The other side of French golf

As many of you may know, I love to golf.  After coming home from church, because it was so beautiful, I decided to go out for 18 holes if I could find a course.  Golf d' Albi, where I have played was booked, so we went to the next nearest golf course, Golf de Florentin Galliac.  It was about 27 kilometers away in distance and about 300km in quality.  In fairness, it is mid November, so I didn't expect pristine conditions, but these were down right bad! 
The first tee was a mud box.  No grass.  Not a blade on the tee.  I teed up and hit a beauty right down the middle of what I guessed was a fairway, and couldn't find the ball.  Grass and leaves had taken over the fairway.  When I hit my approach on the green, I started to notice little clumps of mud everywhere, aand sure enough found quite a few on the green as well.
There was no sand in the the sand traps, none, not one grain.  I mean you'd expect an accidentally blown piece of sand to be in there, but no.  I actually "putted" with my 7 iron to get out of the traps near the green.  But starangely enough, I'd get out and be pretty close to the hole each time.  After John and I played, I had a total of 40 on the front 9!  Maybe I always need crumby conditions.  Once again, like in Ireland, I drove the ball well.  Unlike Ireland, there was no scenic view for the most part, just sides of hills.  John and I noticed that we were always climbing to the next tee box, after every hole.  It was strange.
The back nine had 3 par 5s.  That's plenty.  There was water everywhere from various small ponds and ditches ( not streams mind you, ditches).  But I only hit one near the water, none in!  On the back nine. which had a par of 37, I had a 42!  The greens were slow and had all kinds of barriers to the hole, but I putted very well, and even had a chip in for a par on one hole! 
My buddy John, the fearless leader, hadn't played in 4 years but did okay.  With a little practice, he could be pretty good.  I hope this is not my last time out this fall, but with the weather changing this week, it looks bleak for me and golf.