JUMP TO: 50-41 | 40-31 | 30-21 | 20-11 | 10-1 France is one of the easiest destinations for British golfers to reach for a golf break France is the simplest trip imaginable thanks to the Eurotunnel Having everything in your car as you make the 30-minute crossing is not to be underestimated Within 15 minutes you can be teeing it up at Wimereux Le Touquet and Hardelot are a matter of minutes away and provide a 10th of our France ranking that couldn’t be easier to access obviously; with cheap and short flights to Paris getting to the fantastic pockets of elite golf in France is gloriously straightforward We try to identify those pockets for you in the line of text underneath the name of each course rather than include the nearest town and the name of a region that doesn’t make much sense to anyone other than a serious Francophile we use more general terms such as ‘south-west France’ or ‘north of Paris’ So you can go through and tally up the courses easily in each of these areas RELATED: Best Golf Courses in Spain Not only that there is real depth to the quality of courses – with more high-class layouts than in any other country in continental Europe – but there is also terrific variety (from proper links to parklands to clifftops to heathlands) to the offering and a pleasing mix of historic and modern Their courses also benefit from the touch of revered Golden Age architects as well as the best modern designers Ask me to choose my favourite area and I would really struggle; that’s how good the various pockets are Paris is the obvious pick (where all but Morfontaine can be played in the summer) in the north and the south-west’s collection led by Golf du Medoc are exceptionally strong the south-east and the east close to the border also have outstanding moments THINK YOU SHOULD BE ON THE PANEL? Get in touch with us, here The main 18 holes were designed by Dutch architect Joan Frederik Dudok van Heel and sit within the natural hillside landscape A regular host of the European Challenge Tour This well-heeled French Riviera club was created by Rattan Chadha It was carved out of a wooded valley by the American architect Robert von Hagge Surprisingly flat given it is not a million miles from the Alps A lake affects a handful of holes on this course near Grenoble when it was designed by Horace Hutchinson and Nick Lane Jackson and opened by Lord Balfour It was the first course to open at the famous Opal Coast club and while it has been overtaken by La Mer it is still a fine course in its own right A mix of tree-lined and open parkland holes this course from 1990 is easy to walk and perfectly tranquil this time near Bourg-en-Bresse in the Rhone-Alps region Regarded by all as the second course to Les Pins at the Hardelot club Les Dunes was added in 1991 and has a reputation for being hilly While there certainly are still steep elevation changes they have been softened off and it would be odd to come to this seaside town and not also play Les Dunes There is a lot to think about at Les Dunes highlights among the tall pines come at two gorgeous short holes Tom and Willie Dunn and later Harry Colt worked at this historic club Macdonald saw the ‘Biarritz’ green he made popular in classic American courses But much of the course they shaped was lost during World War II although the club is working to restore some old features A strong position for a course that is part of a fine resort one that features consistently in our ranking of the Top 100 play-and-stay options in Continental Europe a Ron Fream design from 1992 that enjoys 15 awesome views of the Mediterranean Sea It sits nicely in its enviable Cote d’Azur setting and offers lots of variety Historic course just a stone’s throw from the Palace of Versailles which has hosted numerous French Opens with Seve and Nick Faldo two of the champions both playing over gently undulating terrain A Trent Jones collaboration in the Lille area it offers strong American-style parkland golf with rolling fairways protected by heavy bunkering and several water hazards leading to large greens RELATED: Great Britain and Ireland’s best links in the town dominated by the skyline of the 13th-century The course was designed by Englishman Jeremy Pern and a handful of its holes run alongside the Tarn River Its location close to Baden-Baden and Strasbourg on the French-German border perhaps explains the choice of Bernhard Langer as architect The double Masters champion made a fine job of incorporating 18 lakes in this watermeadow landscape This championship course is a stringent test off the backs Designed by Leonard Morandi and Donald Harradine we really like this low-profile course that sits on a gently undulating Ian Woosnan and Jose Maria Olazabal have all played here and enjoyed the hospitality in the distinctive clubhouse which is a mix of Stoke Park and the White House The first half could be considered to be a warm-up for the fabulous views on the back nine But there are good holes on the front nine too and there is a constant theme of good conditioning The dramatic downhill 10th and 11th spark a run of coastal holes of Insta-worthy quality Designed in 1901 by Guy Campbell and Cecil Hutchinson – the men behind West Sussex among others – Wimereux is 6,800 yards off the tips and if it is especially windy you are wise to play off the 6,100 yellows RELATED: Best Golf Courses in Italy incorporating a four-star hotel within the castle or manor as well as one of the country’s finest courses It was designed by Gary Player and sits at the foot of the Provencal hills and Player’s design is bursting with a variety of holes Fort-Mahon-Plage is the romantically-named location of one of the under-rated jewels of the Opal Coast