Tour pros give Legend changes a massive thumbs-up

The much-publicised modifications to the Legend course at Constance Belle Mare Plage have received a glowing endorsement from PGA European Senior Tour professionals.
Among those who have praised the changes is European Tour winner Roger Chapman, from England, who said that the course is in the best condition it has ever been.

Frenchman Marc Farry was responsible for orchestrating the changes and Chapman said:
“Marc has done a fantastic job. Many of the changes have been so subtle that they are hardly noticeable and they have not affected the character of the course. Yet they have improved the course both from a visual and playing perspective.”
Chapman explained that over the years, some of the trees and bushes around the margins of the fairways had encroached onto the course.
“They have done a lot of tidying up and clearance work to redefine the holes,” he said.
“For instance, the left-had side of the fifth hole doesn’t look so narrow and the 14th tee is much better. It is now possible to see over the brow of the hill.”
Chapman believes that the course is now at its best and no more major changes are needed. “If they can keep the course in the condition it is now,” he said, “they will have an excellent facility for many years to come.”

South African David Frost, one of the favourites for the first-ever MCB Open title, is making his Senior Tour debut in the event and he, too, had only words of praise for the condition of the course.
After his first look around the Legend, Frosty said:
“I am glad to have got a round under my belt because it is my first time around the Legend and it has certainly helped.
“I really liked the course. It is in great condition and I particularly liked the greens.”

But what about the man who designed the course over 15 years ago?

Hugh Baiocchi, winner of seven European Tour titles and 11 on the South African Tour, is making a nostalgic return to the Legend, eight years after his last visit.
“I am delighted with the course,” he said after shooting a three-under-par 69 in the first round of Constance Hotels Pro-Am. “It is in excellent condition and I am pleased with the way it has matured. Marc Farry and his team have done a great job.
“What is particularly gratifying for me is that there are so many people who have said that they love the course and that they love the resort.”
The improvements at Constance Hotels Experience have not, however, been restricted to the golf course, as Roger Chapman pointed out:
“My wife, Cathy, and I have stayed at Constance Le Prince Maurice four or five times now and the hotel is better than ever,” he says. “It’s the little touches here and there that make all the difference, and I can honestly say that this is the best hotel I have ever stayed in.”

Neil webber