Le Golf National Albatros: 2026 Access and Booking Update
The 2018 Ryder Cup stage is coming back. The Albatros at Le Golf National reopens in September 2026 after a major renovation, with the FedEx Open de France returning to the course that same month. Here is what changed and how to book a round.
Photo via Google.
The news: a September 2026 reopening, and the Open de France back home
The Albatros, host of the 2018 Ryder Cup and the 2024 Olympic golf, closed in October 2024. Two things drove the closure: a major course renovation, and the works for the Grand Paris Express metro being built close to the site, a national infrastructure project that will eventually connect the venue to Orly airport and Versailles in minutes. Le Golf National has announced that the renovated Albatros will welcome players back in September 2026.
The reopening lines up with the return of the headline event. After the 2025 FedEx Open de France was staged away from the venue during the works, the tournament comes home to the Albatros from September 24 to 27, 2026, just weeks after the course reopens to play. For the travelling golfer the news is unambiguously good: the best modern championship course in France is back, freshly renovated, and tee times can be booked online ahead of the return.
What changed, and what stayed
Le Golf National has framed the work as an upgrade rather than a reinvention. The club has described a turf conversion programme across the greens, tees and fairways to cut water use as part of a wider sustainability push, refurbished lake edges on holes 2, 15 and 18, and a redesign of holes 4, 5 and 6 to add interest to the round, along with new maintenance facilities for the greenkeeping team. The on site Novotel hotel is also being refreshed, which matters for anyone planning to stay and play.
What has not changed is the soul of the course. Hubert Chesneau and Robert von Hagge built the Albatros in 1990 as a stadium course on flat farmland southwest of Paris, shaping amphitheatre mounding and lakes into a par 72 of around 7,331 yards. The closing run around the water, the par 3 16th and the peninsula 18th where the 2018 Ryder Cup was decided, remains the heart of it. Expect the renovated course to play as the same demanding target golf, just better conditioned and more sustainable.
How to play it in 2026
The practical points all flow from the reopening. The Albatros returns to play in September 2026, so a round on it has to sit after that date this year; if you are travelling earlier, the resort's other courses are the alternative while the headline course comes back online. Tee times for the Albatros can be reserved online ahead of the reopening through Le Golf National. The visitor green fee ran from about 145 to 220 euros depending on day and season before the closure; treat that as indicative for 2026, expect rates to be confirmed at reopening, and always confirm directly before booking.
Two scheduling notes matter. First, the FedEx Open de France runs September 24 to 27, so visitor access around tournament week is restricted; book either side of it. Second, demand for the first tee times on a freshly reopened Ryder Cup course will be high, so reserve early if you want to play soon after the September return. Guyancourt is about thirty minutes southwest of central Paris, which makes the Albatros an easy add to a city trip, paired with the historic clubs of the capital's western suburbs.
Our take
Our take is that the closure was worth it and 2026 is the year the Albatros comes back better. A modern stadium course of this stature was always going to benefit from a turf conversion and a sustainability overhaul, and tying the reopening to the return of the Open de France gives the course a proper relaunch. The tweaks to holes 4, 5 and 6 are worth seeing, but the stadium finish that made the Ryder Cup is untouched, which is exactly right.
If you are planning a 2026 trip, aim for after the September reopening, book either side of Open de France week, and reserve early for the first available tee times. Combine the Albatros with the western Paris clubs and a city base for the food, history and easy transfers, and confirm the reopening date, the finished layout and the fees directly before committing.
Plan your Paris golf trip
We secure Albatros tee times around the September reopening, pair them with the best of the Paris region and book the lodging around them. Tell us roughly when and who is travelling and one concierge builds and costs the trip, with no obligation.
Questions
Has the Albatros reopened after its renovation?
The Albatros at Le Golf National closed in October 2024 for a major renovation and for works connected to the Grand Paris Express metro being built nearby. Le Golf National has announced the course will welcome players back in September 2026. Tee times can be booked online ahead of the reopening, so confirm the exact return date and conditioning directly when you book.
Is the FedEx Open de France back at Le Golf National in 2026?
Yes. After the 2025 edition was played away from the venue during the works, the FedEx Open de France returns to the Albatros at Le Golf National from September 24 to 27, 2026, just weeks after the renovated course reopens to play. Visitor access around tournament week is restricted, so plan a round outside it and confirm dates directly.
What changed in the renovation?
Le Golf National has described a turf conversion programme across the greens, tees and fairways to cut water use, refurbished lake edges on holes 2, 15 and 18, and a redesign of holes 4, 5 and 6 to add interest, along with new maintenance facilities. The closing stadium holes that decided the 2018 Ryder Cup remain the heart of the course. Confirm the finished layout and conditioning when you book.
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Researched and written by the GolfForKings editorial desk. Course facts, the renovation scope, the September 2026 reopening and the FedEx Open de France dates verified June 2026 from Le Golf National, the DP World Tour and golf news sources; dates, the finished layout and fees can change, so always confirm directly before booking. Last reviewed June 2026.