Who we are...

Why the name “Habitat & Golf”?

Building of a golf course in Europe is nowadays no longer possible without there being a real estate development plan.
Indeed, the costs of the land, of the administrative procedures, of the actual building of the golf course, the costs of the maintenance teams and their machines, of the club-house and the practice ranges cannot – unless in the company of a wealthy and enthusiastic individual – be financed without the participation of a property developer/development contractor.
Even when renting lands through emphyteutic or commercial leases, the overall costs remain invariably high.

It is therefore strongly advised that the developer contractor wishing to engage in a real estate development plan be extremely careful in assessing the impact on the land. A conception/realization team specialized in golf course developments AND an architect/urban planner should be involved as far upstream in the project conception as possible, so that the golf course is not relegated (as is often the case with swimming pools, tennis courts, etc.) at the end of the development program, “if there is enough space left”.
The goal is to define and harmoniously integrate the golf course and its various components (practice range, pitch-and-putt course, golf academy, club-house, maintenance hangars, etc.) within the real-estate program as its “green structure”.

The idea is not new. “The Woodlands”, in the outskirts of Houston (Texas, U.S.A), is a business/resort/residential park covering thousands of acres and counting seven golf courses as its “green structure”. I had the chance to study this development closely during a management training course with the Club Corporation of America: The Woodlands are today regarded as a remarkable and unique realization, one that has successfully managed to integrate an urban development program within green zones...

In Sophia Antipolis (Alpes Maritimes, France), a high-technology cluster located in Southern France, two 9-holes golf courses form green and quiet open spaces between tertiary businesses and residential developments. I have personally worked for many years with Symival (Syndicat Mixte de Valbonne) on these particular golf course developments.

The golf course and its fairways must constitute the “green skeleton” of the whole development program: this later eases the selling of plots, the real estate developments, and the establishment of companies.

This concept in which I strongly believe ultimately adds value to the notoriety and to the marketing of the project and in turn ensures its success.

Habitat & Golf offers its services and its experience to any development contractor/real estate developer so as to ensure the success of their real estate program.