Discover our different golf courses near Brides-les-Bains
Do you want to explore the grass and face the sand and water obstacles?
If you dream of an introduction to golf or simply of practising your passion on prestigious high-altitude courses, Brides-les-Bains will guide you to swing at the top of your game!
Méribel Golf Club
Among the golf courses near Brides-les-Bains, Méribel is considered one of the most beautiful European spots to play this fun mountain sport.
Located less than 20 kilometres from the spa, this 18-hole course features greens, fairways, water basins and bunkers in a wonderful setting, at nearly 1,700 metres high.
Created in the countryside in 1978, this par 71 course has since had its first 9 holes redesigned, for a distance now reaching 5,540 metres.
With a rather physical and quite technical orientation, it is nevertheless open to all (from the beginning of June to the end of October) and appeals to both amateurs and golf professionals.
Courchevel Golf Club
Courchevel’s 9-hole course, which can be accessed fairly quickly from Brides-les-Bains, covers a total distance of 1,140 metres (from the “Back Tees”).
With a par 27 it offers a superb view of the Rosière lake from the start and unfolds throughout the course in a special natural setting.
Individual and team competitions are regularly held here at weekends and some great records have been set.
This technical and unique French Golf Federation approved course, which can be played on from the end of June to October, helps you improve your index.
Les Arcs Golf
About an hour’s drive from Brides-les-Bains, Les Arcs Golf dominates the upper Tarentaise valley. At the gateway to the Vanoise Park, opposite Mont Blanc, it spreads over 60 hectares for the greatest enjoyment for golfers.
Two exceptional courses are open to all golfers: the 18-hole course (par 70) at 5,497 metres and the 9-hole course (par 27) at 860 metres.
A driving range and three putting greens (including one with bunkers) also allow you to practice golf, warm up before teeing off and improve your skills in a fun and relaxed way.
Tignes Golf
From Brides-les-Bains, the 18 holes at Tignes is not far away! Below the Grande Motte glacier, the highest golf course in Europe has an exceptional view of Tignes lake and of the marmot burrows which can be seen around the fairways!
Another original feature is that every two years Tignes Golf organises a "high-flying" competition on a mountain pass 270 metres above the course! Like Les Arcs Golf, it is open from the end of June to the beginning of September.
Preparing a golf course
Golf is a moment of sharing that can also provide some thrills. It requires a number of physical and mental qualities. Requiring specific equipment, the activity requires a few rules to be applied.
Requirements for playing golf
You need to be in good physical shape to play the many kilometres of a golf course with ease, especially if it is on a steep slope! As a guide, a round lasts around four hours and is equivalent to burning an average of 800 calories (which varies depending on the level of the course).
Playing puts a lot of strain on certain joints, and muscular strength and flexibility are directly involved in the golfer’s performance.
Mastering anxiety, attention, concentration, reaction skills and spatial awareness also impact on the level of play.
Basic equipment for golf
Obviously, the golf club is essential for the shot and must match your level and your body shape. Basic equipment usually consists of 6 irons, plus a golf putter (to make your last shots on the greens).
Balls can be bought new or second hand (it is important to take into account the inevitable losses, especially when starting out!)
A glove, tees (to position the ball for the first shot) and specific shoes complete the outfit.
Level of difficulty, the slope
Corresponding to the level of difficulty of a golf course, the slope is a key factor.
Among the hundred or so criteria taken into account to determine it, the main ones are: the distance between the tee zone and the flag, the topography of the course, the obstacles, the playing area: the rough where the thick and long grass makes it difficult to play, the quality of the green, the trees and vegetation that dot the course, the climate, the presence of regular wind etc.
Some golf rules
• Points: are scored according to the number of strokes played to get the ball into the hole. The winner is the player who completes the course with the fewest strokes.
• Difficulty: The usual indications ''Par 3'', ''Par 4'' and ''Par 5'' specifies the number of strokes required to complete a hole. If the golfer exceeds the predetermined number, they play “Over Par”. If they don’t exceed the predetermined number, they play “Under Par”.
• The tee markers: Having recently been developed, there are six of them, illustrated by colours. These markers mean players can tee off according to their level, age, level of difficulty etc.
• Rules to follow in the tee off zone: keep quiet so that players can concentrate, avoid moving, don’t cast a shadow over others’ balls.
• Order of play: the player who starts is the one whose ball is furthest away from the flag. Then, the player who won the previous hole is always the first to start again.: le joueur qui commence est celui dont la balle est la plus éloignée du drapeau. Ensuite, c’est toujours le joueur qui a remporté le trou précédent qui recommence en premier.
A stay in Brides-les-Bains to play golf
Whether on holiday or for a short break, Brides-les-Bains is the perfect base camp for accessing the best mountain golf courses in Savoie!
Both a spa and winter sports resort, the village has a wide range of quality accommodation and facilities.
To learn golf or perfect your professional swing in a friendly atmosphere, “get yourself on the green” in Brides-les-Bains!
L'Ecot, high altitude village
Descriptive
The hamlet of Ecot, located 2000 m above sea level, classified site since 1971, represents a treasure of preserved mountain authenticity. With its old stones and slate roofs it is a cultural and architectural heritage completely preserved.
Situated 4 km from Bonneval sur Arc, l'Ecot is accessible in the summer by a small road leading to a car park, a 15-minute walk from the hamlet.
If you have already forgotten the car, you can also reach the hamlet from the village, in an hour's walk and contemplation, taking the delightful "sentier des Agneaux", walking through the pastures, and along the Arc canyon and its picturesque potholes spanned by the Pont de la Lama, a superb Roman vaulted bridge.
L'Ecot is both the goal and the starting point of many walks for all levels (family, bucolic, hikers, mountain dwellers, ...).
The mountain pasture paths will then lead you to the Carro or Evettes refuges, to fantastic glacial cirques, or to the pure and wild springs of the Arc... Here are other suggestions for walks and hikes via and towards the Ecot.
Cupolas engraved on the rocks polished by the glaciers bear witness to the prehistoric imprint of the place. Piedmontese shepherds would have settled with their flocks around the 5th century, surviving the harsh and frugal conditions of the altitude. Inhabited all year round until 1960, then abandoned in winter, l'Ecot is once again the permanent home of several young Bonneval families.
L'Ecot, represents a completely preserved cultural and architectural heritage which seduced Nicolas Vanier during his search for a filming site for his film Belle et Sébastien. Many people remember this television series from the 1960s retracing the extraordinary encounter between a mountain child and a wild dog. The hamlet of l'Ecot fitted exactly the scenario, the shooting took place in 2012, the film was released in 2013 and "made" 3 million admissions. Christian Duguy directed the sequel to this story entitled Belle et Sébastien, l'aventure continue in 2014. L'Ecot is obviously the main setting, the film was released in December 2015.
Belle et Sébastien 3 was released in theatres in February 2018. This episode was also filmed in Bonneval and in the hamlet of L'Ecot.
The hamlet of l'Ecot breathes the authenticity and simplicity with which you will be welcomed at Bonneval!
Sustainable tourism :
Host portrait :
Practical Information
Opening Times :
All year round daily.Languages spoken :
- French
Tariffs