Here we take a look at some of the best golf resorts in France, a country renowned for its fantastic gastronomy and landscape. Yet it is also a country jam-packed with top class golf resorts, making it a really decent alternative to a golf in the U.K. or Spain for example.
Introduction to golf holidays in France
There are two types of golf holiday; a golf tour or a golf resort. I’ve made no secret of the fact in my France golf tours article, I love a golf tour, travelling out each day on a journey to discover a new golf course and being based in a town centre for the evening’s entertainment. It is a great way to explore a country and experience new golf courses. But on the flip side, there can be a lot of driving and it will inevitably cost more than staying at a resort for example.
The golf resort on the other hand is self-contained and has everything onsite you could need. Famous golf resorts include places like the Belfry, Turnberry, La Manga in Spain – all places with multiple golf courses onsite meaning you really don’t need to leave the resort.
They will have restaurants, bars and in most cases facilities which can be enjoyed post-golf. And what makes these resorts all the more attractive, is the package price they can offer, so one price including the golf, the dinners, breakfast, accommodation and maybe even a spa treatment or free drinks. There is a lot that goes in favour of choosing a resort over a golf tour.
For the purpose of this article, I’ve literally drawn an imaginary line through the middle of France, allowing me to structure this by golf resorts in the south of France and golf resorts in the north or France! With that in mind, let’s explore some of the best golf resorts in France.
The best golf resorts in South of France
Stretching from the Atlantic coast in south west of France across to the Mediterranean coastline reaching the Italian border, the south of France is home to a truly stunning landscape. Renowned for its vineyards, long sandy beaches and rugged hills filled with purple lavender, there are few places I would prefer to be.
Golf Hotel du Médoc
For our first golf resort we start close to Bordeaux, 25 minutes to be exact, with the sensational 4 star Golf Hotel du Médoc, a place which couldn’t be more rooted in the heart of wine country. There are miles upon miles of vineyards surrounding the property making this a wine lover’s perfect resort.
The resort has an outstanding restaurant with a large bar area and terrace overlooking the golf. It has two golf courses onsite, ‘Les Chateaux’ and ‘Les Vignes’, both of which are fantastic courses and two of the better ranked in France. Le Chateau is widely regarded as the better of the two courses and has in the past hosted the French Open. Heathland in style, it is a truly fantastic course to play.
This is one of my personal favourite golf resorts in France having stayed here on numerous occasions.
Château des Vigiers
Another golf resort where wine and golf literally go hand in hand, is the luxury Chateau des Vigiers, a resort which consists of a magnificent 16th century chateau as well as a number of modern and sleek rooms overlooking the golf.
What is there not to like here? 27 holes of Donald Steel designed golf which run through ancient oaks and plum trees; a Michelin starred restaurant; a heated outdoor pool, spa facilities; a more informal bistro located in the old wine making building and best of all, it is a working wine producer with white, red and rosé all made onsite and served in both the bistro and restaurant.
This really is a sensational resort which is an hour’s drive from Bordeaux and just 25 minutes from Bergerac. Keep an eye out for their packages which offer a range of different options from half-board, unlimited golf, spa treatments and more.
Terre Blanche Golf Resort and Spa
Moving west to east in the direction of Cannes and nestled amongst the Provencal hills, is the uber-luxury Terre Blanche golf resort. This is one of Europe’s top golf resorts, both in terms of the luxury 5 star aspect, but also the fact its two golf courses are absolutely top class.
Le Riou and Le Château are simply superb courses in immaculate condition which use the natural contours of the undulating landscape to perfection. The training facilities are again state-of-the-art with the latest technology used in its teaching methods.
Everything about this resort oozes class and opulence. The spa is one of the best in Europe, the facilities are second-to-none, the dining options are immense. That said, expect the package prices to reflect this step up in class.
Le Frégate Provence
The last of the golf resorts I want to highlight in the south of France is the beautiful Le Frégate Provence, a 4 star resort perched on the Mediterranean coastline just 5 minutes’ drive from the lovely town of Bandol.
Bandol itself is famous for the quality of its Rosé wine, my personal favourite no less, and this resort has literally been positioned right in the heart of those vineyards. The setting is truly unique and there are fewer more attractive places along this coastline.
The golf course is great, not to the same standard as those at Terre Blanche or Golf du Médoc, but it is a great course none-the-less with fantastic views and elevation changes.
The restaurant is award winning and there are numerous spa facilities to enjoy. Something else I love about Le Frégate is despite its luxury element, it is quite informal.
The best golf resorts in Northern France
In this section, we’re going to work our way down from the most northerly region Pas-de-Calais, through Normandy to then finish an hour south of Paris at one of the most exclusive golf resorts in France.
