Evian Resort Golf Club is one of Europe’s most recognisable championship venues, home of the Amundi Evian Championship and a demanding, scenic test above Lake Geneva.
Set on the slopes above Evian‑les‑Bains in the French Alps, the course combines panoramic views, resort‑level conditioning and a layout that continues to be refined to test the world’s best while remaining playable – albeit challenging – for resort guests.
The Evian was originally a nine-holer when first opened more than a century ago in 1904, but became an 18-hole test when extended in 1988.
Recent renovations and subtle tweaks for the LPGA major have sharpened the course once more, adding new angles, bunkering and green contours that everyday golfers now encounter on their own trips to Evian.
The Evian Resort Golf Club includes a five-star haven with two hotels, a casino and an array of restaurants and spas accompanying the golf course, where water is a theme throughout – as you might expect given the bottled water of the same name.
Evian Resort Course Overview & Layout
Evian Resort Golf Club’s main 18‑hole layout is the Champions Course, the tournament venue for the Amundi Evian Championship, supported by a shorter 6‑hole Lake Course used for academy play and quick loops.
The Champions Course is a par‑71, built on the side of the mountain above Lake Geneva, with fairways that tip and roll across the hillside and greens that sit on carefully benched terraces.
Following a major redesign that was unveiled for the Evian Championship in 2013/2014 and a subsequent $8 million re‑work finished in 2018, architect Steve Smyers and European Golf Design lengthened the course, softened some of the most extreme lies and enlarged several greens.
The goal was to create a stricter test of driving and approach play, with gentler landing zones but more complex green complexes and surround areas.
The layout is long, very hilly and often tight, especially over the opening half where holes run through tree‑lined corridors and along slopes that can kick balls toward thick rough.
Elevation changes are a constant theme – tees look out over Lake Geneva, fairways run up and down the hillside and approaches often play to raised greens or over ravines.
The quartet of holes are known as the Evian Puzzle and provide a stunning finish to the round. The 16th features three ponds and the 18th a 442-yard dogleg when water awaits an errant approach.
The fifth is now played over water as a par-three having previously been a par-four, while the 13th is now a par-five test. It’s an impressive layout and one to add to the list if you’re golfing in France.
The Lake Course offers a shorter, six‑hole loop near the academy, ideal for beginners, families and golfers looking for a quick practice round with views down toward the water.
Playing Conditions & Difficulty
If you’re heading to Evian expecting a gentle resort track, be prepared as this is a very hard course with very fast greens and thick rough.
For handicap golfers, Evian is a place where par can feel like a bonus and double bogeys appear quickly if you take on too much. It rewards controlled driving, conservative lines and a confident putting stroke on fast surfaces.
The Champions Course is built on the side of a mountain, and that character is still very much in evidence. Many fairways run along slopes, creating sidehill lies where ball position in the stance becomes critical.
The rough is routinely set up thick and punishing, even outside major week, and the combination of narrow corridors, thick rough and tree lines means that taking your medicine and chopping out is often the correct choice when you miss the fairway.
The greens at Evian are known for being brutally tricky, with fast surfaces and tricked‑up surrounding areas that test short‑game craft.
Many complexes feature run‑offs, shaved banks and smartly placed bunkers, so missing in the wrong spot leads to delicate chips from tight lies.
Evian Resort Golf Club Opening Times
The course typically opens, weather‑dependent, from February through November, and conditions can vary significantly between early spring and mid‑summer peak.
The site has historically struggled with drainage, and on wet days you should expect mud‑balls and consider preferred lies.
Evian Resort Facilities
Evian works particularly well for couples and smaller groups seeking championship golf combined with full resort comforts – lake views, spa days, fine dining and a compact town centre within easy reach.
As part of the broader Evian Resort, the golf club slots into a high‑end lakeside offering that includes luxury hotels, spa facilities and a dedicated performance‑focused academy.
The Évian Resort brand integrates the golf club with hotels such as Hotel Royal and Hotel Ermitage, giving guests access to both championship golf and refined lakeside living.
The course is not literally adjacent to the main five‑star hotel buildings, but the shuttle and transport links between property elements are well‑organised.
Academy du Golf
A dedicated academy site in nearby Publier offers practice facilities, coaching and short‑course options.
The club has launched and expanded performance programmes, including junior and elite development schemes, and runs events like the Amundi Evian Juniors Cup and Kids Cup to feed into the major championship’s global presence.