David Lanta, new director at La Bretesche golf course: “Filiation, training, ambition”.

In partnership with LeClub Golf, we are pleased to continue our portrait gallery of those who make golf in France. Golf Planète has already had the opportunity to introduce you to several golf managers whose career path – it is the case to say it! – highlights both the professionalism and the passion of each one and their daily life, which is often varied. After the couples, the women directors, the gifted youngsters or the hundred-year-old golf course wardens, here is the portrait of a new golf director who joins the 235 golf directors affiliated to Club Golf !

La Bretesche: a name that immediately evokes a castle and a golf course, a French-style resort and the elegance of a rare destination, a gourmet table and a comfortable place to relax. Nearly 30 years ago, Alain Bessé, a visionary entrepreneur, mad about nature and beauty, decided to promote this rural corner at the crossroads of the Loire Valley and Brittany. His daughter Anne Jousse took over and turned it into a place of French excellence with a very British golf course designed by Henry Cotton.

A new step today: David Lanta, a young man trained on site, qualified, professional and dynamic, takes over the management of the Domaine de la Bretesche at only 38 years old. A wind of youth is blowing through this golf destination, which is much appreciated by many loyal golfers, both French and foreign.

David confided to us that as assistant pro to Thierry Mathon, who retired two years ago after 41 years of loyal service, he chose as his primary objective the upgrading of the golf course. The inland course hidden in the middle of red willows, Cyris oaks, pines, oaks or yellow and red liquidambars will benefit from renovation and embellishment. It will then be necessary to maintain the excellence of the table, the reception, the spa and the accommodation.

Golf Planète met David Lanta when he took up his post. A fascinating interview full of promise.

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Combining my passions and challenges

Golf Planète : You have just taken over the management of the Golf de la Bretesche at 38 years old after a career that seemed to lead you directly to this position! Let’s start at the beginning: you have a double training in management and high level sportsman, don’t you?

David Lanta: Absolutely. I had the opportunity to take charge of the La Bretesche golf course also thanks to my training. After the departure of the former pro Thierry Mathon, I naturally managed the teaching at the academy. Before that, I had been a professional volleyball player for 10 years and had studied management at the same time.

At the beginning of my professional career, I arrived in golf with a precise idea: I absolutely wanted to coach and pass on the best tools to amateur players who wanted to progress. I admit that I have been lucky because I have always been able to condition my work choices according to my passions and the challenges to be taken up.

GP: Your training also includes, above all, a few years spent with Thierry Mathon, the emblematic pro from La Bretesche who stayed more than 40 years in this position. What do you remember about his years?

DL: First of all, I will remember our friendship. He was really benevolent. Above all, he was someone who loved people. He taught for 40 years and he always kept the same passion. He really loved his job and always had a pedagogy adapted to the player. In that respect, I think he was ahead of his time… We had this common vision: you don’t train a player, even if there are some basics of course. First of all, you have to listen; you have to understand the player’s mechanism, how he works, how he thinks, know his sensations, in order to create a relationship adapted to the way the other player works to have this relationship of trust. This is the driving force behind our passion.

Thierry saw right away how much I liked coaching. We exchanged a lot about our professional life experiences. And I liked to learn the “old style” of teaching while bringing my own new touch, for example by using technologies like the trackman. A really good mix!

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A 200-hectare wooded estate, a 15th-century castle and a Henry Cotton course

GP: To stay at the level of training, and we could have started there, your father Christian Lanta, is a monument of French rugby and has always been admired by his partners in the clubs where he has played or coached. What paternal heritage do you claim?

DL: Ha ha ha! I think that with my father, it’s in our blood! This taste for sport, for victory, for the game! A coach is a kind of guide: he leads you through this coach/trainee relationship to show you the way to succeed, to win. Looking at his career, I know that my father knew how to show me this exemplary nature without ever showing it off. And as I always wanted to surpass the Master… (Laughs). I always have this desire to win whatever the challenge. I think he gave me all the ingredients to do it. We exchange a lot. We like the game, the sport, the challenges.

GP: Coming back to La Bretesche, you come in as director with lots of development ideas to enhance this wonderful golf destination? What are your priorities?

DL: We have a truly exceptional course in a 200-hectare wooded estate with a 15th century castle. Today it deserves to be promoted, to be recognised at its true value. We are the only Relais et Château to have its own golf course on site.

The project is really to obtain this visibility within the golfing world and for that we want a quality course in the image of the 5 star castle relay.

We brought in Alejandro Reyes, the greenkeeper and agricultural engineer from the last Ryder Cup in Paris and the next one in Italy. He helped us to improve certain areas, such as the greens and tee boxes. The aim is to know how to surround yourself with people, to have a united team and for everyone to be involved in the project.

We are also working on communication: we want to listen to golfers, whether they are visiting golfers or our members. All news, events or competitions are now announced on our social networks (Facebook but also Instagram) or on our newsletter.

La Bretesche Golf Academy is also continuing to develop with different types of courses for beginners or advanced players with quality teaching. We have equipped ourselves with a trackman to offer the best and our grass driving range offers perfect playing conditions and quick access to the course.

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“It’s important to have that positive dynamic, to develop our ideas and put them in place”

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GP: Finally, what are the means and timetable available to you to carry out your mission ?

DL: The idea is to develop a project over 5 years in the first instance. We want to be a major player in golf in the region and at national level. La Bretesche is not far from Nantes and Vannes, and also close to Paris.
Now it is necessary to put into action every year some new things and to go always forward! It is important to have this positive dynamic, to develop our ideas and to put them in place. I invite every golfer to come and see us to discover this unique and rare place, a combination of French luxury and sporting challenge in an incredible natural environment.

Discover the golf course : here