| If you have never tried golf in France - why not? | | | | toes and as the course lies on the edge of the |
| We hear plenty of those lovely golfing holidays in | | | | Normandy National Forest Park we didn't mind the |
| Spain and Portugal, those lovely greens and great sun | | | | occasional interruptions from the local wildlife. |
| that our friends are always telling us about. But | | | | Ever since then we play regularly. Often towards the |
| Normandy has this and much more to offer. | | | | end of our time at the course we take advantage of |
| Whether you are a serious golfer, a novice or | | | | the practice putting green beside the clubhouse |
| someone like myself who is looking for a fun day out | | | | (where we have had many a light refreshment - 'the |
| the beautiful course at Bagnoles de l'Orne in Lower | | | | French way') and then we might take a short stroll |
| Normandy caters for all. | | | | into the very pretty village of Bagnoles where you sit |
| I had played a little before so, when our golfing | | | | by the lake and soak in the local atmosphere of a |
| enthusiastic friends, who were staying in a French | | | | French spa town. |
| cottage in the nearby village of Juvigny sous Andaine, | | | | I have met many people and made friends at the |
| asked my husband and I if we would like to have a | | | | golf club. There are those, like ourselves, who golf |
| go, I off course, said 'Why not'. I had driven past the | | | | regularly and like the slow, quiet pace that you can |
| course often and thought (as you do) 'I must try | | | | go round the 9 holes (soon to be 18); and, there are |
| that some time'. We simply went along, paid the | | | | others like our golfing friends who love to spend their |
| cheap day fee, and without any need to make an | | | | frequent visits to Normandy golfing. Some have even |
| advanced booking, started playing. | | | | taken annual membership and come over, stay in a |
| My first experience of golf in France was very | | | | local gite, and participate in the competitions, which |
| different from what I had experienced before. I had | | | | take place in the summer. |
| images of hordes of professional golfers all in a hurry, | | | | So, if you happen to pass Bagnoles de l'Orne some |
| waiting impatiently in line and edging us 'novices' to | | | | day 'why not' come along to the Golf Course. Or |
| move on. Instead, we had a wonderful, relaxing, | | | | even better rent a gite and make a week of it! For a |
| even if amusing 3 or 4 hours on a lovely almost | | | | challenging course, in beautiful natural surroundings |
| empty green that seemed to stretch forever, under | | | | Bagnoles is worth a visit. If it happens to be on a |
| a beautiful blue sky. The green was perfect, we had | | | | Monday I might be there - I'm the one still having to |
| winding rivers and sand banks to keep us on our | | | | carry a ball scoop!! |