GOLFIKA
GOLF IN FRANCE
 
  
  
 

FIRST CLUBS

  Notice that before 1914 at least a dozen clubs were for a private usage only (e.g. Memillon).
  
 
1856 Pau. The very first course on the Continent.
1888 Biarritz
1890 ? Argelès Gazost. No longer exists.
1890 Dinard
1891 Cannes Mandelieu. Created by the Grand Duc Michel de Russie
1892 Sainte Barbe. Called "golf des anglais". No longer exists.
1893 Paramé St Malo. No longer exists.
1894 Hyères (Les Palmiers). No longer exists.
1895 St Raphaël, Valescure
1896 Compiègne. Hosted the Olympic golf competition in 1900.
1896 Le Mesnil le Roi. No longer exists. Was the first "Golf de Paris" before it moved to La Boulie, near Versailles.
1897 Dieppe, Pourville.
1899 Deauville (Old course). No longer exists.
  
  
 

FEDERATION & COMPETITIONS

  The "Union des Golfs de France" was created on November 24th, 1912 by Pierre Deschamps (1856-1925) who will be the President until 1924. On January 13th, 1933, it becomes the "Fédération Française de Golf".
  The International French Amateur is created in 1904 and won by H. G. Beeche (who created the Golf du Mesnil and competed in the Olympics in Paris 1900).
  The French Open started in 1906 and was first won by Arnaud Massy.
  
  
 

A FEW GREAT PLAYERS

 
   
Gassiat, Jean (b. Biarritz, September 3rd, 1883)
  He finished several times in the top ten of The Open and won the French Open in 1912. Professional at Chantilly, he is well known for his putter "grand piano".

Golias. (Family)
  Brothers (Gustave et René) and René's son: Roger.

Lacoste, Catherine (b. June 27th, 1945)
  Daughter of the lady champion Simone Thion de La Chaume, Catherine remains the only amateur woman to win the Lady US Open (in 1967). In 1969, she won both the US Ladies Amateur and the Lady British Amateur ! This is the only example where a mother and her daughter both won the prestigious British amateur championship.

Massy, Arnaud. (b. 1877, Biarritz - d. 1950, Etretat).
  The only French (and first non British) to win The Open (Hoylake, 1907). Wrote the first important golf book in French.

Tellier, Louis.
  Represented France many times in the States. A french at the US Open.

Thion de la Chaume, Simone.
  It was before she married tennisman René Lacoste that Simone Thion de la Chaume, of a great golfers family, won in 1927 the Lady British Open.
In her honours list : 9 French close championships and 6 International French Amateur.
  
 
 
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