I did not really choose to test Côte d’Albâtre golf course on purpose. This course was chosen in the context of a 6 some golf weekend, and we probably got this one because it was closer to get back to Paris…

Anyhow the way I sold this course to my buddies was that after playing one of the historical french golf courses (Etretat), we would make our own history in the most recent French golf course and experience what the first french golfers might have felt!

1-Price: 10/20

65€ walking, 82€ with cart. Definitely not trying to attract new players with a pricing that ressembles those of more established, renowned golf courses. And with no sponsor (yet I hope), probably not a lot of room for any pricing campaign.

2-Reception: 02/20

The minimum is not enough when you’re bringing a six golfers to play and eat, on a Sunday Ryder Cup day with no other player in view, zero sponsor, and a new 4M€ over budget golf course. No value whatsoever appart from charging credit cards.

Let’s try to be constructive here. What should we expect? Let’s start with some guidance around the golf course uniqueness right! Even if it’s repeating what’s on the website (mediocre also BTW), give me something. And let’s add a smile right?!

Moreover, we had reserved late tee times and since we finished the round around 7:30pm, the women from the reception was there waiting for the cart return and told us that she did not thank us for making her wait till late…

After spending almost 1000€ on the restaurant and course on a day where there was no one else, we were all astonished by such a lack of business sensibility and customer experience… So no wonder why they get the worst score ever on Bogey2Birdie…

3-Fun Score: 10/20

The course is called Côte D’Albâtre but it is nowhere near there. Want to experience this coast, go to Etretat Golf course or Dieppe. Here you are in Normandie, and the course is said to be a links style but it does not really feel like it. Feels like any country side…

Some woods, a little hilly, a few narrow fairways, but nothing WOW. Appart from the 3rd and 18th hole that is protected by water on uphill green par 5. But it is not a beautiful golf course, especially because it is very new.

It is going to be a very different course in 20 years when all those trees will grow and shape the course landscape and difficulty.

 

4-Lost balls: 12/20

Despite the trees not being grown yet, if you’re in those zones, forget about finding any of your balls because the rough is so dense.

First rough is ok.

5-19th Hole: 11/20

The better grade here comes from the fact that we were allowed to bring our own very good bottle of wine by paying only a very small « droit de bouchon » (7€). The attitude of the waitress under what you could expect when you had only two tables in the day.

Here again, when the waitress makes a mistake in the orders, we should not be the ones to experience her very expressive disappointment at us and be happy only when one of the guest accepts an order they actually did not ask for.

Food a little pretentious for the place, however generous. Not exceptional, but not expensive either. It feels like the restaurant is totally different from the golf and that they have different customer acquisition strategies.

Conclusion: 09/20

Don’t make a detour to go there. You’re not necessarily wanted there by the staff, neither rewarded. Wait 20 years. If it’s still there… Unless they change the staff and invest in marketing and the game of golf in general.