Nine things to know: Olympic golf at Le Golf National

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Need to Know

Written by Bradley S. Klein @PGATOUR

It’s time again for one of the game’s truly international events – Olympic golf. This time it’s back to Paris, where Olympic golf debuted in 1900 with both men’s and women’s competition. The men’s competition was held again in 1904 in St. Louis but not the women’s. Then golf was off the boards for 112 years until Rio de Janeiro in 2016 and Tokyo in 2021 (originally scheduled for 2020).

Here are nine things to know for Olympic golf, contested across the next two weeks at storied Le Golf National’s Albatros Course.

1. Organization

Olympic golf is coordinated by the International Golf Federation, based in Lausanne, Switzerland. This year’s rendition entails coordination with 38 National Olympic Committees, representing 32 different countries for men and 33 for women. Two fields, each 60 players strong, will compete. The stroke play competition is 72 holes each, Aug. 1-4 for men followed by Aug. 7-10 for women. At stake are medals, pride and national honor but no prize money – a rarity among the professional ranks these days.

“The Olympics for me is sport in its purest form,” said England’s Tommy Fleetwood, who will make his Olympic debut this week and won the 2017 Open de France at Le Golf National.

“I think it’s the most amazing event in the world. I think now for kids growing up that will watch the Olympics, watch golf in the Olympics … kids will start dreaming a bit.”

2. Location

This year’s setting is Le Golf National, a private club and luxury hotel property in the town of Guyancourt, 18 miles southwest of the Eiffel Tower and 26 miles southwest of the Olympic Village. The 345-acre parcel is home to the championship Albatros Course, which will be the venue for the Olympic competitions. The facility, owned by the French Golf Federation, also includes the 18-hole Aigle Course and the nine-hole, par-32 L’Oiselet Course.

Of the country’s 810 golf courses, Le Golf National is regularly rated among the top 10. The Albatros Course was the scene of the 2018 Ryder Cup, where the European team won decisively over the American squad, 17.5-10.5. Designed in 1990 by Hubert Chesneau and Robert von Hagge and extensively renovated in 2015 by European Golf Design, Le Golf National is perennial home to the DP World Tour’s Open de France, which will be played there for the 30th time this Oct. 10-13.

3. Field

The 60-player fields are the result of a balancing act in qualifications that have two broad goals. The aim is to assemble the best golfers in the world from as many countries as possible. On the women’s side, 13 of the top 15 players on the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings are in the field, headlined by 2021 Olympic gold winner and world No. 1 Nelly Korda. The other former medal winner in the field is Lydia Ko of New Zealand, world No. 20 and winner of the silver medal in 2016 and the bronze in 2021.

The men’s lineup includes 10 of the top 15 players on the Official World Golf Ranking, including four from the U.S.: Scottie Scheffler (No. 1), 2016 Olympic gold medalist Xander Schauffele (No. 2), Wyndham Clark (No. 5) and Collin Morikawa (No. 6). The only other previous medalist in the men’s field is C.T. Pan from Chinese Taipei, who took bronze in 2021.

4. Course character

Le Golf National literally arose from level farm ground to the point where it now presents 45 feet of elevation change. It took quite a few truckloads of material to create the effect of rolling terrain. Construction back in the late 1980s entailed 300 truckloads a day for three years, hauling in material from various building projects in downtown Paris – about 270,000 truck trips in all.

The effect today is of a stadium-style setting capable of accommodating 30,000 spectators per day, variously distributed on mounds or in stands. As of two weeks before the start of play, six of the eight competition days were sold out, with organizers expecting capacity crowds each day. As was evident during the 2018 Ryder Cup, the area immediately south of the clubhouse is particularly suitable for football stadium-style cheering, thanks to the amphitheater of mounding overlooking looming water hazards at the start and end of the round – Nos. 1, 2, 15, 16 and 18.

The effect of any round here, whether casual or world championship level, is of a distinct rhythm and pace that moves from ominous target golf to a more relaxed stage for meadowland play (Nos. 3-14) and then back again to tightly defended waterfront shot-making.

Right from the start of the first hole, the tee shot is crucial. You don’t have many options and a 2 iron or a 3 wood should keep you out of trouble. You will be left with a mid to short iron to the green, but you will need to be accurate, especially with a pin position just a few yards away from the water and some bunkers around the newly shortened green. (Source: PGA of America)

On this hole, the most difficult thing is to correctly assess the amount of water you have to carry before touching down on the green surface. In fact, the equation is very simple: the further left the pin is, the more water you have to carry. The most dangerous flag position being the left far-end one where power, distance as well as accuracy are required. (Source: PGA of America)

Though extended in 2004, this long par 5 seems quite simple. It requires a long tee shot aiming for the left part of the fairway. From this side of the hole, you will have much easier access to the small and well‐defended green. Next to it, an oak and a bunker team up to make the access from the right almost impossible, which the pros must overcome with a far right pin position. (Source: PGA of America)

The tee shot requires a solid drive to the middle of the fairway of this long par 4. New fairway bunkers in 2016 mean you will have to be straight and long before going further uphill towards an elevated green. The second shot, if played from the thick rough, will be a tricky one when the pin is on the front part of this green, which is large and full of slopes. (Source: PGA of America)

