France’s Le Golf National has hosted several world-class sporting events since officially opening in 1990.
The home of the French Golf Federation has three courses on site – L’Albatros (The Albatross), L’Aigle (The Eagle), and L’Oislet (The Birdie) – but it is the former which holds the title of Le Golf National’s premier layout.
Since 1991, it has welcomed almost every single Open de France, the 1994 Eisenhower Trophy, the 2018 Ryder Cup, and now the Paris 2024 Olympic golf tournaments.
At Paris 2024, the par-71 layout will play 7,174 yards for the men’s competition before shifting to a 6,374-yard par-72 for the women’s competition. It will feature 45 feet of elevation change throughout and players will be well accustomed to water by the end of one round as water surrounds many of the holes on the back nine, in particular.
During its first Open de France, four-time Major winner Sir Nick Faldo labelled L’Albatros as “tough but fair” and almost every player who has teed it up there since has agreed.
Le Golf National’s L’Albatros 18th hole
(Image credit: Getty Images)
The winning score at the Open de France has ranged from seven-under (Alex Noren – 2018) to 16-under (Guido Migliozzi – 2022), with Le Golf National’s crown jewel offering golfers a tough test which also has the opportunity for a low score.
The course record at Le Golf National is 62 and is jointly-held by two players – Argentina’s Eduardo Romero and Denmark’s Rasmus Hojgaard.
Romero was the first to card nine-under in a single round at L’Albatros, achieving the feat in 2005 on his way to a T8 result at the Open de France. He was 50 at the time and reportedly considering a permanent move to seniors golf but returned home to change his diet and sharpen his focus.
The plan worked wonderfully, and he shot 29 on the front nine for the first time ever before returning in 33 – although it could have been even better if a 30-foot putt on the last had not agonizingly lipped out.
What made Romero’s feat even more remarkable is that it arrived after he had already played nine holes in the morning due to needing to finish off his first round following a suspension in play. It was also two strokes better than the previous course record.
(Image credit: Getty Images)
Romero’s low total would stand alone for 17 more years until…
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