WHAT’S IT LIKE?

Disturbed only by the ripple of birdsong and the occasional crash of a rampaging boar, Saint-Germain-en-Laye’s forest is a great escape, only 15 miles from central Paris. All is calm, combed and understated at this elegant club, which was founded beside the Seine in 1902 before moving to its present, less flood-prone location in 1920. Here, HS Colt designed a subtle and satisfying woodland course with a series of short par fours to tempt, tease and frustrate.

It pays to play straight, but Seve Ballesteros and Sandy Lyle won the French