Some respite awaits on this short par 4, which doesn't have too many difficulties apart from fairway bunkers left and new deep bunkers in front of the green. Nevertheless, birdies opportunities here are not that common. (Source: PGA of America)

Once again, players must be wary. The endless green is well hidden by a little bump at the front and it is also below the fairway level. This could mislead players into the exact length of the shot required, but birdies should still be frequent. (Source: PGA of America)

An important and challenging par 4, this hole requires a solid tee shot to the left part of this elevated fairway and another solid iron shot down to the far green. While tall fescue can be found down the left of the fairway, making for an uncomfortable tee shot, on the opposite side is a steep bank, ensuring this hole is far from straightforward. (Source: PGA of America)

When it comes to the eighth, it all depends on the wind. To make it all the more difficult, the large undulating green is defended by a tiny, but deep, bunker. The hole will also offer some interesting and challenging pin positions, especially with a strong blowing wind. (Source: PGA of America)

This is the second par 5 that was extended in 2004. Though the water hazard on the left is not really in play, players will require two solid shots, quite often into the wind, to reach the longest and narrowest green on the course, which is also well guarded by a few deep bunkers. (Source: PGA of America)

Played downwind, this short par 4 has seen some golfers almost hitting the green from the tee. The wise, sensible shot is to hit a two or three-iron to the middle of the fairway with a second shot to the heart of the green. Keep away from the water hazard on the left and the reward could well be birdie. (Source: PGA of America)

This hole was completely revamped in 2016, with the water hazard extended and the addition of two new bunkers at the back of the green. Depending on the location of the pin on its sloped green, this par 3 offers no guarantee of par. (Source: PGA of America)

A dogleg-right with a huge bunker on the bottom right of the fairway, the tee shot on the 12th is no easy matter. In fact, the longer your drive is, the narrower the fairway gets. Only a drive carrying the bunker and ending up in the bottleneck a few yards ahead will offer you the ideal spot for your second shot to this elevated green. Players heading for the green from either the high rough or the bunker seldom reach the putting surface with their second shot and they might even struggle scrambling on this large, bumpy green. (Source: PGA of America)

Reshaped in 2004, the 13th offers a very narrow route to its fairway. This dogleg-right is a technical and demanding hole. If your tee shot is not long enough, you will find yourself with an almost impossible second shot to the well-protected green. Not only do you have to carry the water in front, but you also have to avoid the oak trees guarding the green. (Source: PGA of America)

The last of the holes extended in 2004, the 14th has a large bunker defending the green, which is difficult to reach in two. Even big-hitting players will find it difficult to reach, particularly when swinging into the wind. The two-tier green also presents a challenge to players looking to gain an advantage here. (Source: PGA of America)

The last four holes are where the real drama gets started. Though its length is modest, this hole remains a dangerous one. Approaching the clubhouse, the water surrounding the green, combined with a tricky pin position, could trip some players up. (Source: PGA of America)

The difficulty of this green lies in the undulations that tempt balls into the water, protecting the green on its right. Aiming for the left side of this par 3's green, players will be left with an uncomfortable downhill putt. (Source: PGA of America)

With an uphill fairway and a green that runs dramatically from right to left, the 17th is an interesting hole. With no sand traps or water hazards to contend with, the penultimate hole poses a very different challenge than the final one to come. (Source: PGA of America)

It might just be as difficult to get a par on the 18th as it is to make a birdie. The tee shot is essential, with water on the left and pot bunkers on the right. The final hole ranked as the hardest at the 2017 Open de France, with 147 bogeys or worse made throughout the course of the week. It should make for an interesting final hole with the match on the line. (Source: PGA of America)

5. Course setup

As the perennial home of the DP World Tour’s Open de France, Le Golf National regularly adapts to championship-level setups. Course superintendent Lucas Pierre, six years at the helm here, is aided by a full-time staff of 38 employees and will have the additional input of 56 experienced volunteers for the Olympics.

The putting surfaces are on the large size, running from 6,500 to 8,600 square feet. They will be clipped and trimmed to 0.13 inch (3.3 mms). While precise Stimpmeter speeds are always a matter of last-minute adjustment, Kerry Haigh, the PGA of America’s chief championship officer and one of the officials advising on course setup, reports simply that that upon opening day the greens will be rolling “at Olympic speed.”

The biggest issue for players will simply be playing to and staying on the 24.7 acres of ryegrass/fescue fairways; they tend to meander their way alongside ponds or are contour mowed in a slightly wavy fashion that narrows down at the landing areas and readily feeds into fairway bunkers, ponds or fields of fescue in the deep rough. The one saving grace of their shaping is that they are relatively flat, thus providing comfort for approach shots and more incentive to hit them, even if that means laying up off the tee with less than a driver.

The first half of the year has been far wetter than normal for northern France, so the ryegrass/fescue roughs, groomed in step-cut fashion at 2.5 inches, 3.3 inches and 4.7 inches of height, will be dense and gnarly and thus difficult to escape from. In short, the premium here is on hitting fairways.

