Najeti Aa Saint-Omer Golf Club - Le Val Course
Le Val is Aa Saint-Omer's showpiece, a stunning par-73 layout that will provide a stern challenge for even the most skilled player. Measuring 6,218 yards, Le Val is threaded beautifully through the woodland of the undulating landscape and is renowned regionally and nationally for its immaculate condition. As a regular stop on the European Challenge Tour and previous host to the French PGA Championship, Saint-Omer is a prestigious venue and a certain highlight of any golf holiday in France's Northern area.
What makes Le Val stand out is the terrain. It's hilly in places, and that's where the course really starts asking questions. You'll hit a lot of shots where the number on the card isn't the full story, so it pays to factor in elevation and commit to your club choice. Off the tee, accuracy matters more than sheer power, with woodland framing plenty of holes and angles into the greens rewarded over brute force.
The routing takes you across both sides of the valley, which means you're constantly adjusting for slope, wind exposure and the way the ball reacts on firm, fast-running fairways. When the course is running, you can use the contours to your advantage, but get your line wrong and you'll find yourself in awkward spots with trees blocking your approach. The greens are generally one of the highlights, quick and true when they're not undergoing seasonal work, and they demand a confident stroke on the faster downhill putts.
If you're a mid-to-low handicapper, Le Val will give you everything you want from a championship test without feeling unfair. There's strategy off the tee, variety in the approach shots and enough elevation change to keep you thinking all the way round. For higher handicappers, it's playable if you keep the ball in the short grass, but don't expect to post your best score if you're spraying it about.
The course demands smart club selection, particularly on the hilly terrain where elevation changes can catch you out. Needless to say, it's the kind of layout that rewards a second or third visit, once you've figured out the lines and learned where to miss.
"This is a lovely golf course. It is very hilly, but that makes it interesting with your club selection. The greens had just been hollow tined when we played it, but you could tell if they hadn't been, they would have been pure as." Mark Crossfield, PGA Professional
Course Information
| Par |
73 |
| Designed by |
Joan Frederik Dudok van Heel, Bruno Steensels |
| Opened for play |
1989 |
Tees
| White |
6,218 yards |
SSS 73.6 |
| Yellow |
5,960 yards |
SSS 72.3 |
| Red |
5,065 yards |
SSS 67.9 |
Najeti Aa Saint-Omer Golf Club - La Haute Drève
La Haute Drève is the nine-hole academy course at Saint-Omer and it's ideal if you're building confidence or you've got a mixed group where not everyone wants 18 holes of punishment. It's a parkland layout with a more forgiving feel than Le Val, but it still gives you that "proper course" experience rather than a pitch-and-putt.
Expect tree-lined holes, a few shaping requirements from the tee and enough variation to keep it interesting for repeat loops. If you're arriving off the ferry or Eurotunnel, it's a handy way to loosen the shoulders before you tackle the championship course the next morning. It also works well as a late-afternoon bonus round if your group has different energy levels or you fancy squeezing in an extra nine before dinner in town.
For higher handicappers, the big win here is that you can keep the ball in play and enjoy the setting without spending the day hunting in the rough. The fairways are generous enough to reward a decent strike, and the greens are receptive without being overly tricky to read. For better players, it's a decent test of scoring, wedge play and course management, especially if you set yourselves little challenges for a second loop or use it as a short-game tune-up.
If you're travelling as a society, La Haute Drève is a great place for a quick team scramble or nearest-the-pin comp before dinner. It keeps the pace light, the mood social and gives everyone a chance to contribute without the pressure of a full championship round. Right, it's not going to make anyone's bucket list, but as a supporting act to Le Val it does exactly what you need it to do.
