Top 11 Best Golf Courses in France, Must-Try in 2026/2027!

Golf holds a solid place in French sports culture, backed by roughly 440,000 registered players. The French Golf Federation oversees the national network, which includes around 600 courses across the country.

Options range from coastal links to championship layouts, catering to both casual rounds and high level play.

Must-Play Golf Courses in France for 2026/2027

1. Les Bordes Golf Club

• Location: Saint-Laurent-Nouan
• Notable: Known as one of the most exclusive and challenging golf courses in Europe.

Les Bordes Golf Club

Set in the Sologne Forest, Les Bordes expanded from a single famous layout into a 46 hole complex. The original Old Course, opened in 1987 by architect Robert von Hagge, built a reputation around thick forest corridors and water hazards that force tight accuracy off the tee.

Gil Hanse designed the New Course, which offers a completely different test. Built on sandy soil, it plays fast on the ground through open heathland and heather. Hanse also added the Wild Piglet, a 10 hole par 3 course for casual rounds. Les Bordes is a private members club, so access requires an invitation from a current member.

2. Morfontaine Golf Club

• Location: Mortefontaine
• Notable: Highly esteemed and frequently ranked among the best golf courses in the world.

Morfontaine Golf Club

Located 45 kilometers north of Paris in the Ermenonville Forest, Morfontaine holds a spot near the top of global course rankings. Armand de Gramont, Duc de Guiche, built the original 9 hole Valliere course on his family polo grounds in 1913. He hired British architect Tom Simpson for the design, then brought Simpson back in 1927 to build the 18 hole Grand Parcours.

Both courses run through pine trees, heather, and natural rock outcroppings. Architect Kyle Phillips updated several holes on the Grand Parcours to maintain its defense against modern equipment. The original source text placed the club in the Vallee de Chevreuse, which is incorrect; Morfontaine is in the Oise department north of Paris. Access is strictly limited to members and invited guests.

3. Terre Blanche Hotel Spa Golf Resort

• Location: Tourrettes
• Notable: Offers two championship golf courses and is widely regarded for its luxurious amenities and beautiful landscapes.

Terre Blanche Hotel Spa Golf Resort

Terre Blanche sits on 750 acres in the Provencal hills, roughly 45 minutes inland from Cannes. Actor Sean Connery owned the property in the 1970s with plans to build a golf venue, but development only started after Dietmar Hopp acquired the land in 2000. Course architect Dave Thomas designed both layouts, which opened in 2004.

Le Chateau spans more than 7200 yards from the back tees and regularly holds professional events on the European Senior Tour. The layout features steep shifts in elevation, wide water hazards, and fast greens cut into the pine trees. The second layout, Le Riou, plays shorter over hillier ground and is restricted to resort guests, members, and invited players. The estate also includes the Albatros Golf Performance Center, a full training academy that offers biomechanics analysis and custom club fitting.

4. Le Golf National

• Location: Guyancourt, near Paris
• Notable: Hosted the Ryder Cup in 2018 and is the annual venue for the Open de France.

Le Golf National

Architects Hubert Chesneau and Robert von Hagge carved the Albatros course out of flat farmland in 1990, moving dirt to build steep mounds for spectator sightlines. Beyond hosting the Open de France for decades, the course held the 2018 Ryder Cup and the 2024 Paris Olympic Games golf events.

The Albatros course underwent a major update before its September 2026 reopening. Architect Russell Talley redesigned holes 4, 5, and 6 to adjust for the construction of Paris Metro Line 18. The course retains its iconic final four holes, where island greens and water hazards force precise shot placement under pressure. Because the facility is public, golfers can book tee times on the same track used by tour professionals.

5. Fontainebleau Golf Club

• Location: Fontainebleau, near Paris
• Notable: Known for its beautiful setting and remarkable history.

Fontainebleau Golf Club

Golf de Fontainebleau sits inside a national forest 60 kilometers south of Paris. Julien Chantepie laid out the original holes in 1909, but English architect Tom Simpson redesigned the property in 1920 to build a strategic layout through the trees.

The par 72 course runs over sandy soil that dries quickly after rain. Tall oaks, birches, and pines border the fairways, while wild heather and exposed sandstone rocks frame several greens. A course restoration by architect Frank Pont brought back Simpson’s original bunker edges and open lines of play. Off the course, the Norman style clubhouse holds original wall frescoes painted by Barbizon artist Paul Tavernier. The club is private, though guest play is permitted on select weekdays.

6. Golf de Sperone

• Location: Bonifacio, Corsica
• Notable: Celebrated for its spectacular seaside holes and Mediterranean vistas.

Golf de Sperone

Golf de Sperone sits on the southern edge of Corsica, overlooking the Strait of Bonifacio toward Sardinia. Designed by Robert Trent Jones Sr., the 18 hole layout opened in 1990 across 190 acres of cliffside terrain and native maquis scrubland.