6. The long and short of it

Le Golf National will play 7,174 yards, par 71 for the men’s competition and 6,374 yards, par 72 for the women’s competition. The sole difference in par comes at the watery 18th hole, which shifts from a long par 4 to a short, strategic par 5, and will provide plenty of drama in front a grandstand seating 1,700.

The overall yardage difference per gender can be understood in several ways. The 800-yard gap corresponds to an 11% decrease in overall yardage; the average driving distance on the PGA TOUR (299 yards) is 14% further than on the LPGA (257 yards). This would suggest that the overall distance gap at Le Golf National still leaves the women with an effective playing distance that is longer than for the men.

But the par difference is a kind of balancing act. The men’s Olympic golf competition will be played at 101 yards per stroke of par (7,174 divided by 71), while the women’s competition will be played at 88.5 yards per stroke (6,374 divided by 72). That’s a 12.4% decrease in effective stroke per par, which offsets slightly the distance gap on tee shots.

At peak performance levels, female pros average roughly 40 yards shorter on their drives and 25 yards shorter than male pros with the same iron in hand – a 65-yard difference average per hole. If carried through over 18 holes, that’s basically a 1,170-yard gap – more than the 800 yards in the Olympics. What all that means for watching the Olympics is that the women will be coming into these holes, on average, with about two clubs longer for their approaches than the men, even playing from tees that are 800 yards shorter. In other words, on a par 4 where the men hit driver/9-iron, the women will be hitting roughly 7-irons.

Concern about the women hitting into a minefield of divots produced by the men a week prior have generally not proven to be a real issue – think of the U.S. Open at Pinehurst in 2014, Rio in 2016, or Tokyo in 2021. For one thing, the limited play – 60 rounds per day – is less than an average day at these courses, certainly less than a full-field tournament. With aggressive sanding, there is plenty of time for divot recovery. Moreover, proper placement of teeing grounds will help the women land in areas closer to the green than the men, in fresh fairway fields. It’s all part of modern course setup.

7. ‘Tough but fair’

After an opening-round 71 at the 1991 Open de France, the event’s first playing at Le Golf National, Nick Faldo described the course as “tough but fair.” That sentiment has endured for three-plus decades, with single digits sometimes enough to win the Open de France (Alex Noren, who will represent Sweden this week, won in 2018 at 7-under), but also the chance to go low; the last three winning scores have fallen between 12- and 16-under. That includes Guido Migliozzi (16-under in 2022), who will compete for Italy this week.

Tom Kim, who will represent the Republic of Korea this week alongside Byeong Hun An, is among those looking forward to the challenge.

“I think it's going to be a really good test of golf for everyone,” Kim said Monday. “You really can't fake it around here. You have to play some really good golf around here to win medals and I think it's going to be a great test.”

8. Third hole

Lots of interesting holes out there, particularly given the openness of the site to the prevailing wind from the west. At the par-5 third hole, 556/499 yards long, the fairway is 17 feet below the teeing grounds and sets up with a favoring wind from the right. Ponds down the entirety of the right side are the main danger here. An ideal tee shot favors the left side, thanks to two looming hazards up front of the green that work in harmony to protect the right-side approach – a 40-foot-tall oak in front of a large greenside bunker. There’s little chance of a ground game runup, so players going for the green must come in boldly from the air.

9. 18th hole

Le Golf National’s finishing hole will play as a 471-yard par 4 for the men’s competition and 447-yard par 5 for the women’s competition. A very precision-oriented finishing hole, perennially one of the toughest in relation to par at the Open de France. Water lines the entire left side, and a minefield of pot bunkers intrudes down the right side, so there’s no choice left but to hit the fairway. The prevailing wind, from left center, provides a bit of cushion against the ball as it heads towards the water. The green effectively forms an island (sharing a bit of land with the 15th green) and presents water across the front of the entrance as well as entirely behind, so distance judgment is crucial. It helps that this is the second largest green on the course. Still, trying to hold it from out of the rough or any of the seven pot bunkers on the tee shot is a delicate matter. The setting here heightens the drama – the ultimate in theatrical, stadium golf spectating.

Drone flyover of closing hole at Le Golf National

It will be fun to watch.

Le Golf National – Albatros Course scorecard

Men (Aug. 1-4) / Women (Aug. 7-10)

Hole	Par	Yardage (men's)	Yardage (women's)	Par
1	4	419	386	4
2	3	210	154	3
3	5	556	499	5
4	4	486	421	4
5	4	405	371	4
6	4	380	359	4
7	4	457	434	4
8	3	208	161	3
9	5	579	466	5
	36	3,702	3,251	36
10	4	375	351	4
11	3	174	144	3
12	4	433	408	4
13	4	414	371	4
14	5	552	478	5
15	4	405	377	4
16	3	168	150	3
17	4	480	397	4
18	4	471	447	5
	35	3,472	3,123	36
	71	7,174	6,374	72

Bradley S. Klein is a veteran golf writer and author of 10 books on course design. A former PGA TOUR caddie, he was architecture editor of Golfweek for over two decades and is now a freelance journalist and course design consultant. Follow Bradley S. Klein on Twitter.