Golf Course Review by: Billy Satterfield

Rankings: 

   

The Takeaway:  A traditional club with an old school locker room and old money feel throughout the clubhouse, Chantilly enjoys a remote feeling in the midst of a forest. While the terrain is rather uninspiring, the green sites and bunkering is excellent and the final three holes are a worthy climax to the round.  Grade B-

Quick Facts

Designer:  Tom Simpson 1909

Cost:  €110 Click for current rates

Phone Number:  +33 3 44 57 04 43

Course Website:  Official Website - Visit Chantilly Golf Club (Vineuil)'s official website by clicking on the link provided.

Directions:  Get here! - Alley de la Menagerie, Vineuil-Saint-Firmin, Oise  60500 – FRANCE

Photos:  See additional photos of Chantilly Golf Club (Vineuil)

Similar Course:

• Winged Foot Golf Club (East)

What to Expect:  The Vineuil course at Chantilly is a Tom Simpson design dating back to 1909. The course is found on forested property that gives a feeling of isolation from the world, but the trees have been held back from encroaching onto the playing corridors which results in pleasantly wide fairways paired with heavy bunkering to combat the width. The mostly flat property gives way to a ravine late in the round which creates a dramatic finish over the final three holes and helps the back nine be the clear winner in the battle of whether the outward or inward nine is superior. Because the terrain is so tame, Chantilly is a pleasant walk devoid of distractions, but it is the undulated property at the end of the round that will stick with your memory. Ultimately, Chantilly reminds me a bit of a tamer Winged Foot from the aspect that the terrain is mostly uninspiring, trees frame the fairways, and the bunkers and greens are designed well to give interest to the property and course.

By the Numbers

Tees	Par	Yardage	Rating	Slope
Black	71	6999	73.4	141
White	71	6591	71.0	137
Yellow	71	6234	69.1	133
Blue (Ladies)	71	5747	72.3	134
Red (Ladies)	71	5397	70.2	129

Individual Hole Analysis

Signature Hole:  17th Hole – 208 Yard Par 3 – The middle, and clear highlight, of Chantilly’s three hole finale, the 17th is an absolute beauty of a hole. The tee shots play from the high ground down a ravine to a large green benched into some of the lowest terrain on the property. The steep bank on the right side can be utilized to kick balls onto the green; in fact, it would probably take more skill in normal conditions to get it to stay on the hillside than it would take to get the ball to release all the way to the putting surface. With the green angled from front left to back right, the ideal tee shot will be a high fade that will land softly on the putting surface and yield a look at birdie.

Best Par 3:  11th Hole – 183 Yards – The 11th plays straight south to a well bunkered green that is propped up above the surrounding terrain while also featuring an undulated putting surface. The bunkers all feature steep faces and will require a deft short game to get up and down for par from. This portion of the property feels particularly isolated from the outside world and maximizes the enjoyment of the walk.

Best Par 4:  18th Hole – 434 Yards – The finishing hole at Chantilly takes advantage of the ravine one last time with a tee shot that must carry across it to find the ascending fairway on the opposite side. Though Chantilly's tee is more elevated, this hole reminded me of the famous closer at Riviera where the tee shot must clear a steep hillside that slopes a bit from left to right. The approach shot then plays into a green that is protected by a trio of bunkers, but the sloping green surface is the bigger concern as it will test player's flatstick skills as much as anywhere on the course. It is a great crescendo to the round finishing up on Chantilly's final three holes; and walking off with a par on the 18th will certainly leave a smile on your face.

Best Par 5:  9th Hole – 532 Yards – The final hole of the outward nine plays at the northeast portion of the property with a slight bend left in the fairway preventing it from being a straight hole traveling north. The tee shot is straightforward and will reward players that keep their ball up the left half of the fairway, but the character on this hole comes at the green site. The left side of the green is bunkered while the front right has a collection bowl that balls often roll into off the putting surface's front edge.

Birdie Time:  4th Hole – 370 Yard Par 4 – A short dogleg left, the 4th begs long hitters to hit a power draw that will hit the fairway and tumble towards the green. Yardage can be cut off the hole by taking an aggressive line over the trees on the inside of the dogleg and getting as close to the putting surface as possible. From there it is a flip wedge into the green that is angled to best accept approach shots from the right side, but even from the left it will be plenty doable to spin one close to the hole. Blowing your second shot can result in finding one of the five bunkers around the green, but with a scoring club in hand you should mostly be worried about how close to the hole you can wedge your shot.

Bogey Beware:  16th Hole – 459 Yard Par 4 – The beginning of the highlight stretch that Chantilly is so well known for, the 16th has a tame beginning with an inviting fairway the players can see doglegs left beyond the tree line hugging that side. As players get their tee ball they discover that the approach shot plays over a deep ravine to a green banked into the terrain on the opposite side. The biggest mistake a player can make here is to not take enough club and find their ball getting repelled back towards the ravine where an ill fate awaits. That being said, some players won't hit their drive far enough to have a clean look for their second shot at the green which will almost guarantee a bogey. Played well, this is one of the most satisfying holes on the course.