Barbaroux Golf Club

Barbaroux — Pete Dye’s singular French statement of target golf, water and Provençal terrain

The course spans over eighty hectares near Brignoles, set amidst vineyards, wooded hills, Mediterranean pines, and water features. The terrain is physically demanding, particularly on the front nine.

Barbaroux opened in 1989, designed by Pete Dye and his son P. B. Dye. It stands as the Dyes' first and foremost creation in France. The project introduced a spectacular American architectural style to the Var region, featuring significant earthworks and a succession of highly diverse styles.

Barbaroux combines target golf holes protected by water, bunkers with the Dyes' signature shapes, semi-blind shots, and very long greens. The design is deliberately provocative: each hole presents a distinct visual and technical challenge.

The elevation changes, lakes, and elongated greens make the course more challenging than a simple read of the scorecard suggests. Some putting surfaces require an entire club difference between the front and back.

The site operates as a resort, complete with a hotel, spa, restaurant, and golf course. The experience is Mediterranean but strongly imbued with the American architectural identity of the Dyes.

The Round selects it because it is unlike any other French course: controversial, inventive, and immediately identifiable.

Opened in 1989; designed by Pete Dye and P. B. Dye; Dyes' first creation in France; over 6,000-meter course on a highly undulating terrain.