Golf de Bonmont

Few Swiss courses carry the architectural pedigree of Bonmont. Laid out across the grounds of a 12th-century Cistercian abbey near the village of Chéserex, the course was designed by Donald Steel, one of Britain's most respected golf architects, and opened in 1983. The abbey itself — a remarkably intact piece of medieval heritage — forms an extraordinary backdrop, and the clubhouse occupies part of the historic monastic buildings. That combination of centuries-old stonework and rolling fairways gives Bonmont a gravity that purely purpose-built golf destinations rarely achieve.

The terrain sits in the canton of Vaud, on the gentle slopes above Lake Geneva, with the Jura hills rising to the north and the Alps visible to the south on clear days. Steel worked with a landscape of mature parkland, moderate elevation changes, and natural water features to create a course that demands accuracy rather than raw power. It rewards players who manage the course intelligently rather than those simply swinging hard.

Bonmont has established itself among the most distinguished private clubs in French-speaking Switzerland, regularly cited in European course rankings. Members play in genuinely exceptional surroundings — the sense that you are a guest within a living historical site never quite leaves you, and that is precisely what sets this place apart from the broader Swiss golf scene.