Golf is a sport best played in natural surroundings and a round at Gouverneur often involves seeing duck taking flight, herons fishing on the banks of the ancient lakes, swans, storks and coots. Different kinds of birdies but just as enjoyable as the golfing ones!

The two main courses and nine-holer provide different challenges and level of difficulty. The nine-holer is fun and great for after a Beaujolais-fuelled lunch. Montaplan is an open and pleasant test and Le Breuil is longer and features several lake-holes. Le Breuil is quite a formidable course; long and flat, it encourages aggressive play but you've got to hit good shots to overcome the lakes and copses galore. The greens are generous though, so don't give up! And if you're in need of tuition, the ex-European Tour player, Corinne Soules has a fine golf academy spread over three hectares of the estate.