Golf de Chiberta is a terrific old school layout in the south of France, designed for a fortunate membership by traditionalist Tom Simpson in 1927. With hints of both links and heathland, the course occupies a mix of rugged duneland and manicured parkland, with the holes consistently British, fun and original across all sectors. Simpson’s pit-like bunkering, the rolling nature of his fairways and quirky green shapes have all been lovingly preserved by a grateful membership that would have had many opportunities to tone things down here over the years.

Chiberta gets off to a cracking start, the first a long two-shotter (named a par five) through a dune saddle and pine trees then down to a lovely green site. The 2nd is then a linksy hole that heads beyond a rise and across some minor ripples, the rest of the front nine unfolding in a wide clockwise loop with the back nine moving in the other direction and much more compact. But wait, there’s more