Golf and tourism in Anjou - Val de Loire

Close to the Loire, where crowned heads have stayed for centuries, where the climate is mild, where the heritage is rich, beautiful golf courses have found their place. It's time to make the most of the region between Anjou and the Loire Valley, to play quietly, open your eyes and discover the local produce on your plates and in your glasses... Let's have a toast!

In 1964, the Angers Golf Club was created just a quarter of an hour from the Château des Ducs d'Anjou, a fortress dating back to the Middle Ages. On the left bank of the Loire, in the heart of the Anjou-Saumur vineyards, at Saint-Jean-de-Mauvrets, Jean Bourret took advantage of a fifty-hectare site between a clearing and a forest, flat then undulating, bordered by small ponds to create 9 holes, a pioneering course in the region. It was not until 1986 that the full version was laid out in the forest. The Pistrait mill-cavier, a 15th century building, houses the clubhouse and restaurant, overlooking the course where doglegs, foliage and ponds create the hazards of a walk that, at first glance, seems tranquil. Like the fairway on the 9th, bordered by a dolmen from another era, the remains of a Celtic tribe from before Jesus Christ... The drainage and irrigation works undertaken in 2016 have given the course a facelift, while preserving its calm, relaxing setting, dedicated to silence... A luxury!

The youngest of Anjou's golf courses, the Anjou Golf & Country Club is nevertheless approaching its 35th birthday. It's time for the trees lining the fairways, which were the brainchild of Roland Paulze d'Ivoy de La Poype, an extraordinary man, to have grown in size. This former fighter pilot, industrialist, inventor and enthusiast wanted to create a golf course on his farmland. In 1989, he called on Fred Hawtree to design the course. The British architect preserved most of the estate's trees - a pictorial delight in autumn - while designing the course around the ponds. Between the tightly-packed trees and the water features, like those on 13, it's easy to stay focused in this magnificent setting, a plus for a course that, like its designer, has always been able to defend itself.

Born of the enthusiasm of the 80s, theGolf de Baugé had a tumultuous youth. With its Japanese investors gone, Alain Prat's design was reduced from 27 to 18 holes, plus three school holes. Until 2017, the projects suffered setbacks... It was time for Denis Millerand and Geoffrey Gabiller to enter the fray to save the club. Breaking open their piggy banks, the two forty-somethings saved jobs and restored the club's reputation, just a drive from the Château de Baugé, the medieval stronghold of King René, Duke of Anjou. The architect's excellent initial work saved the course despite all the pitfalls. The arms of the Couasnon bring coolness to the holes below, while those in the valleys seek shade under the foliage. Housed in former stables, the clubhouse unfolds its charm in a vast farmhouse combining brick and millstone under a slate roof. The menu is as affordable as it is pleasant. Even if you still can't sleep on site, this magnificent course in Anjou has finally found its stride.

On the borders of the Vienne, Maine-et-Loire and Indre-et-Loire departments, the Domaine de Roiffé has been enjoying a new lease of life since 2014. Created in 1985, this golf course designed by Hubert Chesneau was only saved by the vision of Pierre-Antoine Barbot. On the hundred or so hectares of this former reformatory - closed in 1968! -Between the wooded areas and vast clearings, the game unfolds calmly on the outward journey, before picking up pace on the return. But it was the land that seduced the current owner at a time when the club was slumbering. Between Touraine and Anjou, between the banks of the Loire and Fontevraud Abbey, the potential for tourism was immense with these tufa-tiled buildings, neatly laid out behind tree-lined avenues. A few holes were shortened and the large pond came into play. The tees were levelled and the greens sanded. The buildings have been converted into rooms and tourist residences, and a gîte has been created in a dormitory. Behind thick walls, the clubhouse has retained traces of its former bunker. The Club House is now home to the Alcôve, the Domaine's bistronomic restaurant, open in season, and the Garden, the brasserie, open every day for lunch and dinner. Two beautifully decorated restaurants with a breathtaking view of the green on 9!