in northern France It sits on sand – in the huge Marquenterre dune – but it’s not a links rather a woodland-heathland principally dominated by pines The holiday homes that are visible from a few holes are so neat colourful and tranquil they are like a toy town while holes such as the breathtaking downhill short 3rd and the stellar 18th make this a must visit Regarded as the second course at this distinguished Parisian club It enjoys the same level of technical excellence as its sister (the Marly) as it weaves between woodland and along the valleys that give holes real character RELATED: Best Golf Courses in Britain and Ireland Located in the Sologne forest near Orleans in a little pocket of excellent golf with Les Bordes and Les Aisses just south of Paris but there are wide playing corridors – however it is a proper test of strategy and execution as a result of so many dog-legs with long-time associate Ron Kirby doing much of the work offers wide fairways cutting through avenues of mature trees undulating greens also characterise one of the capital’s leading modern courses RELATED: The most fun courses to play Mixing spectacular views with delightful holes and a pristine level of conditioning with the wonderful smell of Provence flora the No.2 course at Terre Blanche is a wonderful measuring a hefty 6,567 yards off the tips and with often acutely undulating fairways You can also expect breathtaking views of picture-postcard villages as well as of the gorgeous Provencal countryside A venue for the Ladies European Tour Access Series – the Terre Blanche Ladies Open – it is strong right to the end tantalising par 5 that sweeps left to right with a stream on the inside of the hole leading to a greenside lake The Longeres is a full-size ‘second’ course of around 6,400 yards that sits on similar parkland to Chantilly’s No.1 attraction but reduced to nine after World War II and it wasn’t until 1988 that more holes were added in woodland Three of these Steel holes are used as a composite course with the Vineuil giving a sense of how equal in quality the two courses are Steel actually built 13 holes in the forest meaning four holes of the original Longeres are now not in use You expect drama from Pete Dye and Barbaroux does not disappoint whether you are having to clear a vineyard to reach the fairway or putting on the largest green in Europe (76 yards long) Packed with architectural flair as it unfolds among mature trees and among water hazards – there are three lakes on one hole – this is a thrill-a-minute experience Another entry for Robert von Hagge and once more he was ably assisted by his long-time associate Rick Baril on the Vert and Noir loops of this 36-hole club (in addition to the green and black nines It does not stray too far from the Von Hagge mould with baroque shaping down the sides of the fairways and extravagant green complexes with water hazards adding to the difficulty but there are also some surprising touches that elevate it beyond the norm the Evian mineral water company bought the farm and land belonging to the Berthet family and built a nine-hole course with the upcoming opening of the Hotel Royal at the front of their minds one of the first golf courses in France was an immediate success with visitors enchanted by its magnificent views and ambiance which was immortalised bythe writer Lamartine The incomparable view of Lake Geneva and the Alpine peaks are the constant backdrop to the new 18-hole course Robinson at the end of the 1980s was followed two decades later by another significant and successful upgrade Evian Resort tests and charms the leading women players in the world every year when they meet on the banks of Lake Geneva at The Evian Championship large but low-lipped bunkers are dotted around lush parkland fairways and notably soft and receptive; you can score well if you can keep it straight off the tee.The back nine sits on more sandy soil as it moves along a series of dog-legs and when events are held – such as the French Open Lancome Trophy or the Seve Trophy – a composite layout is used with the 6,738-yard Red otherwise regarded as the premier track Fred Hawtree laid out both courses in woodland on the edge of the Marly-le-Roi forest The course was founded in 1913 as part of an expansive sporting club – polo was staged on the 3rd green here in the Paris Olympics Harry Colt was engaged to lay out the course and made an inevitably good job of adding panache and style to a parkland that includes significant movement in its terrain a fabulous view of the Eiffel Tower and clever bunkering add to the appeal of the Vert Joyenval is a Robert Trent Jones Snr design which enjoys a magnificent setting in the former hunting grounds of the kings of France yet is just 10 minutes from the heart of Paris The course has largely fallen under the radar because it is a private club but the Marly course in particular really is outstanding A fine example of modern and challenging architecture it also provides a wonderful atmosphere and experience – aided by impressive amenities It looks like it belongs in the Indian Ocean or the Caribbean given several holes are lapped by flawless turquoise waters – and that setting is the strength of this Robert Trent Jones design on Corsica a steady warm-up for what is to follow on the back which for five holes from the 12th to the 16th is breathtaking RELATED: Best Golf Resorts in the World Dinard was founded by former British army officers who had returned from service in India and Egypt to northern France at the end of the 19th century and were keen to put their imprint on their new home the arrival of the railway and France’s first tennis club” the Brits also sought to create a