The Golf du Médoc Resort, number one in France

water saved

This year, the ceremony was held in Abu Dhabi. On November 16, Vincent Paris, its general manager, was awarded an even more rewarding trophy, France’s Best Golf Hotel 2022 in the language of Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods. A first. The jury which decided between the twelve nominees was made up of tourism professionals, supplemented by the vote of customers, invited to decide on the internet.

This award encompasses absolutely everything, starting with the comfort and cleanliness of the rooms, the friendliness of the staff, the restaurant menu or the spa facilities. In addition to these classic criteria, there are the quality of the various golf courses and the advantages of each region, in this case wine tourism, in the Médoc châteaux, very popular especially with foreigners, who represent 35% of its clientele.

But other specificities won him votes. Like all economic sectors, golf tourism does not escape the major concerns of the moment. Often singled out for their water consumption, golf courses have technological solutions at their disposal so as not to draw from the water table or draw on the public network. The Golf du Médoc Resort is exemplary in this respect. Its irrigation system operates in a closed circuit. “We have retention lakes,” says Vincent Paris. In winter, we capture rainwater and runoff. Today we have 180,000 m³ of water reserve, which we come to pump in the summer. »

It’s almost a dropper, depending on the rainfall. In 2019, this 4-star MGallery hotel, a brand of the Accor Group, invested 2.5 million euros in a fully computerized system controlling 2,000 sprinklers spread over its two routes, that of the Châteaux and that of the Vineyards. “Depending on where it is, we know if it should run more for five or more for twenty minutes, which allows us to save 20% of water”, explains the manager of this complex which welcomes around 20,000 golfers. per year.

In 2021, drainage works have made the system even more efficient. Having greens of an idyllic green, yes, but not at any price. “When it’s hot, we don’t hesitate to let the course turn yellow,” notes Vincent Paris. We adapt to the seasons. There’s no point in overwatering just because it has to be green. Last summer he was like straw. We watered it at 10% or 15% of the usual volume, just to keep the blade of grass alive. This is not a problem for gamers. The ball will no longer roll. »

On the same subject

The Médoc golf course, land of choice for French pros

From Wednesday June 15 to Saturday June 18, the French professional championship is preparing to come back to life at the Médoc Resort golf course after thirteen years of absence and the victory of Benoît Telléria at the Nivelle golf course. The candidates for victory are legion

“Golf Honey”

This anti-waste plan also applies to food. To avoid ordering quantities well in advance that may not be completely consumed, the Golf du Médoc Resort now sources its supplies from local producers, for a more flexible and better dosed supply. The list of virtuous measures does not stop there. Bottles and small plastic packaging have disappeared from the rooms. “Zero plastic” has been generalized, as has selective sorting and LED lighting.

Even more surprising, the honey served at breakfast is homemade. “The honey of golf” comes from three beehives installed on hole number 7 of the Parcours des Châteaux. In 2022, for six months, nature protection associations came to make an inventory of the site’s fauna and flora. At the ecological level, the Golf du Médoc Resort is several strokes below par.