Golf Club Chamonix Review

Date of Play – July 31, 2019 

Sometimes when I don’t set out to play a round of golf and stumble upon one, it is among the best golf I have played in a long time. That is what happened with Golf Club Chamonix. 

My wife and I went to Chamonix to climb Mont Blanc. We had to climb Grand Paradiso first to get used to the altitude and the skills needed to climb Mont Blanc. Now Grand Paradiso is no joke. It is the highest peak in Italy at 4061 meters. We were both able to do it. However, I had a few complications with diabetes that made me think about whether I wanted to climb Mont Blanc. After considerable thought for my safety and the safety of the others that would be with me, I opted out of Mont Blanc. That left me three days of free time while my wife went with the rest of the group to climb Mont Blanc. 

While sightseeing in Chamonix I went via gondola to the Aiguille de Midi peak. From there you could see for miles. And more importantly you could see the Golf Course Chamonix on the edge of town. It was the most beautiful sight of the day. And trust me everything was beautiful.

That sighting immediately shifted my plans for the next day. As soon as I got back to my chalet I started researching. I found the course and it was easy to reserve my tee time and clubs. Everything was set. 

I took the bus to the course and was let off one hole from check in. I arrived an hour early and they offered me an earlier tee time. Of course I took it. I bought some balls and tees. Everything else was ready and off I went.

The starter explained the course and gave me some tips. I was paired with two members and a gentleman that played the course about twice a month. He would travel just over an hour to get to his “favorite” course. As soon as I started walking down the first hole I could see why he loved this course.

Golf Club Chamonix is set in the valley between two of the tallest mountain ranges in the world. The views are beyond beautiful. The course is expertly laid out to take advantage of every stream, tree, slope and flat area provide by nature. 

None of the course felt like a gimmick or an after thought. Each hole had its risk and reward.There was a perfect balance between what the land offered and the designer laid out. There were a couple of elevated greens. (I love elevated greens). A couple of sharp dog leg lefts. A couple of long narrow holes. And holes with streams. It took planning on every hole. Yet, none of it was overwhelming. It felt like I was playing chess and golf at the same time. Some mistakes were penalizing when they should have been and some mistakes were easy to recover from. 

All of the greens were very fare. Not too big or small. But if you missed there were bunkers or rough that were perfect for the next shot. The bunkers were not filled with hard or shallow sand. The rough around the green wasn’t choppy or pitted. So getting out of either was only a matter of a good swing. A good sand splash or slide through the grass and you were on the green.  

Before I knew it the round was over all too soon. This is one course that giving a birdie to is easy. If you are a golfer of any level and are in the Chamonix area, you have to play this course. And if you are planning to be there for a week, play this course twice. I feel I would have had a better round with a second try. Some of the twists and turns can be better planned for after a first round. There is no doubt in my mind that this course is among my favorite courses that I have ever played. I only wish that I had a chance to play it again.

I think that my wife would have had a better time playing Golf Course Chamonix with me than climbing Mont Blanc. For sure she was jealous when I told her what I did and how beautiful the course was.

Fairways and Greens, we are 18 Holes and Counting.  Written by: Marc Festa

HOLE	PAR	SCORE	COMMENTS
1 – Tee Time Availability	4	3	I arrived early and they asked if I wanted to join an earlier group. They made an easy change to the tee time.
2 – Cost of Green Fees	4	4	The cost was normal for the area.
3 – Starter/Marshal	3	2	Started gave a great brief of the course and made sure everyone started according to their tee time.
4 – Condition of Tee Boxes	4	4	All of the tee boxes were well groomed and easy to pick a nice teeing area. There were divots.
5 – Condition of Fairways	5	4	All of the fairways were in great shape. Not many divots. Grass was cut and the clippings weren’t just laying in rows on the ground.
6 – Condition of Greens	4	4	The greens were aerated maybe a couple of weeks earlier. But, they were all in good shape and fun to putt on.
7 – Length of Course	5	5	The course layout and length was very conducive to walking. Nothing too far apart.
8 – Hazards	4	4	The hazards were will placed. Enough to make you think about and have to plan the hole. But nothing that would penalize you for a good shot.
9 – Women Friendly	3	3	Tee boxes for the women were set up well and I did not see any advantage or disadvantage for the women.
OUT	36	34
10 – Practice Area	5	5	The driving range was close to one of the holes but not in the way.
11 – Locker Rooms	3	3	I didn’t use the locker room. But, based on the rest of the course, I am sure it was fine.
12 – Pro Shop	4	5	There was a small pro shop with expensive clothes. But, I thought all the clothing in Chamonix was expensive.
13 – Location	4	3	I was able to take a bus to the course and the stop was one hole from the check in.
14 – Rental Equipment	4	4	I rented a set of stiff Titleist clubs and a pull cart. They were a good set of clubs. Nothing great.
15 – Resturant/Food Cart	4	5	Nothing on the course. I was able to get something at the turn.
16 – Club House	4	4	Good food. Nice and clean.
17 – Parking	3	3	Even though I took the bus, there was good parking close to everything.
18 – Customer Service	5	4	Everyone was happy to help and wanted you to enjoy your day.
IN	36	36
TOTAL	72	70	PLAYER: Marc Festa