golf course 50 hectares of gorse-covered heath and dunes which was home to sheep and a few cows Scottish architect Tom Dunn made the most of the land and it opened in 1887 becoming the second oldest in France after Pau (1856) but reopened in 1949 and remains unexpectedly quirky which along with the sea views from all 18 holes Robert von Hagge is a strong theme throughout our France ranking and here he is again in the top 20 this time carving out this 1990 course among 100-year-old oak trees and comprises 13 water hazards in a tranquil round The front nine in mature woodland sees holes weave between tall pines and over distinctive mounds before you emerge onto a scene very rare in Continental Europe – genuine linksland a huge bank of pure white sand stretching up the left edged by a carpet of rolling The sound of the Atlantic waves crashing in the background makes this run of holes one of the most thrilling and scenic on the Continent The search for a true links course in Continental Europe is often a fruitless one – but here in the north of France there is something as close to the kind of experience we would expect in Britain The course celebrated its centenary in 2012 but it was the work of the great Harry Colt and Charles Alison in 1921 that is so revered there are plenty of reasons to savour Granville It could be the spectacular views over the course and out to sea towards Jersey Or it could be the classic Colt green complexes Or it could be the variety of holes in all directions that make the breeze a factor and Granville such a strategic proposition Originally designed by Frenchman Olivier Brizon Les Aisses was renovated by Martin Hawtree in 2010 but Hawtree divided those nines into a distinct 18-holer backed up by a nine-holer formerly the Blue and now La Canne (‘the rushes’) The beautifully undulating fairways are relatively generous but are populated by prominent drive bunkers as well as gorgeous heather The greens are also guarded by proper bunkers English architect Tom Simpson created this hybrid course which is mainly tree-lined parkland but has a stellar section next to the Atlantic Ocean the holes towards and alongside the Atlantic might be the highlight but the closing quartet have as much if not more architectural merit than the more explosive seaside holes.\ When this Robert Von Hagge design from 1989 is described That caution and reverence is not misplaced This is a beautiful course among mature trees and natural water features – but it is also an exacting challenge it has design elements more often seen on an old seaside links: sporty par 4s The No.2 course at Medoc was laid out by the Canadian Rod Whitman – the trusted associate of Bill Coore The Vignes begins with a trio of perfectly pleasant holes in more of a woodland-parkland setting but you are pleased to be soon back among the heather and pine scenes Golf du Medic is famed for It is hard to imagine there is a better nine-hole course anywhere in the world Riotous fun on a course that has three each of par 3s 4s and 5s – with no hole more than 450 yards long Greens that look like they belong in the Himalayas putting club in St Andrews The Ryder Cup course begins with an opening hole that leaves little in the tank dominated by water and summing up the Albatros experience; thrills drama and nervous shots are never more than a few minutes away It boasts one of the most exciting finishes in Continental Europe but its architects and especially shapers have turned flat farmland into a course widely regarded as one of the best on the European Tour RELATED: Best Golf Courses in Portugal This noted creator of heathland masterpieces arrived in 1931 but like Colt’s La Mer it had lost its allure in recent decades a Patrice Boissonnas-Frank Pont restoration – notably through tree management that has improved strategy turf and aesthetics – as well as a thorough bunker and greens overhaul has reaped reward and Les Pins is now in the top half of our continental ranking A notable position for this new Tom Doak design in south-west France The course sits in a valley on undulating terrain dissected by natural streams and populated by stout oaks and slim pines playable and packed with variety – a new superstar in Continental Europe developed the Terre Blanche resort after falling in love with the landscape of Provence with Terre Blanche being named our No.1 Resort in Continental Europe for the past decade While Le Riou – laid out around the clubhouse and hotel so that some fairways run alongside some villas – is a pretty younger sister to Le Chateau it is this course that has played the key part in that ranking Hopp handed the task of routing both courses through the hundreds of hectares of forest to Dave Thomas and while the terrain’s often steeply undulating nature must have brought its challenges the site will have otherwise offered an embarrassment of riches With a wealth of mature trees and inspiring views Thomas created one of Continental Europe’s finest courses and credit must go to Thomas for assimilating the vast bunkers of white sand the thousands of mature trees and the water features so skilfully There is a tranquility to your round that is very rare You rarely even hear other shots being struck with greens and tees often significantly apart This is ‘Millionaire’s Golf’; the feeling you have a course to yourself and that it is conditioned to absolute perfection flawless greens and tees that are as smooth and as flat as a marble worktop Yet it also consistently asks you searching questions whether in avoiding drive bunkers and trees off the tee – such as at the par-4 15th – or in holding tiny greens such as on the holes that precede and follow it La Mer was losing