Hippodrome Golf Club

Divonne-les-Bains sits at the foot of the Jura mountains in the Ain department, just a few kilometers from the Swiss border and Lake Geneva. The town is one of France's grand old spa resorts, built around thermal baths and a casino, and the golf course here carries that same Belle Époque character — it occupies the former hippodrome, the horse-racing track that gave it its name. That heritage shapes the layout: the land is relatively flat and open by French standards, quite different from the wooded parkland courses you find deeper into the Ain countryside.

The course sits within the wider Domaine de Divonne resort complex, making it a natural stop for visitors drawn to the spa, the casino, or the easy access to Geneva just across the border. It attracts a notably international crowd — Geneva's expat and finance community has long made this corner of France a weekend destination.

For golfers, the setting delivers something genuinely appealing: sweeping views toward the Alps and the Jura ridge, clean mountain air, and a layout that plays more accessibly than the dramatic scenery might suggest. It rewards precision over power — a thoughtful round rather than a heroic one.