Fairways &
Frontlines
Championship Golf & Australian War Heritage
14 days • 6 championship rounds • 10+ heritage sites
Championship Golf & Australian War Heritage
14 days • 6 championship rounds • 10+ heritage sites
Fairways & Frontlines is a 14-day journey that combines six rounds on championship golf courses with an immersive exploration of Australia's most significant First World War heritage sites across France and Belgium.
The golf is world-class — from Le Golf National's Ryder Cup course to the Swiss Alps at Crans-sur-Sierre. The heritage is deeply personal — the Sir John Monash Centre, the Menin Gate Last Post, and the fields of Fromelles and Pozières. Between them, five-star hotels, signature dinners, and the landscapes of northern France, Alsace, and Lake Geneva.
Limited to 14 golfers and personally hosted by Pat Carmody and Michael Court from start to finish, this is golf travel with meaning.
Arrive in Paris and transfer to Versailles. Settle into the Waldorf Astoria Trianon Palace, a five-star hotel in the grounds of Versailles. Open the tour with a signature dinner at Gordon Ramsay au Trianon, then play Le Golf National's Albatros course — site of Europe's unforgettable 2018 Ryder Cup triumph.
Le Golf National — Albatros Course 
Waldorf Astoria Trianon Palace North to the Ypres Salient — the heart of Australia's First World War story in Belgium. Visit Tyne Cot Cemetery, Polygon Wood, Hill 60, and the Passchendaele Museum. Attend the Last Post ceremony and wreath-laying at the Menin Gate, where over 54,000 names of Commonwealth soldiers with no known grave are inscribed. Play the unique battlefield course at Palingbeek.
Menin Gate Memorial 
Golf & CC de Palingbeek South to the Somme battlefields. Visit the Sir John Monash Centre at Villers-Bretonneux — an immersive museum telling the story of Australia's Western Front experience. Walk the fields of Pozières, Fromelles, Le Hamel, and Bullecourt. Play Golf Club d'Amiens, a parkland classic in the heart of Picardy.
Sir John Monash Centre 
Golf Club d'Amiens Play Golf de Preisch, a championship course straddling the France–Luxembourg–Germany border. Travel via Reims — visit the cathedral and the champagne houses. Continue to Verdun, site of the longest battle of the Great War. Visit the Verdun Memorial Museum, Fort Douaumont, and the Douaumont Ossuary.
Verdun Memorial 
Golf de Preisch Morning travel into Alsace. Spend the afternoon exploring Colmar — half-timbered houses lining quiet canals, Alsatian wine, and the charm of one of France's most picturesque towns.
Grand Hôtel Bristol, Colmar Transfer to the shores of Lake Geneva. Play the Evian Resort Golf Club, host of the Amundi Evian Championship — one of just five major championships in women's golf. Take a day trip high into the Swiss Alps for a round at Crans-sur-Sierre, home of the European Masters, with panoramic mountain views. Enjoy lakeside touring and a dinner at the Hôtel Royal Palace.
Evian Resort Golf Club 
Crans-sur-Sierre — Swiss Alps 
Hôtel Royal Evian Return to Paris with a lunch stop in the Mâcon or Beaune region. Farewell dinner at Madame Brasserie in the Eiffel Tower — an unforgettable close to the tour overlooking the city of lights. Departures on Day 14.
Farewell dinner at the Eiffel Tower 
Hôtel du Louvre Once your place is confirmed, Pat and the team will be in touch to discuss optional booking and travel services.
No — the tour is designed for comfort, not endurance. That said, you'll be on your feet most days. Golf rounds involve walking the courses (motorised carts are included where available), and the memorial and heritage visits include walking on mixed terrain — gravel paths, grassy fields, and some uneven ground at sites like Tyne Cot and the Somme battlefields. The pace is relaxed, with ample time built in for rest, and all ground transport between destinations is by private coach. If you have specific mobility concerns, get in touch with Pat to discuss — we're happy to accommodate where possible.
All levels are welcome. While the six courses on the itinerary are championship calibre — including Ryder Cup and European Masters venues — they are absolutely playable for recreational golfers. The focus is on the experience, the camaraderie, and the settings, not on scorecards. Some venues may require a handicap certificate, so it's worth having one current before you travel. If you're unsure, contact Pat and he'll walk you through what to expect on each course.
You'll need to book your own return flights to and from Paris (Charles de Gaulle). Australian passport holders do not need a visa for France, Belgium, or Switzerland for stays under 90 days, though you may need an approved ETIAS travel authorisation — check the latest requirements before you travel. Travel insurance is required and must cover medical expenses, trip cancellation, and repatriation. September weather across northern France and Switzerland is generally mild (15–22°C) with occasional rain. Pack layers, a light waterproof jacket, comfortable walking shoes, and your golf gear. Everything else — hotels, transport, tours, dinners — is taken care of.
Absolutely. The heritage, cultural, and dining experiences make up a rich half of the itinerary and are rewarding in their own right. Non-golfing partners travel with the group to memorial sites, enjoy the included dinners, and explore the towns and regions we visit — Versailles, Ypres, Colmar, and the Lake Geneva region all offer wonderful sightseeing. During golf days, partners are free to explore at their own pace or enjoy the hotel facilities. Contact Pat to discuss partner pricing and logistics.
Pat Carmody is a lifelong francophile and a golfer of more than 30 years. After playing some of Europe's finest championship courses and being deeply moved by the Australian story written into the battlefields and memorials of France and Belgium, he began taking friends on what became an annual pilgrimage — golf by day, history by evening, and great food throughout.
Those trips became the blueprint for Fairways & Frontlines. Pat has walked the fields of Fromelles, played Le Golf National, Evian, and Crans-sur-Sierre, and stood beneath the Menin Gate — where the name of his great-uncle, killed in the First World War, is inscribed among more than 54,000 Commonwealth soldiers with no known grave.
Pat is your host on every Touring Golf tour — the person who makes sure the tee times run smoothly, the coaches arrive on time, and the weight of the memorial sites is given the space it deserves.
Michael Court is one of Australia's most experienced golf journalists. A former Sports Editor of the Sydney Daily Mirror, Editor of Australian Golf Digest, and NSW Editor at The Golfer, Michael has spent decades writing about the game at the highest level. He is currently a staff contributor for Inside Golf, Australia's most-read golf magazine.
Michael has played all six courses on the Fairways & Frontlines itinerary and brings a storyteller's eye to every round. As co-host on the inaugural tour, he adds a depth of firsthand knowledge and an easy, engaging presence that will make every round feel richer.
Get in touch with Pat to ask questions, discuss the tour, or secure your place.
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