Les Bordes New Course

The verdict

For decades Les Bordes meant one thing, the brooding, water laced Old Course hidden in the Sologne forest south of Paris. The arrival of a second eighteen by Gil Hanse, the architect behind the restored Open venues and the Olympic course in Rio, changed the conversation entirely. The New Course opened in 2021 as Hanse's first work in continental Europe, and it took the sandy soil of the estate in a completely different direction, toward the firm, ground game golf of the great heathlands.

Where the Old Course punishes with forced carries over water, the New Course tempts and teases, with wide fairways, sweeping sandy waste, and greens that invite the running approach and the bold recovery. It is strategic rather than penal, a course that asks better players to think and gives every standard of golfer a route home. Set among the chateaux country of the Loire, with the estate's lodging and the Old Course alongside, it makes Les Bordes one of the most complete golf destinations in mainland Europe and a bucket list round for the traveling golfer.

The holes worth the trip

Hanse cleared the pine canopy to reveal a sandy, rolling landscape that golf had been hiding in plain sight, then laid out a course that plays firm and fast and rewards imagination. The fairways are generous off the tee, but the real test is angles, with each green favoring an approach from one side and the bolder line bringing sand and slope into play. The greens themselves are large and full of internal movement, so a putt from the wrong section can be as costly as a missed fairway.

The short par 4s are a particular delight, drivable for some and a study in risk and reward for everyone, while the par 3s shift in length and direction to use the wind that moves across the open ground. Sandy waste areas and scattered bunkers frame the holes without choking them, and the recovery shot, the bump and run, the long putt from off the green, is always available to the player who plays the ground rather than the air.

The closing stretch builds naturally toward the estate, and a round here leaves the impression of a course that has been there for a century rather than a few years, the highest compliment a modern build can earn. The New Course is the reason to make the trip to the Sologne, and paired with the Old Course it is a 36 hole day that ranks with anything in mainland Europe.

Where to stay nearby

The natural base is the estate itself, where lodging puts both courses on the doorstep and turns a visit into a true golf retreat among the forest and the chateaux country. Staying on site is also the most reliable route to play, given the private nature of the club.

Beyond the estate, the wider Loire Valley offers historic towns, vineyards and the famous chateaux within easy drives, which makes Les Bordes an excellent anchor for a trip that mixes world class golf with the culture of central France. For a couple or a discerning buddies group, it is a destination that rewards a few unhurried days rather than a quick in and out.

Looking for a base? See our recommended hotels and resorts near Les Bordes.