As owners of Roiffé, the Barbot family bought the Golf de Saumur, a 9-hole course designed by Stephen Quenouille and Tom Macaulay, which opened in 1993 in the rolling hills of the Saumur region, ideal for horse breeding. This acquisition has made it possible to create a 27-hole season ticket for two sites, two departments and two regions, promoting a sense of leisure and the pleasure of the game. By pooling investments, optimising the use of machines and creating a sense of competition between the sites, the dynamic soon took hold on a course that alternates climbs, slopes, doglegs and red stakes, such as the approach to 7, a par 5 plunging down to a stretch of water protecting the green. The refurbishment of the clubhouse facing the putting green and the forest has also made people want to stop off again. Time to water the birdies...

The Sablé-Solesmes Golf Club is a magnificent course in the Sarthe region of France. It is set in exceptional natural surroundings, with forests, lakes and rolling countryside. Designed by architect Michel Gayon, it offers a 27-hole course combining technical features and variety for all levels of player. The site is renowned for the quality of its greens and its impeccable maintenance. It also boasts a full range of facilities, including a driving range, a friendly clubhouse and a restaurant with panoramic views.

At the Domaine de Roiffé, on the edge of a shady driveway, the neatly drawn pavilions house 62 rooms on the ground or first floor. These cottages, formerly housing prison staff, are brimming with charm behind their tufa stone walls, in absolute silence. Some rooms can accommodate up to four people. The various gîtes, renovated in 2015, can be combined for larger families. On site, you'll find a host of activities for everyone: a spa, a riding centre, beer-brewing and wine-tasting workshops, a second-hand shop, tennis courts, a swimming pool (in season), mini-golf, multi-sports pitches, etc.

Gastronomy is also well catered for, with two restaurants at the heart of the estate (l'Alcôve, a bistronomic restaurant open in season, and le Garden, a brasserie open all year round for lunch and dinner), both of which offer home-cooked meals featuring local produce, some of which is even produced on site (beer, honey, herbs, etc.).

At Anjou Golf & Country Club, those who want to bounce from bed to tee are in heaven! The club has 18 rooms in charming cottages and two flats, each sleeping six people. Not forgetting the Blue House, which is ideal for a tribe of up to 12 people. There's plenty for the whole family to do on the golf course, while enjoying the mild climate of Anjou, sublimated by Joachim du Bellay in his collection of poetry Les Regrets. The golf table, orchestrated by Frédéric, is unanimously appreciated at mealtimes, both indoors and on the terrace, as soon as the sky warms up.

Heritage
While the French crown came to appreciate the charms of the Loire Valley in the 17th century, many of the Loire Valley's châteaux have been the delight of the aristocracy since the Middle Ages.

In Anjou, other remarkable châteaux, witnesses to history, open their doors to the public. Start with the Château de Brissac, the highest château in France, with its seven storeys and over 200 richly furnished rooms, where the Dukes of Brissac have lived for over 500 years. As a wine-producing region, the estate's wines can be tasted in its cellars.

The largest monastic city in Europe, the Royal Abbey of Fontevraud was founded in 1101 by the monk Robert d'Arbrissel, whose intention was to grant governance to abbesses.

Event
The history of the Cadre Noir de Saumur began at the end of the 1st Empire. The French cavalry had been decimated by Napoleon's battles, and mounted troops had to be re-formed. During the 19th century, the Cadre Noir provided officers and horses for the elite of the French army. As the cavalry became mechanised during the conflicts of the 20th century, the Cadre Noir turned its attention to equestrian sports and dressage shows, even though in June 1940, the Cadets of Saumur's lost charge on the Montsoreau bridge against Panzer tanks remains an illustrious feat of arms for the regiment! Since 1972, the École Nationale d'Equitation has relied on the expertise of the Cadre Noir's equestrians to put on its shows. In 2010, it merged with the Haras nationaux to become the Institut français du cheval et de l'équitation.
Following in the footsteps of the Austrian and Portuguese schools, the French equestrian tradition is showcased throughout the year, both at the Saumur riding school and at galas around the world. Le Printemps des Écuyers, Au cœur du Grand Manège and Les Musicales du Cadre Noir are just some of the shows that pay tribute to the horse throughout the year, even if the riders, trainers, groomers, vets, men and women alike, are never far from their best friend. Details of shows, visits, programmes and prices can be found on the Cadre Noir website: https://www.ifce.fr.

Gastronomy
It's hard to imagine a region of France cherished by its kings without vines, without wine! The vineyards of Anjou-Saumur, France's 3rd largest wine-growing region, stretch over more than 20,000 hectares between the Layon, Aubance and Loire rivers, offering a wide variety of wines.