This determination to establish an 18-hole golf course in Arcachon led to its creation on the grounds of the Société Immobilière de la Côte d’Argent (SICA) in the municipality of La Teste. The course was designed by Cecil Blandford, a renowned architect responsible for numerous golf courses across Europe, North America, and other golfing destinations like Marrakech. It was executed under the supervision of Pierre Hirigoyen, a prominent golf instructor in Biarritz. On April 11, 1955, the foundation stone for the Golf International d’Arcachon clubhouse was laid. However, it wasn’t open to the public until 1960.
The City of Arcachon entrusted the management of the “Golf International d’Arcachon” to a non-profit sports association with a disinterested management approach (as per the 1901 law). The association’s statutes were filed with the Bordeaux Prefecture in 1956.
In the book “Louis Gaume, an Exceptional Entrepreneur,” Jacques, his son, reflecting on the lengthy process of establishing the Arcachon golf course in the early 1980s, remarked, “If I were to paraphrase Winston Churchill, I would say: it was long, it was difficult, but we never, ever stopped,” freely translating Churchill’s famous quote, “Never, never, never give up!”
The Arcachon golf course is one of the most beautiful in the world, thanks to its sandy soil and natural obstacles.
