France, Provence, Montpellier – Southern France golf favourite

Montpellier in southern France is a real treat. Here you can play wonderful golf, eat and drink well, and not least, enjoy 300 sunny days per year.

The city of Montpellier has belonged to my favourites ever since I first visited it. In the beginning it was the cosy narrow streets combined with lots of cafes, bars and restaurants, which made me long to go back - that and the wonderful climate.

When I was smitten by golf I discovered that the city offered titbits even in this area. Above all, I got attached to the golf facility Fontcaude, a stone's throw outside the city centre.  
The facility is marketed as "the perfect golf destination," and it's hard to argue with.
The hotel is fairly simple, but it is clean, neat and has family charm, plus a very good design.

The bar is the heart of the hotel and it is there that guests meet whether they are on their way to the first tee, or want to get a little aperitif before dinner. Elevators go down to the pro-shop on the hotel's ground floor and from there you can go straight out to the first tee. It couldn’t be smoother.

The 18-hole course is very entertaining to play. From the yellow tee, it isn’t particularly long, but if you want to succeed you need to think before you hit. The holes are alternately open and more wooded. Characteristic of the greens is that they maintain a very high quality and are usually lightning-fast - something that can cause problems before you get used to it. On the whole it’s a fun course that you do not tire of easily. If you’re a bit more reckless, I recommend the black tee, which gives the course a very different character. A length of 6,200 metres and a demand for accuracy make this course a real challenge.

In addition to the 18-hole course there is also a short 9-hole course of surprisingly high class. The course staff seems to put as much love into this course as its sister course, making it an excellent complement when you want variation.

If you still feel compelled to play more courses, it's no problem. Around Montpellier are a number of courses of different types, including Florida-inspired La Grande Motte, the championship course Massane and nice Nîmes Campagne. The latter is a bit outside the city, but the course, which winds its way into an old palace garden, is well worth a visit.

The hotel’s restaurant is rather impersonal, and nothing you will remember in detail. However, it serves quite amazing omelettes. And a lot of other nice things for that matter ...
On the other hand, if you are intent on something more extroverted, you just have to go downtown where you can choose from a variety of restaurants in different price ranges. Everything from simple bistros to three stars, yes, the star restaurants. At Le Jardin des Sens the brothers Jacques and Laurent Pourcel stir the pots and here you have the opportunity to spend the entire annual budget on one of the establishment's fine wines.
Thanks to the city's major university, the nightlife is also quite good. The number of cafes, bars and nightclubs is testimony that the residents have the good sense to enjoy the leisure hours.

Overall Montpellier and Fontcaude in particular, is an excellent option for those who want to play enjoyable golf courses and combine it with varied and charming city life. On top of everything else in a city that enjoys more than 300 sunny days per year.
If that doesn’t s sound perfect, please say so.

FONTCAUDE
Number of holes: 18, par 72
Architect: Chris Pittman
Year built: 1991
Course type: Park course
Nine hole course: Yes, 9 holes of the highest calibre
Number of courses in the neighbourhood: 8
Practice area: Grass and mats
Green fee: EUR 42 
Number of rooms: 47.
Distance from Montpellier: 7 km - taxi costs about EUR 15.
Distance from airport: Marseille around 140 km, Montpellier, 20 km.

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