There’s a particular stillness at Le Golf National in the early morning. The mist lifts off the water hazards on the Albatros Course, and for a moment it’s easy to forget that this is the site of one of the most dramatic Ryder Cup victories in the event’s history.
In September 2018, captain Thomas Bjørn led Europe to a commanding 17½–10½ victory over the United States. The roar of the crowds around the amphitheatre-like 18th green was unlike anything golf had seen in France. Tiger Woods, having just won his comeback Masters the following April, couldn’t salvage the American effort. It was, by any measure, a masterclass in course design meeting competitive drama.
The Albatros Course was purpose-built for elite competition. Designed by Hubert Chesneau and Robert Von Hagge, it sits just south of Versailles and has hosted the French Open more than 30 times. It’s a links-style inland course — exposed, strategic, and punishing when the wind picks up. Water comes into play on more than half the holes, and the rough is famously unforgiving.
For Fairways & Frontlines guests, Le Golf National is Round 1 — the opening statement of a 14-day journey. After arriving at Paris CDG and transferring to the Waldorf Astoria Trianon Palace in Versailles, the group will tee off the following morning on the same fairways walked by Molinari, Fleetwood, and Rose.
The course closed in October 2024 for Grand Paris Express railway construction beneath the property, with a targeted reopening of September 1, 2026 — meaning our guests may be among the very first visitors to play the newly restored Albatros. That’s a once-in-a-generation opportunity.
From Le Golf National, the tour heads north into Belgium, then south through the Somme, Verdun, Alsace, and into the Swiss Alps. But it starts here, at the home of European golf’s finest hour, just ten minutes from the Palace of Versailles.
Fairways & Frontlines departs September 2026. Only 14 places are available.