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Sainte Barbe Golf Club, St. Jean-de-Luz. (1893 - 1930s)

The club was founded in 1893 at Sainte Barbe and called “le golf des anglais.” (golf of the English), the area was particularly popular with the Brits. The course was instigated by Colonel J P Lilburn and a group of his fellow golf enthusiasts. The nine-holes were laid out by Willie Dunn. The links were attached to the Golf Hotel Beau Rivage, which was built for Léon Fourneau.. The course extended over Ste Barbe hill, up to the cliffs of Erromardie, after the Tir au Pigeons (pigeon shoot). It was laid out on the top of the cliffs to take advantage of both sea and mountain views.

Early report on the course in January 1894.

Pall Mall Gazette Monday 15 January 1894. Image © Johnston Press plc. Image created courtesy of THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD.

A view of the Golf Hotel And St. Barbe point.

Pictures and report on the course from December 1904.

The Tatler Wednesday 14 December 1904. Image © THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Golf Club de Sainte-Barbe (John Llewellyn Collection).

A postcard dated 1905, written by a lady signed Madeleine. “Did you recognise this place? This is where we found the ball a Sir was looking for. The boy in front is a neighbour and the lady who keeps her stick up, a client”.

Following is the entry from the 1905 Nisbet’s Golf Yearbook ; St. Jean de Luz Golf Club; Instituted 1893; Situated half a mile from the town; Hon. Secretary and Captain – Reginald G Gallop, Villa Conchita, St. Jean de Luz; Entrance Fee, nil; Subs – 60 francs per annum, 30 frs per month, 2 frs per day; visitors may become members without introduction; Professional, Jean Baptiste; Course Records – Professional; Jean Baptiste, 32; Amateur; A J Oldham, 35; Fixtures – Spring meeting is held in March and is open to all subscribers from one month upwards.

The course is one of nine-holes and is situated principally upon high ground, overlooking the Bay of Biscay and the harbour of St Jean de Luz. The scenery surrounding the course is probably the finest in Europe. In every direction the views of the Pyrénées and of the mountains and coastline of Spain are superb.The course is almost entirely natural and the greens are good. The course is open from the 1 November to the 15 June.

Picture of the clubhouse. Image courtesy of J B Kazmierczak.

Full report below by Henry Leach that appeared in The Sketch Wednesday 5 March 1913 – “We have three courses to play on at St. Jean de Luz – three! There is the old course at St Barbe, which is a nine-hole affair, and has one hole – the third – called the “Chasm,” which is a very strong piece of golf, the drive is over a deep fissure in the rocks, with the sea running in below. St. Barbe is, I believe – the second oldest course (?) in France – Pau being the oldest- and there are some fears that it may not be in existence for many years now”. 

The Sketch Wednesday 5 March 1913.Image © Illustrated London News Group.

The Sainte Barbe club/course disappeared at the time of WW1.

The course re-opened in 1927 and continued into the 1930s. 

Below is an article that appeared in the La Cote Basque Illustrated Revue Sunday 24 July 1927. Translation by Marie Llewellyn.

Biarritz, St Jean de Luz and Hendaye possess rightly famous golf courses and our region is again enriched by the Golf de Ste-Barbe (Golf Hotel Links), whose inauguration took place last Saturday. It is a resurrection and this rebirth gives us back lost ground, increased, improved and embellished to the point of making it a new creation, and the most resounding success.

It therefore gives us pleasure in presenting to our readers Ste-Barbe Golf course.

The golf course is found on the rugged cliffs of Ste-Barbe, against which the ocean waves break. The view-points which one discovers are varied and magnificent. To the north the coast spreads out, allowing the Basque coast, the lighthouse at Biarritz, the bar of the River Adour and the beach at Capbreton to be seen. To the west, it’s Fontarabia, Cap Figuier and the Cantabrian coast. To the south, like a tiered amphitheatre, it’s Jaizquibel, then the Three Crowns, the majestic River Rhune, and the chain of the Pyrenees mountains. Whichever side one turns, the eye rests on splendid nature.

The Golf Hotel Links has a history, since it is partly traced on the old golf course of Ste-Barbe, which was one of the oldest on the continent. It was the third in date (1893) which was constructed in France. Around this golf course, the first English colony was established in St Jean de Luz. J P Lilburn was one of the first English attracted by the climate of the Basque coast. He bought the house Ducontenia, with its admirable park, and became one of the residents of the country. In 1892, with several friends, he founded a small society to construct a golf course. The idea was a success; the English society leased the necessary land, partly from the Basquaise society and partly from M Raphael Bernoville, with a contract expiring in 1908. In 1893, the society called upon Willie Dunn to design the course. The Golf club was a great success. In 1908, members of the society included names well known amongst English residents. We remember the first of them and regret the disappearance of some of them, in recollection of whom we address an emotional memory.

J-P Lilburn, president, M G Manfield, M Hudson Morris, M Sydney Morris, Colonel Ireland, Blackburn, Reginald Gallop and Frank Jacob were very active honorary secretaries. 

