Golf In France
I’ll admit it but a golf holiday in France is not the first destination I think about when considering a golf getaway. Not for any particular reason, just for lack of knowledge about it’s courses and golfing scene in general.
And it’s not like they have just a few course. France boasts over 550 courses!
Maybe one reason is that France does not seem to have any iconic golf figures – like Norman for Australia, Seve or Sergio for Spain, Tiger or Phil for the US, Westwood or Poulter for the UK, Padraig for Ireland, etc. I can only think of one – Jan Van de Velde – and famous for rather infamous reasons.
Now I have been to France a few times before, not to golf, but to vacation, eat some of the best cuisine anywhere, drink some of the finest wines and to look at some of the finest artwork in the world – no arguments there.
But in my research, there are many, many world class courses.
You might want to start with Le Golf National, home of the European tour stop Alstom Open de France There are 3 courses at Le Golf National with the marquee course called Albatross. It’s unique in that it sort of combines “links” style golf with the US pupular “target’ style golf so you really get an interesting amalgam of styles. it’s one of France’s leading golf destinations and well worthy of a visit.
On the LPGA side there is the Evian Masters (the richest tournament on the LPGA) held at the Evian Masters Club in the French Alps and perched on the banks of Lake Geneva – now this is the epitome of a luxurious French resort.
Another fabulous course to investigate playing is Les Bordes (love the website!) located in the Loire region of France. The course is a demanding 7072 yards long with water coming into play on 12 of the holes. Typically known for lightening fast greens and enormous bunkers you will find Les Bordes to be a golfing experience like no other.
No less worthy is the Fontainebleau Golf Club – one of the oldest clubs in France. It is located in the Fontainebleau forest, on an ancient imperial hunting ground. Known for it’s narrow fairways and many species of trees and over 100 bunkers. It was recently voted as the number 1 course in France by Golf European readers.
Also, Golf Club Atlas has a wonderful write-up on The Saint Germaine Golf Club located in a suburb just west of Paris. The post has hole-by-hole descriptions and some wonderful photos. GCA has such great course descriptions that after reading it you might as well put it on your “to play list” while in Paris.
And as long as your are enjoying golf in France here a few more tips to help you enjoy your French holiday:
45 things to do in France this summer
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Comments
Hey Jim! Yeah – my favorite part of France is the culture. I am a museum/art lover and no where like it in the world. Of course, after researching some of the courses I would love to hit at least of the few I mention in the article. Plus you can get some great deals to France now.
I would never think of France as a golf destination either, but any chance to play golf no matter where it is, is a great day in my book.
Hi Dexter – yeah, I am pretty pumped about the info I found in France and if you like the other wonderful things that France provides (for me food and art) then why not add a little icing (golf) to the cake, too?
Thanks for stopping by!
Doug
Great post. I would love to visit France before I die.
Jim Dauer
FullForesome.com