France has often flown under the radar as a golf destination, despite being home to many of the finest courses in continental Europe – and with fabulous food and wine, beautiful landscapes and iconic cities, France really does have it all.
Le Golf National near Paris provided a memorable Ryder Cup venue in 2018, but let’s see where it ranks in All Square’s countdown of the top 20 golf courses in France.
20: Granville Golf Club
Breville sur Mer
A pure duneland track, Granville is superb links reminiscent of British courses, with elevated tees providing incredible views over the whole course and far beyond.
19: Saint Nom La Breteche Golf Club – Parcours Rouge
Saint Nom La Breteche
About 30km west of Paris and set in rolling countryside, Saint Nom La Breteche will test your game in a lovely parkland setting, and the clubhouse, a former 18th century manor house, is one of the most impressive in Europe.
18: Grand Saint Emilionnais Golf Club
Gardegan-et-Tourtirac
A superb course located near St Emilion and designed by one of the best architects in the world, Tom Doak. Natural and free flowing, Grand Saint Emilionnais unfolds in a valley fringed by oak trees, framed by vineyards.
17: Chiberta Golf Club
Anglet
Designed in 1927 by Tom Simpson in the beautiful south of France, Chiberta is an outstanding links course near Biarritz that features eleven stunning holes by the sea.
16: Golf d’Hardelot – Les Pins
Neufchatel Hardelot
Making the most of its woodland setting, this traditional layout with exquisitely groomed greens and fairways rewards strategic play and offers the opportunity to beat one’s handicap.
15: Golf Du Touquet – La Mer
Le Touquet Paris Plage
Built in 1931 by the great Harry Colt, Golf Du Touquet has hosted the French Open and undulates across dunes with outstanding sea views. Probably the best links in France.
14: Golf de Seignosse
Seignosse
Brilliantly designed by Robert van Hagge, Golf de Seignosse is a course with character. Its winding fairways, hilly terrain, many natural daunting water features and shots over ravines make it a stand out.
13: Evian Resort Golf Club
Evian-Les-Bains
Located within Evian, around an hour from Geneva, this course hosts The Evian Championship on the European Tour, one of the five majors of women’s golf. Evian Resort Golf Club is a technical test, but one of tranquil beauty.
12: Les Aisses Golf
La Ferte Saint-Aubin
Upgraded by Martin Hawtree in 2009, this is one of the new great courses in France, set in the Sologne forests. With lakes, large bunkers and woods, Les Aisses is a challenging course and extremely well maintained.
11: Le Kempferhof Golf Club
Plobsheim
Just outside Strasbourg, this is an outstanding Robert van Hagge design. Set against the backdrop of the 18th Century chateau hotel, which also doubles as a clubhouse, Le Kempferhof is bestowed a beautiful setting along the banks of the Rhine.
10: Les Bordes New Course
Saint-Laurent-Nouan
Opened in 2022, this is a boldly bunkered, heathland-style Gil Hanse design which sits alongside Les Bordes Old Course, the excellent Robert von Hagge design. With an emphasis on shot-shaping, the New Course pleasingly winds through the heather, pine, birch and oak trees of Sologne Forest, inspired by the heathland courses around London, Paris and Pine Valley.
9: Golf de Saint Germain
Saint Germain En Laye
Saint Germain is a delightful but testing parkland course designed by the great Harry Colt, which has hosted the French Open on several occasions.
8: Golf Du Medoc Resort – The Chateaux Course
Le Pian Medoc
Designed by Bill Coore, the Chateaux is a long but beautiful test. Complemented by the Les Vignes Course, Golf Du Medoc is one of the finest destinations for a golf trip to the south of France.
7: Terre Blanche Hotel Spa Golf Resort – Le Château
Tourrettes
Situated on the edge of the French Riviera, this Dave Thomas design stands out for its undulations, spectacular water features and immaculate year-round condition. Carving its way through dense woodland, Le Chateau is a course that requires brains, not brawn.
6: Le Golf National – L’Albatros
Guyancourt
Le Golf National is one of France’s premier golf destinations. The long-time home of the French Open, it hosted the 2018 Ryder Cup and was perfect for the event with the closing holes built in a stadium-like bowl with water lining the fairways, providing plenty of excitement.
5: Vidauban Golf Club
Vidauban
This beautiful venue in the south of France captured the attention of famed designer Robert Trent Jones Snr in the 1970s and later became a project for his son Robert Trent Jones Jr. Opened for play in the 1990s, Vidauban meanders its way through vineyards, rocky outcrops and pines.
4: Golf de Fontainebleau
Fontainebleau
Fontainebleau is reminiscent of a traditional English heathland layout. Devilish bunkers, thick pine forests that line the fairways, and small, challenging greens ensure this Parisian gem will serve up an unforgettable round of golf.
3: Golf de Chantilly – Vineuil
Vineuil Saint Firmin
A beautiful parkland course located north of Paris. With a traditional English-style clubhouse and classic tree-lined fairways, Golf de Chantilly may leave you wondering whether you’ve inadvertently arrived in England.
2: Morfontaine Golf Club
Mortefontaine
A beautiful Tom Simpson design, Morfontaine has recently been given the Kyle Phillips treatment and lengthened to ensure it remains a tough test. This course would not look out of place on the sacred tract that houses Sunningdale and Walton Heath in England.
1: Les Bordes Golf Club – Old Course
Saint-Laurent-Nouan
Designed by Robert von Hagge, it’s perhaps little surprise that this highly exclusive course is of the very highest level. The conditioning is sublime and the challenge is second to none. Old Course winds its way through the tranquil forests of Sologne near Paris with challenging island greens, lengthy rough and plenty of water hazards. A visual masterpiece that’ll take your breath away.