Along with the golf club, the town of St Jean de Luz knew unexpected popularity; villas were constructed in the Golf Hotel quarter, d’Aice Errota and even in Ste-Barbe. On the other hand, the value of land increased and Mme Bernoville declared she was unable to continue the lease on the terms agreed by her husband. She wanted to do so, but the sale price of land was so out of proportion with the norm for the time that those in favour of the lease did not succeed. Great difficulty was therefore foreseen in extending the lease and everyone deplored the loss of this beautiful course. M Manfield wrote; “I frankly admit that it would be most painful to me to see closed for ever one of the most picturesque and sporting golf courses I know of.” 

This state of affairs continued without a solution being provided, alarming the inhabitants and friends of St Jean de Luz, whose prosperity was closely linked with preserving the golf course. Without the game of golf, there would be few or no English people; without the English hotels, villas and apartments would inevitably close during the long winter months, and on the other hand, with deserted shops, business would cease for two thirds of the year. Rightly worried and upset by this critical situation, several businessmen met and nominated a committee in order to find the best way of avoiding the catastrophe. It is with gratitude that we remember here the names of those who were considered benefactors of the town; they are General Vincendon, the Count of Bourtis, Count O’Byrne, Doctor Baro, Mesdames Elissague, Drevon, Fourneau and Monin. 

The president was Doctor Baro, the distinguished and knowledgeable ophthalmologist to the Spanish Court. Doctor Baro, whose French origin explains his avowed passion for France, began the work energetically. Two solutions were envisaged; keep the Ste-Barbe golf club, extending it towards the Croix d’Archiloa along the edge of the sea; or else create another from scratch. Despite the most valiant efforts, it was necessary to give up the first project and the property at Olhabarieta was purchased in 1909 to construct the current golf course of La Nivelle. However, Colonel Lilburn could not see the Ste-Barbe golf course disappear easily, so he renewed hos approaches to Mme Bernoville and obtained an extension to the lease which terminated in 1917. The Great War broke out, which shook the world. The golf club at La Nivelle continued to function with great difficulty, and the Ste-Barbe course closed its doors in 1915, two years before the expiry of the lease, leaving everyone with sincere regrets. It had been in existence for 22 years. The late Frank Jacobs, honorary secretary of the golf club, informed the Maire of the closure of the club and the township responded as follows: 

M Secretary

I am honoured to acknowledge receipt of your letter of the 26 July 1915.

We deeply regret the closure of the Ste-Barbe golf club which, for 20 years has contributed to the prosperity of St Jean de Luz and thanks to which the good reputation of our seaside resort was able to spread and bring us new tourists.

We hope that one day or another, the Ste-Barbe golf club will be reborn and then you can, as in the past, count on the help and support of the town and the Council.

We thank you all, M Secretary and the members of Ste-Barbe golf club, for your kind actions, and we send our regards.

On behalf of the Maire

Rene Gibory 

After 12 years, the wish of the municipality was realised by the intelligent initiative of a friend and sincere admirer of the Baque country, Monsieur H S Savaglio de Montalbo, owner of the Golf Hotel.

The course was completely reworked by the famous professional, Sam Freemantle, to whom belongs the honour of giving the first lessons in golf to Mademoiselle Thion de la Chaume, to have brilliantly continued her sporting education, having made the lady champion of France. 

The course, a very rare thing, is entirely natural and the holes of a great variety of appearance. The mix of bunkers, hazards and other difficulties give each green its own character. One can play the course with a very low score if playing on top form, or a very high score if off your game. And one can count oneself lucky if Nemesis doesn’t draw us into one or other of the pitfalls.

The first arrivals of the season of 1927 have experienced a pleasant surprise in learning the news of a new golf course, and soon the beautiful fairways will be dotted with numerous players, judging by the success of the first days, even though the majority of visitors have not yet arrived.

The pictures below accompany the above report.

Mademoiselle Thion de la Chaume and the professional.

The following advert appeared in the Tatler on Wednesday 2 November 1927 – “St. Jean de Luz – Golf Hotel  - Splendid views of Sea and Mountains, own Golf Links at St Barbe”.

Location of the golf course in 1929. Image courtesy of BNF Gallica.

The following is from the 1933 Golfer’s Handbook; Golf Hotel Links of St. Barbe; Membership of 100; Secretary – Lt.-Col. W Maxwell Fenning, Villa Izar Azpia, St. Jean de Luz; Nine-holes; Professionals, D Walker and J W Walker; Course Records -  Professional; J W Walker, 28; Amateur; C E H Williams, 31; Station at St Jean de Luz was one mile; Visitors – 15 francs per day; Sunday play allowed with caddies.

Advert from the 1933 Golfer's Handbook.

The hotel was run by various families over the years, and was requisitioned by the Germans in October 1940.

In 1954 it was converted to apartments, known as the la Villa du Golf. The building still exists as the Résidence du Golf, at 72 Boulevard Thiers.