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It was late September and the temperature was touching 80F with a cloudless sky and just a hint of breeze. The golf course, pristine and reclining between rolling wooded hills and fields of sun flowers, encouraged thoughts of a landscape painting. Apart from a group of a dozen or so ex-pats gathered for their twice-weekly roll-up it was also virtually deserted, a common occurrence I gathered.
You’re doubtless thinking the setting is some far-flung flesh pot. Not so. We were in Southern France, only a short drive from the ancient city of Villeneuve Sur Lot and 35 minutes south of the airport at Bergerac.
“It’s like this more often than not,” said my host as we repaired to the shade of the clubhouse terrace for lunch. “We can play 360 days a year and only occasionally do we need a sweater.” In the UK we’d call it “millionaires’ golf” but here it comes without the cost usually associated with such exclusivity.
For this is the historic Lot et Garonne, the home of numerous Bastide towns and the undiscovered region of southern France. More Britons are starting to trickle down from the over-played Dordogne to the north and the local ex-pat community is growing apace. See the Villeneuve Golf & Country Club, for that’s where we were, and you’ll look at them green eyed, eager to join them.
It wasn’t always thus: Graham Goodman is British and discovered the resort while on holiday in the region. It had changed hands three or four times since its opening in 1987, he says, and was somewhat run-down, as was a hotel in situ. So he bought the club, lock, stock and barrel, and has been up-grading all the facilities for the past two years.
Now he has 300 local members, up from 100 when he became the owner, and a regular stream of British visitors who stay in a collection of apartments overlooking the course. The hotel has been converted into spacious apartments finished to a luxurious standard and available for sale on a leaseback arrangement. Eventually, Graham says, there’ll be golf village of 60 or so villas, a gym and health club with all the trimmings and a tennis club.
There’s already a nine hole academy course on the 240 acre estate, plus a swimming pool and woodland walks by the River Lot. There’s horse riding nearby and the region abounds with vineyards which welcome visitors. Add the unsurpassed local cuisine and ease of access and you’ll deduce that holiday venues don’t come much finer.
“A great attraction is that we are only 35 minutes from Bergerac airport and so two hours from Stanstead,” Graham said. “It’s ideal for short breaks or a weekend get-away from the UK.”
This is his principal business. He offers all-inclusive packages of apartment accommodation and golf and there are generous incentives for groups. Self-catering is possible but most folk are happy to take meals at the clubhouse, a lovely former farmhouse, where the dining room is winning a reputation for its quality and inventive menus devised by the French chef.
It’s easy to see why, like Graham, most of the ex-pat residents opted to move there permanently after discovering the place while on holiday. See it and you’ll be tempted to join them.
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