The Golf de Saint-Nom-la-Bretèche was born from the vision of one man. In 1954, a farm in a small hillside village, set between the plateau of the Marly forest and the plains of Versailles, came up for sale. Daniel Féau became its owner and set out to realise the project of a lifetime: to create a golf course. At the time, golf was still a little-known sport in France. In the courtyard, a putting green was laid out; below it, a chipping green replaced the old chicken coop. The former draught-horse stables became the caddie master’s office. Carefully re-pointed dressed stone restored elegance to the old farm buildings. The golf course was officially inaugurated in 1959.

To mark its 10th anniversary, the 1963 Canada Cup — the professional World Team Championship — was held at Saint-Nom-la-Bretèche. It was a bold gamble: France was still a small golfing nation. Yet the event proved pivotal in many ways. The crowds came in great numbers, making the future Trophée Lancôme conceivable. The course met the highest standards, and its maintenance saw a major leap forward, to the lasting benefit of its members — proud, and rightly so, to welcome the world’s best players. Saint-Nom also earned its place among the great names of golf in the eyes of both the public and professionals. It was here that Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus claimed the first of their four joint victories in this competition. The occasion was crowned by a prestigious gala dinner, gathering ambassadors from 32 nations and prominent figures including Richard Nixon, future President of the United States. The Canada Cup would later be renamed the World Cup in 1993.

Founded in 1926, the Trophée Gounouilhou is the premier men’s division of the French national inter-club golf championship. Each year, sixteen of the country’s top amateur clubs compete for the ultimate title on France’s finest courses. In the tournament’s roll of honour, Saint-Nom boasts 14 victories (1963, 1964, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1983, 2001, 2005, 2007, 2008, 2013, 2025) — the third-best record after RCF and Chantilly — including five consecutive wins (1967–1971), second only to RCF’s streak. Its women’s equivalent, the Trophée Golfer’s Club, is contested the preceding week under the same format. Saint-Nom holds 19 victories (1968, 1969, 1970, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1981, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1987, 1989, 1991, 1992, 1995, 2001, 2002, 2021) — ranking second after Saint-Cloud and level with RCF.

In 1965, Spain’s Ramón Sota triumphed, producing a feat with an albatross on the par-5 16th of the Blue Course. In 1969, French legend Jean Garaialde lifted the trophy. In 1982, the great Severiano Ballesteros claimed the second of his four French Open titles on the eighteen holes of Saint-Nom.

The most iconic chapter in Saint-Nom’s history remains the Trophée Lancôme and its thirty-four exceptional editions. From 1970 to 2003, the course hosted this jewel of the European Tour, a tournament that brought together the world’s golfing elite in France and played a defining role in cementing the club’s international reputation.

This match-play competition brought together two teams of ten players — one from Great Britain & Ireland, the other from Continental Europe — in a format similar to the Ryder Cup. The trophy was named in honour of Severiano Ballesteros, the most decorated Continental European golfer in history and a cornerstone of many European Ryder Cup victories. Saint-Nom-la-Bretèche’s composite course was selected for this prestigious event. A coincidence? Hardly. The choice came directly from Ballesteros himself, who held the record for the most victories in the Trophée Lancôme and had a deep fondness for the course. The 2009 and 2011 editions were won by Great Britain & Ireland, led by captain Paul McGinley and featuring a standout appearance by Rory McIlroy. In 2013, Continental Europe triumphed under the captaincy of José María Olazábal.

The Club celebrated its 60th anniversary in style, continuing to inspire and fulfil the dreams of its members.

In 2021, Saint-Nom-la-Bretèche captured the French Women’s Team Championship title, defeating Saint-Germain in the quarter-finals, RCF La Boulie in the semi-finals, and Toulouse in the final. Against all odds in a remarkable week, the team claimed its 19th crown in the event — and its first in 19 years — in France’s top women’s team division.

In partnership with Le Golf National, Saint-Nom-la-Bretèche hosted the Men’s and Women’s World Amateur Team Championships in 2022. This biennial international event, organised by the International Golf Federation, brought together 220 players from 56 nations in the women’s competition, and 284 players from 71 nations in the men’s event. Sweden won the women’s event, lifting the Espirito Santo Trophy, while Italy claimed the men’s Eisenhower Trophy.

The 94th edition of the Trophée Gounouilhou concluded with Saint-Nom defeating Chantilly to take the title. The club achieved a historic double by also winning the French Second Team Championship, beating RCF La Boulie in the final. The Club also won the French U16 boys championship title.

The year 2025 marks the fourth edition of the Open de France to be played on our fairways.