doughnut: Hole 4 is a short par with a bunker in the middle of the green resembling Hole 6 of the iconic Riviera Country Club, Pacific Palisades, California.
Blazing Saddles: A saddle that cuts through the green at Hole 6 connects a huge artistic bunker.
In its entirety, the Wild Piglet is a scaled-down version of the New Course, delivering the same strategic intricacy and a memorably fun experience to all players, regardless of skill level. All homeowners will have access to The Wild Piglet, irrespective of their golf club membership status.
In addition to the three distinct courses, Hanse created the Himalayan, a steep short game area, and a driving range. The Himalayan is the largest putting green in Europe with an incredible amount of undulation and an almost infinite number of pins.
(Main and featured images: Cour du Baron)
Source: Prestige Online
