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Martigny-les-Bains Golf Club, Vosges (88). (1911 - WW1)
The course was laid out in 1911 by Mr Cowington from the Nice Golf Club.
The course was situated on the southern slope of Haut-Mont at 1,300 feet above sea level with fantastic views which included the chain of the Vosges. It was a pretty and undulating nine-hole course measuring 2,400 yards.
The following is from a brochure issued by the Martigny Sport Club.
“For several years already, the Sporting Weeks at Martigny have been well supported. So, with the aim of bringing together all the players who come to compete on the tennis courts and links in the annual Chamionship, the Martigny club was created in 1911 to reinforce the friendly ties between all sport enthusiasts in the Vosges.
The Martigny club, which is now well known amongst all the large clubs, and the golf is particularly appreciated by its visitors, is affiliated to the SFSA and is managed by a committee made up of M le Docteur Rochard (President), M Louis Mill, M Louis Dedet, Docteur Aerts, Ch Beaurin, A Depoisse, Duval, Quellence, and Jacques Dedet.
Situated on the southern slopes of Haut-Mont (altitude 500 metres) le Martigny golf club may be classed amongst the best in France, both by its exceptional situation and by the natural features which make the course most interesting. It is made up of three parts, very different in their appearance, which require a consummate technique from the player.
The first part comprises the first 4 holes; it is flat, the grass is very green, abundant and dense. Holes 1,2 and 3, exceeding 300 metres in length, are ideal for the long hitter to take advantage.
The 4th hole, 130 metres long and gently sloping, gives an opportunity for a good brassie or mid=iron shot. The second part is hilly, steep even.
The 5th green is hidden from the tee and the hole leads to the hollow in a bend.
The 6th hole is one of the main attractions of the Martigny course. It offers the player a change in altitude of 34 metres between tee and green. On a hole of 220 meters, with a sometimes rapid slope, it allows the player, after a drive, a good mid-iron or especially mashie approach shot.
The 7th hole leads by way of uneven ground, to the summit of the course, from where one can see the whole of the Massif des Faucilles and the Hautes-Vosges. The 8th hole involves a descent of 27 metres from tee to the green, which is situated in front of the clubhouse.
Finally, the 9th hole is, according to all visitors to Martigny GC, an exceptional attraction. It is the Fosse Cama, a natural ravine, about ten metres deep, hollowed out into the mountain, and 150 metres wide. "With an elegant and flexible trajectory" , using the words of M Arnaud Massy in his remarkable work on Golf in France, an iron or mashie shot, skillfully hit, falls on the last green where, with a good putt, the golfer finishes his round.
The wonderful location of this course was chosen on the advice of Doctor Bright of Cannes, who wrote "I had the advantage of visiting Haut-Mont and there I found, I dare say, a climate unique in France, like an Air Cure". The course was planned and laid out by Cowington of Nice GC. The greens and the course are perfectly maintained and from the clubhouse one can enjoy a splendid panorama. The course, around 2,600 meters in length, is open during the season, which runs from 25 May to 25 September.”
The club did not survive the Great War. There were attempts to resurrect the club in the mid 1920s but they proved unsuccessful.
Martigny-les-Bains, The clubhouse and family group.
The clubhouse – La Maison du Golf.