Aa Saint-Omer Hotel du Golf
Just a 30 minutes drive from Calais and the Eurotunnel exit is the first northern resort I want to highlight, the 3-star Aa Saint-Omer Hotel du Golf. The hotel was opened in 2008 to complement the already well-renowned golf course onsite, which has on many occasions hosted European Challenge Tour events.
The central part of the hotel includes a large bar and restaurant, which overlooks the golf course. There are facilities onsite, but truth be told they are a little basic, hence the 3 star rating and not 4 stars.
The resort is fine, modern comfy rooms, good restaurant and golf course, but I wouldn’t stay here for more than 2 nights as on a personal level I think it would be a bit too quiet.
Le Touquet Golf Resort
The name ‘Le Touquet Golf’ is recognised by many people primarily due to the outstanding Harry Colt designed La Mer course, host of previous French Opens and ranked as one of Europe’s top golf courses. But there is a lot more to enjoy than just that one course.
La Foret is the second course onsite and is thoroughly enjoyable whilst in 2016, the rather dated and decrepit Le Touquet clubhouse benefited from significant investment and is now a modern architectural feat, with a large sociable bar and restaurant area, smart changing rooms and large pro-shop.
Indeed that investment wasn’t limited to the clubhouse with the famous La Mer course also being restyled to better reflect the original Harry Colt design. This was no small project with the resurrection of four ‘lost’ golf holes damaged during the world war and essentially removed in subsequent development. This is quite frankly, a fantastic course getting better and better.
Last but not least, the Le Manoir Hotel which is located just over the road. Incredibly popular with golfers, it has also been extensively renovated in recent years to present a more contemporary design. There is an outdoor pool, cosy bar and a very quaint restaurant. This has always been one of France’s most popular golf resorts and these recent upgrades will only further cement its popularity.
Hotel du Golf Barrière
Moving into Normandy, specifically to the town of Deauville, is the 4 star Hotel du Golf Barrière. This impressive hotel displaying traditional Norman architectural features, dominates the site like a stricken ocean-liner. Yet inside it is splendid, with lush fittings and ornate furniture. Were it not for the relatively underwhelming leisure facilities (basic spa and small outdoor pool), this would surely be a 5 star resort.
The hotel has a fantastic restaurant and comfy bar, albeit slightly pricey, with the clubhouse also offering guests a more informal dining option as well as a large bar.
There are 27 holes of golf, all designed by the well-respected Tom Simpson, one of Harry Colt’s main rivals at the time. The main championship course, Golf de Deauville, is a fantastic challenge, whilst the additional 9-hole course is no pitch-and-putt but a really decent 9-hole course in its own right. This is a fantastic resort and one of France’s most popular with visiting golfers from the UK.
Les Bordes Estate
My last French golf resort is a bit of a naughty addition, primarily because part of it still doesn’t exist yet! Let me finish…
Anyone who knows anything about golf in France has heard of Les Bordes. This is a golf course with a considerable reputation, billed as one of the toughest (and best) courses in mainland Europe, and now (as of the time of writing) extremely exclusive. Unless you know a member, you’re unlikely to be playing here anytime soon.
However, this ‘resort’ was upgraded in 2020 with the opening of a second course, the ‘New Course’, designed by the fantastically gifted Gil Hanse (Streamsong, Olympic Club, Castle Stuart) as a classic heathland layout to provide a very different test to the already existing Old Course. Let’s be honest, there are very few golf resorts, certainly in mainland Europe, able to compete with these two courses.
The clubhouse is charming, a renovated hunting lodge still with the original wooden beams, large stone fireplace and stag heads mounted on the wall. Maybe charming wasn’t the most appropriate word, but you get the idea.
So far so good.
However, it is now we need to start ‘visualising’ as most of the accommodation still hasn’t yet been built. There are plans to convert an existing chateau into an uber-luxury hotel, with an all-day restaurant and lounge bar, with many more facilities and features being planned. The creation of a farmer’s market, state-of-the-art gym complex, swimming pool, cooking classes, equestrian centre…the list goes on.
This will genuinely be one of the world’s most exclusive resorts complemented by two outstanding golf courses. Expect to pay a small fortune to enjoy it…but by god it will be worth it!
Conclusion
There are many more golf resorts in France, but the list above includes my personal favourites. It is also fair to say, particularly when looking at the list above, the golf resorts in the south of France are just that bit more impressive.
That said, it really depends on what you’re looking for. Be it world class golf, luxury accommodation, easy access to wherever you’re coming from, great wine or whatever else takes your fancy, there is undoubtedly a resort which will fit the bill.
As with previous articles, I would thoroughly recommend using a golf tour operator to advise on the best options, particularly as I’ve only scratched the surface above.
