Touraine · 1995 – 2005
The Loches-Verneuil golf course
A 17th-century manor, a farm left empty for 30 years, and the idea of creating a golf course there.
La Capitainerie
In 1995, I left Paris and show business for Touraine. I bought La Capitainerie, a 17th-century manor and its farm, empty for 30 years, near Loches, in the heart of Loire Valley château country.
From August 1995 to June 2005, I turned it into holiday cottages, guest rooms and a pool. I designed the buildings with the architect, coordinated the trades and managed the works.
Being one of the first to use the internet, I quickly won an international clientele… It was funny to find myself in this very French corner of the countryside, speaking English with Australians, Americans, Japanese… Living close to nature also gave me the serenity that the endless Paris rush denied me.
The golf project
Around the manor, I led the project for a 9-hole golf course, with the support of the town of Loches. With my company People Nature & Golf, set up in 1999 with a financial partner and a golf architect, we signed the contract to build the Loches-Verneuil course.
The course opened in 2005. It is still there: its clubhouse address is La Capitainerie.
The course
- Course9 holes, 2,462 m
- Grounds25 hectares, trees, streams and a pond
- ArchitectM. Van der Vynckt
- PatronClaude Brasseur
The first three holes are open; the course then tightens, with bunkers and hazards. Beginners can play it and go on to their first competitions. A driving range, a putting green and a golf school complete the site, in Verneuil-sur-Indre, 45 minutes south of Tours.
The Loches-Verneuil golf course is now run by its own team and sports association. To play, book a lesson or see the competition calendar:
The golf course websiteCourse photos and map: Loches-Verneuil golf course.
What the golf course taught me
Ten years of building work, red tape and rain taught me patience, negotiation and how to hold a course. Lessons I now pass on to leaders.