The course relies heavily on coastal winds for its defense. Holes 12 through 16 run directly along the Mediterranean shore, highlighted by the par 5 16th hole, which forces players to drive off a cliff edge over a ocean bay to reach the fairway. While the resort includes private villas, the golf course is open to the public, though players should book tee times early during summer months.

7. Golf de Chiberta

• Location: Anglet, Basque Country
• Notable: Often highlighted as one of the best France golf courses thanks to its stunning links-style layout and close proximity to the Atlantic Ocean.

Golf de Chiberta

Golf de Chiberta sits on the Basque coast in Anglet, five minutes north of Biarritz. Architect Tom Simpson designed the layout in 1927 under a contract requiring him to build a world class seaside course.

The 5647 meter, par 70 course mixes two distinct environments. Six holes run directly alongside the ocean dunes, exposed to Atlantic winds. The rest of the round moves inland, cutting through a pine forest that offers shelter from the coastal breeze. In 2002, Chiberta opened L’Imperatrice, a separate 9 hole layout for short game practice and high handicappers. The course is open to the public daily, though visitors must present a valid handicap certificate.

8. Biarritz le Phare Golf Club

• Location: Biarritz
• Notable: Known for its historical significance, being one of the oldest golf courses in France, and its beautiful city-side location.

Biarritz le Phare Golf Club

Biarritz le Phare opened in 1888, built by British expats who established the coastal town as a resort destination. English architect Willie Dunn Jr laid out the original 18 holes, and H.S. Colt later updated the layout during the 1920s.

The layout covers just 34 hectares inside Biarritz. Measuring 5402 meters with a par of 69, it relies on small greens, tight tree lined corridors, and more than 70 sand bunkers for protection. Despite being encircled by city streets and historic villas, the property remains an open public course. It also hosts the annual Biarritz Cup, a major French amateur event played every summer.

9. Omaha Beach Golf Club

• Location: Port-en-Bessin, Normandy
• Notable: Not only recognized for its challenging play but also for its historical significance related to the D-Day landings during WWII.

Omaha Beach Golf Club

Local farmer Guy Dupont established Omaha Beach Golf Club in 1985, hiring architect Yves Bureau to design the initial 9 holes on cliffs above the English Channel. The property expanded into a 36 hole complex covering 120 hectares above Port en Bessin. Every individual hole across the estate is named after an Allied unit, battle, or officer involved in the 1944 Normandy landings.

Play splits across two distinct 18 hole layouts: the Patton Course and the De Gaulle Course. The Patton Course runs along exposed bluffs overlooking the ocean, where the signature par 4 6th hole sits beside a WWII German bunker. The De Gaulle Course plays further inland, winding through trees, ponds, and typical Normandy bocage. The club also offers composite routings called the Eisenhower and Churchill layouts, which mix nines from both courses depending on the day.

10. Saint Endreol Golf & Spa Resort

• Location: La Motte-en-Provence
• Notable: A picturesque course nestled among the Provence hills, offering spectacular views and technical challenges.

Saint Endreol Golf & Spa Resort

Domaine de Saint Endreol sits in the Var department, roughly half an hour inland from Cannes. French architect Michel Gayon designed the 18 hole course, which opened in 1992. The par 72 layout measures 5883 meters, running through pine trees beneath the Rocher de Roquebrune.

The front nine requires controlled layups on narrow fairways, while the back nine moves closer to the water. The primary signature hole is the par 3 13th, where a drop of nearly 40 meters off an elevated tee carries over water to a green set inside the Endre River. The initial text misidentified the water hazard as the Nartuby River; the river running through the property is the Endre. Saint Endreol operates as a public resort with an on site hotel and spa facility.

11. Golf du Médoc Resort

• Location: Le Pian-Médoc, near Bordeaux
• Notable: Known for its two high-quality courses and is situated in the famous Médoc wine region, providing both challenging play and an opportunity to enjoy the local wines.

Golf du Médoc Resort

Positioned 20 kilometers north of Bordeaux, this 400 acre estate was rebranded as Cabot Bordeaux following its acquisition by The Cabot Collection in 2024. The resort sits inside the Médoc wine region, offering a 79 room hotel and two distinct 18 hole courses.

American architect Bill Coore designed the primary course, Les Chateaux, which opened in 1989. Built over sandy ground, it plays like an inland links course where heather, gorse, and wind defend the fairways. Canadian architect Rod Whitman designed the second course, Les Vignes, in 1991. It offers a shorter, tighter routing through maritime pines. Ongoing property updates under Cabot include surface renovations led by Coore and Whitman, as well as converting a practice area into a short par 3 course.

Conclusion

These above-mentioned golf courses in France have garnered reputations for providing excellent golfing experiences for over 400,000 golf players in France and also a large number of visitors from all over the world. While some are exclusive and may require memberships or special bookings, others are accessible to the public and offer options for visitors. It is always advisable to check the booking options in advance. Know any other wonderful golf courses in France that are worth playing, don’t hesitate to share with us by commenting on the box below.

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