At an altitude of 2,100 metres, facing the turquoise lake and eternal snow of La Grande Motte, the "Marmottes golf course" offers a breathtaking setting. Here, drives are played under the curious gaze of chamois, and putts are attempted against the backdrop of the peaks of the Vanoise National Park. And behind this extraordinary course is a man who orchestrates the summer season: Alexis Le Meur, Director of the Golf de Tignes.
"The golf course was created in 1969 with just nine holes. says Alexis. Twenty-two years later, in 1991, the course was extended to eighteen holes, making it the highest in Europe in its category. "The other highest course, at Andermatt, is only a nine-hole course. We're proud of this status.
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Here, the game is as sporting as the setting is imposing: undulating fairways, greens plunging down to the lake, breathtaking views of the glaciers. The star of the course? Hole 7, the undisputed signature, with an overhanging tee shot that plunges the ball towards the blue sky and the tuffs in the background.
Three weeks to put everything back in place
The beauty of the site comes at a price: altitude. "We often have snow until May. We have three weeks to install everything: signs, watering, mowing... It's a real challenge.
The permanent team - nine people at the height of the season - mobilises as soon as the snow melts to redesign the course and ensure that everything is ready for the opening at the end of May.
Operations come to an end on 7 September, a date dictated as much by the weather as by the tourist calendar. "After the start of the school year, there are a lot fewer people, and we have to prepare for the winter before the first snow in October.
Tignes golf course lives to the rhythm of competitions: an average of two a week, on Sundays and Wednesdays. Some competitions, such as the Tignes Open on 2 August, bring together experienced players and amateurs in a friendly atmosphere, with the support of a very active sports association.
"We also welcome top-level sportsmen and women who come here for a breath of fresh air: tennis players, rugby players, etc. Some of them play at an excellent level.
A future in transition
Despite its image as a demanding course, the site attracts a varied public, from curious holidaymakers to long-standing regulars and mountain golfers. "Many hesitate to come here for fear of the terrain or the rocks. But once they've played here, they keep coming back. Between the marmots, the lake and the peaks, it's an extraordinary setting.
This season is a special one. The public service contract for the golf course is coming to an end. "We are part of STGM (Company operating the Tignes ski lifts)but the plan is to transfer to management via an SPL. (local public company) with the Town Hall. We hope that the momentum will be maintained and that investment will continue. It's a major asset for Tignes.
Alexis Le Meur, meanwhile, is enjoying his second season as director, after ten years with the site. "We're a small, young and motivated team, almost all of us players. We're fully committed to bringing this unique course to life.
At Golf du Lac, you come to play, breathe and marvel. And you'll often leave with the certainty that the best swings in Tignes are made... with your feet up in the mountain pastures, alongside the marmots.