Golf Blue Green Dunkerque

If there were an award for landscape rehabilitation, Dunkirk – Fort-Vallières would most certainly be among the list of nominees: this public golf course, which was designed by Robert Berthet and  completed in 1990, occupies the site of a former dump and a stretch of marshy terrain. The 18-hole course, which is due to be extended by a 9 holes this year, is today part of park offering a wide range of sporting activities.
Marshland invariably means… water ! And here, the water cannot be ignored: it is present at almost every hole, whether in the form of ponds, canals or streams. Thus, if there were just one golden rule that applies to this course, it would be to prefer caution over power to avoid disappointment. Although located in the home town of the famous French corsair, Jean Bart, and just a cannon-shot away from Vauban's ramparts, the course will not tolerate a debonair attitude, especially if one is playing it for the first time. Save your riskier shots for the next time around. That said, the hill that sits on the former dump does provide players with a few opportunities to "let themselves go", without overdoing it, of course: up here, the wind has a way of cropping up unexpectedly as if out of frustration at not being able to join the party down below, where the holes tend to be more sheltered. So much for the wind and the water… but what about bunkers? Berthet used them sparingly, considering that it was more important to design a course that could be enjoyed by the majority of players. In Dunkirk, "public golf course" is not  synonymous with mediocre service and quality: the club house, the changing rooms and the restaurant have all been recently renovated and can stand up to comparison with similar facilities in private clubs. The course itself —in particular the greens, which are among the most highly reputed in the region—meets with the satisfaction of player of all levels. Professional golfers and groups comprising some of the best Belgian amateurs regularly go out of their way to come to Fort-Vallières  to practice on these greens. To quote a great connoisseur of golfing throughout the world, "Dunkirk is like the little boy who wants to be like the big boys".