Rating: 4 out of 5.

Rating 4/5

Review of Terre Blanche Golf ‘Le Riou’

Terre Blanche is a luxury golf resort situated amongst the lavender covered hills in Provence, southern France. Barely 45 minutes’ drive from the chic sunny beaches of Cannes, the two world-class golf courses at Terre Blanche are so highly regarded, both are considered in France’s top 50 golf courses.

The landscape is spectacular, with stunning views over the local mountain-side and the village of Pays de Fayence. The 300 acre estate is something to savour, the Riou course benefitting from some of the most spectacular views the site has to offer.

Le Riou golf course is reserved solely for the use of the members and the hotel guests, although the likelihood is if you’re going to go to Terre Blanche, you may as well spend a couple of nights there and get out on both courses.

With numerous slopes, dog-legs and sudden elevation changes, the Riou is technically challenging and encourages golfers to pick their way round the course with strategy at the forefront of their mind. This isn’t the course for “pick up the driver and see what happens…”

The first hole, a dog-leg left, is superb, with a downhill drive demanding accuracy as a large tree could easily block your approach shot. The 4th hole is a long, narrow par 5 with a green well-protected by bunkers; no surprise it is considered the hardest hole.  

Although the Riou course is considered the second-best course onsite with ‘Le Château’ rated higher by numerous golf panels and course experts, you can by no means overlook this gem. Sadly it seems to be the curse of many a good golf course with a more illustrious sibling to be overlooked; think Les Longères at Golf de Chantilly, Les Vignes at Golf du Médoc and Hardelot Les Dunes at Golf d’Hardelot amongst others.

All-in-all though, Le Riou is a top class golf course. The condition of the facilities here is second-to-none and regardless of whether you play Le Riou or its sister course Le Chateau, you are in for an absolute treat. 

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