Domaine de Crecy - Arnold Palmer Masterpiece.

Domaine de Crecy - Arnold  Palmer Masterpiece.

It’s a bright and warm 6am start for me, I want to be at Domaine de Crecy Hotel and Golf by lunchtime. Forty-five minutes’ drive from my house to the Euro Tunnel and then three-hours heading towards Paris, turning to the east just before I run into Parisian traffic. To borrow a line from the Blues Brothers, “there are 300 Kilometres to go, I’ve got a full set of golf clubs are in the back of the car, the sun is shining and I am wearing sunglasses”. After an uneventful journey which involves listening to the complete Blues Brothers collection and some slight confusion from my Satellite Navigation, I (as my Sat Nav says) arrive at my destination.
Domaine de Crecy Hotel &Golf, is located near the beautiful town of Crecy La Chapelle, this is the heart of Brie country, heaven! The Hotel dates back to the 17^th Century and was originally a large and grand farmhouse. Now converted and with twenty-nine elegant rooms, it still has a rustic and authentic French charm. At the centre is a courtyard, enclosed on all sides by the buildings and obviously previously a focal point for activities on the farm. It now provides a perfect relaxing area, complete with swimming pool and outdoor seated area for the restaurant.
I am in the heart of the magnificent French countryside but still only 40 kilometres from Paris and 15 kilometres from Disneyland. The well-known La Vallée shopping Village is also nearby, perfect for those looking to add to their stylish wardrobe.
With lots of activities here to keep kids and other half’s happy, I could keep myself very busy, but I am here for the golf, and for a very special reason.

Golf

There are two attached golf courses, the nine hole Montpichet, and the stunning 18 hole Vignoly. And it’s the eighteen hole Vignoly that has my attention, for this is the only Arnold Palmer designed course in France, and let’s face it, there are only a handful in the whole of Europe! Anyone who is a fan of the great man just has to play here.
Montpichet was also originally designed as an eighteen hole course, but the owners decided to let nine holes return to nature and concentrate on maintaining and managing Arnold Palmer’s impressive creation and use the other course for guests and visitors who wanted to practice or felt that they were not quite up to taking on a Palmer’s masterpiece. For those looking for multiple courses, only a short drive away are to be found Fontainebleau and Le Golf National, so there is plenty here to keep even the diehards happy.

Accommodation

I have an apartment to myself with superb views out to the French countryside. The space is divided into a lower living area/ bedroom, and via stairs to a mezzanine area with a further two beds. The accommodation is great for families and with one of the biggest attractions in Europe only a short distance away, this is the perfect place to stay and find something to fit everyone’s needs.

A stroll around the grounds really does bring home the feeling of peace and calm. Although only a short distance from the French capital and even less to Charles De Gaulle airport, the only air traffic I see are way off on the horizon making a final approach before landing. The setting is perfect for anyone looking for that authentic French experience.

Vignoly golf Course

Later that afternoon, and after a quick trip to the driving range to remind myself the intricacies of the game, I head out onto Palmers Vignoly course. It’s a hot day but I decide to walk the rather than take a cart, I want to experience this course from the ground, plus, I have been invited for a meal in the restaurant later and need to work up a good appetite.
For me, when I play a new course, I want to be able to stand on every tee and be impressed by my surroundings. The views and the general lay of the land are very important factors. And I must say; I am not disappointed.
Hole number one sets the tone with a lovely Par 4 into a valley. The fairways are not overly tight but there are plenty of obstacles to keep you on your toes. Just be aware a line of bunkers on the right that are best avoided, unless you are able to clear them. So, warmed up, I move on to hole number two where an abundance of water comes into play. This is a Par 5 with a dogleg left, the fairway is hugging the lake on the left for most of the way. Once you get within range of the green, remember that you have water to the left and rear and two bunkers guarding the approach.
At hole number six everything seems to unravel for me.  It’s very narrow off the tees with water to the left and an impenetrable mass of trees to the right. As a lefty with a tendency to slice, it’s the water that is my biggest concern. After strangely losing two to the dark woods, I decide to bow to the inevitable, cut my loses and drop a ball.

Half time

I am overheating and so decide to pop into the clubhouse after the 9th and get some refreshments. It’s a hot day out there and I neglected to take any water, plus I am of the opinion that a glass of French beer may improve my game which has been wilting in the afternoon sun.
Half an hour later I continue and much to my disappointment, the beer seems to have not helped in any shape or form! There is nothing that I can blame for my poor show, the greens are perfect and the fairways are reasonably forgiving (if only I could land on them!).
The back nine are just as beautiful as the front, with water very much a feature of almost every hole. It’s not every day that you get to play an Arnold Palmer course and, even with my lowly performance on the sixth hole, I am thoroughly enjoying it.
It seems that taking a beer break was a good idea, I have started the back nine before the latecomers have arrived and after the afternoon players have finished, so I seem to be very much on my own. The shorter holes are usually more to my liking but I find the Par 5’s here to be well thought out and enjoyable to play. They seem to have a lot more substance than many, the tenth being a perfect example with both a dogleg left and right and water to found on the left on the first dogleg and on the right nearer the green. The course completes with an excellent slightly uphill par 4, and by the time I finish, it is early evening and a cool breeze has brought welcome relief.

Later that evening in the restaurant, I meet up with brothers Adrien and Pierre-Louis whose family own and run Domaine de Crecy, they took over the business several years ago and have been working hard to promote both the hotel and the course. Over excellent food they tell me of the families plans going forward. As well as the constant works to maintain and improve the course and the hotel, the family have other plans to create further attractions and reasons for visitors to visit. “We also want to reach out to UK golfers and persuade them to come just that little bit further into Northern France” says Adrien. I must admit, I noticed on my journey down that the amount of UK registered cars became less and less as you move away from the far north which is a shame, British golfers just don’t know what they are missing. It’s such a short distance and the courses really are worthy of our attention.

Crecy La Chapelle

The next day, before I begin my journey for home, I decide to visit the nearby town of Crecy la Chapelle, known as the Venice of the region of Brie. The town exudes charm and authenticity, a perfect place to sit at a café on a sunny day and watch the world go by. I make a point of visiting the town’s Boulangerie to stock up with Croissants and Pain Au Chocolate. I find it’s the perfect bribery to take back to my wife so that she forgives me for the fact that she has been stuck at home while I have been yet again off toiling at the coal face of golf travel. This is Brie country, but the thought of a journey back with some ripe cheese on a warm day just doesn’t seem to appeal, stick to the croissants I think.

I arrive at the Eurotunnel Calais and in no time at all am back on British soil. A trip by car to France is so simple, and with no excess charges for golf clubs. So, my advice is, explore our closest neighbours, France is on our doorstep, and if you are up for a drive that is still less than the time you would spend travelling by plane to one of the more well-known golf locations, there are a world of possibilities waiting for you.

Good to Know

You can book your trip to Domaine de Crecy at www.GreatGolfHoliday.com

Eurotunnel have trains departing every two hours from Folkestone with a crossing time of 30 minutes. www.eurotunnel.com

P&O travel between Dover and Calais with roughly one sailing every hour www.poferries.com

Eurostar have trains to Paris every 30 minutes www.eurostar.com

Domaine de Crecy website  www.domainedecrecy.com