With its purchase of Golf du Medoc, in the famous wine region, Cabot is expanding its footprint in continental Europe.
Courtesy Cabot Collection
There is nothing like a beautiful Bordeaux, rich in character, with a unique sense of place.
The Cabot Collection recently added one to its portfolio.
On Monday, the developer behind golf properties in Canada, the Caribbean, Scotland and beyond announced that it has acquired the Golf du Medoc Resort, a luxury resort (and former French Open host) in France’s iconic Bordeaux region. With the purchase, Cabot’s first property in continental Europe, the resort’s name has changed to Cabot Bordeaux.
“When you say ‘Bordeaux,’ everyone knows immediately, but most people probably haven’t had the opportunity to visit,” said Ben Cowan-Dewar, CEO and founder of Cabot. “We hope to help shed light on an area that has an incredible story to tell.”
Nestled in a rolling, vineyard-covered area, a two-hour high-speed train ride from Paris, Cabot Bordeaux features two 18-hole modern vineyard courses: Chateaux and Vignes. The first, which opened in 1989, was designed by Bill Coore. The latter, completed in 1991, was designed by Canadian architect Rod Whitman, making Cabot Bordeaux one of only two buildings in the world where two respected architects have side-by-side projects. Another prime Cabot destination is Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, home to Cabot Links (Whitman) and Cabot Cliffs (Coore/Crenshaw).
Courtesy of Cabot Bordeaux
“Knowing Rod and Bill as I have for many years, I was aware of their work in Bordeaux,” said Cowan-Dewar. “But to visit this region, to see its beauty and its food and wine, and to see the lessons for myself, this opportunity was very sad, almost like the end. I felt we had no choice but to buy [the resort].”
Bordeaux, known for a long time as the gastronomic capital, has experienced a tourism development in recent years, as travelers wake up to the wide range of attractions of the area full of historical monuments, museums and castles, close to Paris and about an hour from the coast. And it doesn’t hurt that Bordeaux’s specialty wineries are becoming increasingly popular with tourists.
Still, the region has never been a bright spot on many golfers’ radars. The same could be said of France itself, a country that early 20th century golf architects saw as a promising frontier, until World War I got in the way.
Both courses at Cabot Bordeaux tip their caps to a bygone era of design, albeit in different ways. Where open Chateaux meets English heathland courses, Cowan-Dewar said, Vignes, which runs through a heavily wooded area, owes a clear debt to Tom Simpson’s work of the Golden Age at Morfontaine, outside Paris, which is a classic course on the continent. In Europe.
In addition to its courses, Cabot Bordeaux has two driving ranges, a training center and a 79-room hotel, which will be renovated, Cowan-Dewar said, “to feel like a big Bordeaux festival.” As for golf, there are no dramatic changes to the existing facilities, although Cowan-Dewar said the driving ranges may one day be combined into a short course. In the Chateaux and Vignes courses, drainage and irrigation will be improved to promote strong and fast conditions. But any other tweaks, Cowan-Dewar said, will focus on “polishing” the original design elements.
“If I didn’t like Bill and Rod’s work, I wouldn’t have hired them to build the first course in Cape Breton,” said Cowan-Dewar.
The Bordeaux announcement follows a series of major moves by Cabot, whose rapidly expanding footprint has expanded beyond Cape Breton to include Cabot Saint Lucia, in the Caribbean; Cabot Citrus Farms, Florida; the Cabot Highlands, Scotland; and Cabot Revelstoke, British Columbia.
Cabot Chateaux is a year-round resort, and the courses and hotel will remain open to guests throughout the ownership change, with renovations taking place in phases. For more information, visit thecabotcollection.com and cabotbordeaux.com.
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