Playing golf the French way - how competitions work from the perspective of a British immigrant
Four years ago I moved home from the UK to France. As a keen
golfer and newly retired I was keen to live near a good golf
club with a course that I would enjoy and be able to play as
I grew older and a club where I could make friends.
Fortunately, I found both with Granville Golf Club in
Normandy. A classic links course originally designed by
Harry Colt. I have made lots of friends and am now chair of
the greens committee or, as we say in French, President de
la Commission du Terrain.
Golf in France differs from golf in the UK in so many ways.
Changing shoes in the car park and allowing freedom of
attire in the clubhouse and open access for all are some of
the obvious ones that any British golfer will see whilst on
a golf break. The organisational basis of golf in France is
something that only those who play competitive golf
regularly will encounter and appreciate the value of. Club
competitions in France are open so you can sign up on the
notices in the clubhouse or phone in to enter - usually up
to the day before play. This works partly because club
memberships are not usually so big that all places are taken
by members but is also facilitated by the national handicap
system administered by the French Golf Federation (FFG) -
check their website at http://www.ffgolf.org. The slope of
each course is calculated to give its degree of difficulty.
Thus, if you play on a difficult course, you receive
slightly more shots than you handicap. My links course is
rated moderately difficult under this system so that when I
play later today I will have 9 shots although my handicap is
actually 7.4 at present. Moreover, handicaps are all
registered with the FFG by computer. Thus, as soon as the
club sends in my results today, my handicap will be updated
and available to any other club. If I go to play in a
competition at a different club, they will ask me for the
number of my "licence" and from that they can find my exact
handicap over the internet.
Regional and national team events abound in France and
provide a new dimension to golf that I had never experienced
in the UK. For example, last weekend, there were two local
team events. The Coupe de la Manche was held at Fontenay
Golf Club which is located around 30 miles south of
Cherbourg. In UK terms one might call this the County Cup.
Teams consisted of one player from each category: men /
ladies / juniors / seniors and sub-categories also such as
men 1st division
gross, men 2nd division net etc. Thus each
team member is in competition with the others from their
category and their position in that category determines the
number of points they earn for their team. On the same
weekend, a similar team event was taking place at the Golf
des Ormes in Brittany which is located around 30 miles from
St Malo. This was the Trophée Foussier qualifications for
2006. This competition is open to clubs in the west of
France - Normandy, Brittany and Pays de Loire. The Trophée
Foussier is for men aged 50+ and there are similar events
for men's and ladies' teams. The qualification event was
held to determine the five teams who would be promoted to
take part in the main event in 2006. Each year, five teams
are relegated and have to participate in the qualifiers with
other hopeful clubs to get back in. There are 24 teams in
the main event for the 50+ category with another 20 teams
contesting the qualification event. In the main men's event,
there are even more teams so that the event is split into 2
divisions plus the qualification event. The Foussier
competition is played out over 2 days with singles on the
first day and foursomes on the second day. For the men's and
ladies' events, there are two legs of competitions. In
Foussier events, you are allocated a series such as Player 1
(gross scores) or Player 4 (net scores) and your final score
determines your position and points tally so the best gross
score in the Player 1 group may get 24 points for his club
and the worst gross score 1 point.
National team events also proliferate and all clubs can
participate in one of the four divisions or the
qualifications phase to get into division four. For
divisions 2 to 4, there are regional events held whilst the
first division is held at a single venue and determines the
national champion club.
Competitive golf in France has refreshed my passion for the
sport. I recently calculated that I had played in 15
handicap counting events away from my own club during the
current season. In 20 years of golfing in the UK, I don't
think I played in a single such event!
About the Author
Terry Atkinson
Formerly senior lecturer in education at the University of Bristol and author / editor of numerous academic works. Currently working as freelance consultant in education and information technology.
Webmaster for http://www.europeangolfholidays.com
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