La Grande Mare Golf Club

La Grande Mare Hotel, Golf & Country Club is one of the Channel Islands’ finest resort destinations and is the perfect retreat for a golf holiday.  Situated on the Isle Of Guernsey they have, over the past 30 years, developed world-class facilities at their four-star hotel and offer every comfort for the discerning traveller. La Grande Mare's course is set in over 120 acres of land on Guernsey’s western coast, adjacent to the sandy beach of Vazon Bay.  It is a delightful Hawtree-designed parkland which opened for play in March 1994. It was originally designed around 14 holes with four double greens and extended to 18 holes in 2001. La Grande Mare has a friendly and relaxed atmosphere – perfect for holidaying golfers. As well as accepting green fees from non-members, the club also holds several open competitions and regular events for members throughout the year. Practice areas and a covered driving range are available along with a teaching area. Water features on most of the holes in some regard, either cutting across a fairway affecting the drive or by the side of greens, placing a premium on accurate approaches. Arguably the stand-out hole on the front nine is the 415-yard 8th. Here you must drive to a plateau of fairway between two streams. Off the white tees 230-yard drive will see you perfectly in place to hit a long-iron approach. Stronger plays may dare to nudge their tee shot a bit further up the fairway; a 260-yard drive will leave just a 7-iron approach – but if their tee ball gets a hard bounce forward, they may be stretching forward into the stream and fishing out their ball. The approach is also tricky, asking you to avoid the bunkers either side of a long but narrow green with run-offs at the front and the back. The next requires a similar strategy. This time though, off the yellows, stronger players might fancy their chances of flying the stream and leaving an approach with a wedge.  Water lies in wait up the right as well as across the fairway though, so it is no time for a 'smash it and hope' philosophy. The green is more round in shape and falls off at the front so anything short will trickle back down to the fairway. The 12th is another fine two-shotter. A strong drive, ideally with a touch of draw on this slight dogleg, will leave you with a 9-iron or wedge in your hand but finding the green is no gimme. It is fairly narrow and falls off on the left while two bunkers await front right and level with the meat of the green. 

The 12th is another fine two-shotter. A strong drive, ideally with a touch of draw on this slight dogleg, will leave you with a 9-iron or wedge in your hand but finding the green is no gimme.

If the 12th is a slight dogleg, the 14th is an acute one. here you must trust your iron play and just hit a 6-iron off the tee to leave yourself a clear view of the green. The hole is just 261 yards long and it may be tempting to launch your tee shot over the trees at the green – but anything short will end up OB and anything long will nestle in the marshy wood. This is no time for heroics; two good irons shots will leave you a birdie putt – proof that par 4s don't have to be 480 yards to be exacting. On a course of classy par 3s, the 16th might be the pick. After walking off the back left corner of the 15th green, you are asked to reach for a short iron and hit a shot of great quality. It is less than 120 yards off the whites but if you are short, you suffer a watery grave; a small lake completely guards the front of this wide but shallow green. Play too safe and take too much club, though, and you will roll off the back towards the out of bounds.  The bunker at the back of the green is a good target in this regard – a shot from sand is better than a drop from OB.  Your final test is the longest hole on the course and the only par 5. Again a myriad waterways exist to tease and punish you but for most of us, a hybrid off the tee and then a long iron to leave a wedge approach is the best option. Low handicappers may well try to fly the first stream and leave a 220-yard approach. But the green is narrow and protected by bunkers on both sides. Holding it in two is no mean approach. Moving back to the hotel itself, it is located on Guernsey’s west coast, alongside the sweeping sands of Vazon Bay. It is set in over 120 acres of tranquil private grounds with lakes, woodland and gardens. The courteous staff deliver an impeccable service, from gym and golf instruction to creating delicious pre-dinner cocktails or organising a memorable event. The hotel boasts excellent amenities including a health suite, an all-weather tennis court, both indoor and outdoor bathing pools, a superb restaurant and conservatory café and extensive business facilities, including WiFi connectivity throughout the hotel and grounds. La Grande Mare offers its guests a wide choice of dining options from the sophistication of the main restaurant through to the more relaxed and popular Brasserie or the busy `members club’. Each has its own particular style, menu and appeal. All were completely refurbished during the early months of 2010 and their modern contemporary style has proved overwhelmingly popular with guests – be they visitors to the Island or local residents. Their exclusive chef sources as many ingredients as possible from local suppliers with locally caught fish and shellfish being strongly featured.  Menus change on a regular basis and at La Grande Mare they strive to provide guests with a dining experience that delivers quality and value for money in an environment that enhances the total experience. The facilities to enjoy a health and relaxation experience at La Grande Mare are first class.  The gym features some of the best equipment available and the adjacent wet room boasts a 40’ indoor swimming pool, sauna, steam room and spa bath. They also have an outdoor tennis court. Following a visit to the Health Club, guests can relax with friends in the informal surroundings of `The Club’ – their new members' lounge. Related story: Channel hopping: Guernsey