Les Bordes Old Course: 2026 Access and Booking Update
Les Bordes is the most fiercely private great course in France, a Robert von Hagge design laid through the pines and lakes of the Sologne, ninety minutes south of Paris. Here is where the Old Course and the wider estate stand in 2026, how access and booking actually work, and how a visitor can hope to play it.
The news: a two course estate behind the gates
Les Bordes has grown from a single famous course into a full members estate. The original Old Course, opened in the late 1980s, was joined in July 2021 by a Gil Hanse heathland design, the New Course, and together with a short course the estate now offers a rare combined run of golf in continental Europe. The headline for 2026 is that Les Bordes remains a private members club, but the estate has opened a residential and stay side that gives a small number of visitors a route in.
Around the golf the estate has built guest cottages reserved for members and their guests, a residences project at Cour du Baron, and a planned Six Senses hotel in the Loire Valley that is expected to open later this decade. For a visiting golfer the practical point is simple, you cannot just turn up and pay a green fee, but a stay on the estate or an invitation from a member can unlock one of the best inland courses in Europe.
The course itself
The Old Course plays as a par 72 of around 7,026 yards, a Robert von Hagge design commissioned by Baron Marcel Bich and opened to acclaim that has never really faded. It was for years rated the number one course in France and sits among the finest inland tests on the continent, a reputation built on the way water threads through the round and the demand it places on accurate, committed iron play.
Roughly two in three holes carry water in play, and the course is famous for asking real courage off the tee and into the greens. It is cut through Sologne forest on sandy soil, quiet and secluded, with the New Course alongside it offering a firmer, faster heathland contrast. The two together are the reason the estate is talked about as a genuine bucket list destination rather than a single round.
How to play it in 2026
Access is the whole story at Les Bordes. The golf is private, reserved for members and their guests, so the most reliable route for a visitor in 2026 is to arrange a stay on the estate through its accommodation, which carries golf access, or to be hosted by a member. From time to time the estate has run limited sampling stays tied to its residences launch, so it is worth asking what is available for your dates rather than assuming the gates are simply closed.
On cost, treat any figure as indicative and confirm it directly. Member guest play has historically been modest by elite standards, but the realistic budget for a visitor is built around accommodation on the estate rather than a walk up green fee. Because availability is tight and seasonal, the right move is to ask early and let a concierge confirm exactly how access works for the days you want to travel.
Our take
Our take is that Les Bordes is one of the great golf experiences in Europe and worth the effort it takes to arrange. The Old Course alone justifies the journey, and with the Hanse New Course beside it the estate now rewards a proper two or three day stay rather than a flying visit. It is exclusive and it is quiet, and that is exactly the appeal.
If France is on your list for 2026, the play is to pair Les Bordes with a stay on the estate and build the rest of the trip around it, whether that is the heathland courses near Paris or a wider European itinerary. Tell us your dates and we will confirm how access works and cost the trip end to end.
Plan your Les Bordes and France golf trip
From a stay on the Les Bordes estate to the great heathland courses near Paris, tell us roughly when and who is travelling and one concierge confirms access, builds and costs the trip, with no obligation.
Questions
Can you play Les Bordes Old Course as a visitor?
Les Bordes is a private members club, so casual pay and play is not available. The realistic routes for a visitor are a stay on the estate through its accommodation, which carries golf access, or an invitation from a member. Availability is limited and seasonal, so confirm well ahead.
Who designed the Les Bordes Old Course and when?
The Old Course was designed by American architect Robert von Hagge for Baron Marcel Bich and opened in the late 1980s. It plays as a par 72 of about 7,026 yards through the pines and lakes of the Sologne, and was long rated the finest course in France.
Is there more than one course at Les Bordes?
Yes. The original von Hagge Old Course was joined in 2021 by a Gil Hanse heathland design, the New Course, along with a short course, so the estate now offers a rare run of golf in one place. A stay built around both courses is the way most visitors experience it.
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Researched and written by the GolfForKings editorial desk. Course, access and estate details verified June 2026 from club and golf travel sources; access, conditions and rates change, so always confirm directly before booking. Last reviewed June 2026.