Nine holes are now open for play at a new golf course currently taking shape in south-west France.

The course, which is located near the town of Navarrenx, has been designed by Nicolas Joakimides.

Joakimides told GCA that five more holes will open at the course next summer, with the remaining four likely to open towards the end of 2018.

“I really wanted a course that was playable for beginners and good players as well,” Joakimides said. “That is why the front tee is 160 yards from the back tee on the longer holes. The course has a par of 72, with the back tees playing 7,100 yards for professional or scratch players. The course will play for 4,500 yards for beginners. That’s a 2,600 yard difference! And I think this a way to make the course interesting for all.”

Joakimides said the course – which sits on an undulating site with many trees and creeks – features generous fairways, short rough and only 35 bunkers.

With regards to strategy, the architect alluded to the fact that on holes one, six, seven, nine and seventeen, there is a distinctly better side of the fairway to land on.

The course also features no out of bounds areas, with the aim of making it easier to play for golfers of all levels.

“It’s a good challenge for good players with small greens, small bunkers in the line of play and a few long par four holes,” said Joakimides. “The thirteenth hole is a driveable par four at 261 yards, while the greens on three of the par five holes are reachable in two shots – namely on third, twelfth and eighteenth holes.”

For more information on the project, visit www.nicolasjoakimides.com.