Chailly-sur-Armançon is a small village located in the heart of France’s historic region of Burgundy. While Burgundy itself was settled millennia ago, the first cultural group to establish the area as a distinct political entity were the Burgundians—a Scandinavian people who originally hailed from an island in the Baltic Sea known as “Bornholm.” Migrating down the Vistula River during the 1st century B.C., they eventually created a Roman client state known as the “Kingdom of Burgundy” in much of what currently constitutes the region today. Nevertheless, the Kingdom of Burgundy increasingly became more independent as the power of Rome waned throughout the latter half of the 5th century A.D. But in 534, the Franks—ancestors of the French—conquered the realm upon deposing the last Burgundian monarch, Godomar. Burgundy then spent the next several centuries as part of the historic Frankish Empire, ruled as a large fiefdom for the various members of the Merovingian dynasty. For a time, the Franks allowed for the area to retain its earlier identity as the “Kingdom of Burgundy,” although it remained subservient to the main Merovingian branch. In the 9th century, the Kingdom of Burgundy was divided into several smaller domains—the Kingdom of Upper Burgundy located around Lake Geneva; the Kingdom of Lower Burgundy in southern France; and the Duchy of Burgundy, which constituted most of modern Burgundy. While the two kingdoms of Upper and Lower Burgundy were later reunited as the Kingdom of Arles, the Duchy of Burgundy was annexed by the French in 1004.

The Duchy of Burgundy emerged as the most important locale within France throughout most of the Middle Ages, with its rulers wielding significant influence that periodically challenged the French kings. Indeed, the Dukes of Burgundy gradually enlarged their domain and received great support from their vassals. The major cities in Burgundy prospered, too, specifically Dijon—the regional capital. The region even became the home for renowned monasteries, such as the ones centered in Cluny, Cîteaux, and Vézelay. Then, in 1361, France obtained a portion of the erstwhile Kingdom of Upper Burgundy situated just across the Swiss Alps. Called the “Free County of Burgundy,” the area quickly facilitated close ties with the duchy. (This area still exists as the province of Franche Comté.) The region reached the height of its power during the Hundred Years’ War, when King John II assigned the duchy to his youngest son, Philip the Bold. Under Philip’s rule, the County and Duchy were combined into one polity via a personal union in 1369. When Philip’s father-in-law, the Count of Flanders, died not long thereafter, the Duchy of Burgundy wound up controlling lands as far north as present-day Belgium and Luxembourg. With military strength that now evenly matched France’s, Philip and his descendants confronted their French rivals frequently during the latter stages of the Hundred Years’ War as an ally of England. It also had the power to occasionally fight its other neighbors as well.

Burgundy eventually drifted into decline following the death of Philip’s great-grandson, Charles the Bold, during the Battle of Nancy in 1477. His heir, Mary the Rich, married Maximilian of Austria, which absorbed most of the Burgundian lands into the Holy Roman Empire. Meanwhile, France was able to annex the Duchy of Burgundy for the last time and placed it firmly back under its authority. (Franche Comté would later rejoin France during the 1600s.) The following centuries saw the territory of the former duchy turned into a battleground amid the destructive Wars of Religion and the Thirty Years’ War. Fortunately, prosperity returned in the late 16th century, which endured for many generations after. Burgundy has since continued to be one of France’s most culturally celebrated regions. Indeed, the area is celebrated for its red and white wines, specifically pinot noir and chardonnay. The area around Chailly-sur-Armançon in particular is home to countless wineries that have gained international recognition. (A large section of the vineyards outside of Dijon have also recently been designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site known as “The Climats.”) Burgundy is also a fantastic place to visit on vacation, as it is home to many fascinating historical landmarks and cultural attractions. In fact, two are identified as UNESCO World Heritage Sites—the Abbaye de Fotenay and the Abbaye Sainte-Marie-Madeleine de Vézelay.

Thierry Sprecher and Gery Watine: The two individuals responsible for creating the magnificent course at the Hôtel Golf Château de Chailly were Thierry Sprecher and Gery Watine. Thierry Sprecher was already an established golf course architect by the time he began working for the Hôtel Golf Château de Chailly. A graduate of the L'École Nationale Supérieure d'Horticulture, Sprecher initially became fascinated with golf course architecture following a trip to St Andrews in Scotland. Amazed by the integration of the natural landscape into the Old Course’s format, Sprecher was subsequently inspired to travel the world and observe other courses. He eventually arrived in the United States, where he started to construct courses alongside his friend, Ted Muller. Upon working with Muller for several years, Sprecher then decided to open his own architectural landscaping firm in 1981. He quickly developed a respected international reputation as a masterful golf course architect, due to his unrivaled ability to incorporate a wide array of geographical features into his designs. In fact, Sprecher would gradually create over 50 courses in 16 different countries, including France, Morocco, and Equatorial Guinea. In some cases, Sprecher teamed together with other accomplished golfing experts to develop a course. Indeed, Sprecher’s work for the Hôtel Golf Château de Chailly involved the input of Gery Watine, a French Moroccan professional golfer who had consistently ranked among the best golfers on the European Tour during the 1980s. (Watine had also helped design around a dozen other courses, too.) Both men would ultimately build a terrific 18-hole golf course at the Hôtel Golf Château de Chailly in 1990, which would blend in seamlessly with the surrounding Burgundian countryside.