its stardust until this 1931 Harry Colt classic was manifestly transformed by co-designers Patrice Boissonnas and Frank Pont This is a course on its way to the top 20 of the continental ranking once Boissonnas and Pont complete their sensitive restoration of the raw linksland and Colt’s holes A long-time favourite with British golfers This might be one of Harry Colt’s relatively less-known designs a classic piece of architecture to the west of the city It could be argued this should be regarded as one of his most impressive results for the land with which he was given to work was flat and featureless Colt was a master of green complexes and the ones he created here are fabulous Saint-Germain are keen to emphasise their Colt heritage and a discreet tree removal programme in the last decade has given it a more open feel and improved the turf Bill Coore laid out this heathland course before he formed the hottest design team in golf with Ben Crenshaw Golf du Medoc would not have been created if the soil at Pian Medoc was the chalk-on-limestone base that dominates the region and is so conducive (along with the climate) to wine making – vines would have been planted there gorse and heather; a heathland paradise for golfers There aren’t too many occasions when a course on the Continent is at least a match for the best of its type in Britain and Ireland – but Chantilly might be one This woodland-parkland course oozes quality as indeed one might expect from a course situated within this fabled suburb north of Paris it is Swinley Forest transported to the north of Paris From the moment you step on to the 1st tee at Fontainebleau a boulder-studded hill towers over the green; this is an early highlight on a course of consistent excellence the panoramic view is even more stunning: from the elevated tee the vast forest of Fontainebleau stretches out beneath you as far as the eye can see Late in the round comes the outstanding 16th which European Tour champion Gregory Havret says is the best par 4 in France As Fontainebleau weaves through the forest and you pass rocks you realise that on these former royal hunting grounds Tom Simpson crafted a work of art on to a natural landscape perfect for the game of golf but many force you to make tough tactical choices Should you lay up with your second at the short par-5 12th – or attack the green and risk your shot rebounding into the treesoff the intimidating rocks occupying its approaches But woe will befall the golfer who is not fairly straight off the tee not handy with a sand wedge (you’re bound to find a couple of the 103 bunkers) or is unnerved by tricky It would be a worthy No.1 – and with some tree management would be even closer to that position – and would be top in arguably every other country in Continental Europe it is accessible to selected visitors Monday to Wednesday and at the weekends in the height of summer when Parisians head for the coasts on holiday Few courses possess the mystique of Les Bordes Only properties such as Vidauban – which we did not consider for our France ranking as a result of too few panellists having played it – and Queenwood retain as much reverence with the common denominator the exclusive nature of these clubs and the thirst for knowledge such reclusive escapes inevitably engender The morsels of information about these courses that do emerge serve only to enhance the fascination exaggerated as they are by being passed on like Chinese whispers The often-intriguing back stories to these clubs merely heightens the allure of playing the course Situated two hours’ drive south of Paris in majestic woodland that was previously reserved for the enjoyment of French kings hunting boar and stag Les Bordes was born in 1986 out of a friendship between Marcel Bich the man behind the Bic pen and disposable razor empire it has remained one of the world’s most private clubs was tasked with laying out the course and his masterpiece was ranked as our No.1 in Continental Europe from 2009 to 2013 but those fortunate enough to have played here all speak of its tranquility It looks and plays as if the greens are not merely hand cut but painstakingly snipped with nail scissors and finished off with tweezers and a comb Adding to the escapism is the silence among the woodland with the only sounds of golfing combat and wildlife scurrying around the forest floor It is much more than pretty and serene though – in fact it is one of the most unremittingly exacting courses in Europe yet it is far from length alone that challenges with a legendarily small number of players who have broken par off the backs One of the few courses in Continental Europe that would get into a European Top 100 that included GB&I’s finest Morfontaine is a heathland paradise created by Tom Simpson and in more recent times tweaked by Kyle Phillips (to greatest extent on the par-5 12th) this is a gorgeous heathland-woodland course As long as you aren’t too wild off the tee you will not spend ages looking for balls – it’s the sort of place where mid-handicappers will be having a very bad day if they lose more than one Yet it is far from a pushover and is definitely a second-shot course Some greens are probably as much as four clubs’ difference depending on the pin position and many pins can be perched at the top of false fronts which have serious consequences if you come up short It is famously exclusive and really a course for members and their guests Chris Bertram is the Golf World Top 100 Courses and Resorts Editor He was born and brought up in Dumfriesshire and has been a sports journalist since 1996 initially as a junior writer with National Club Golfer magazine By Chris Bertram Golf World Top 100 Courses and Resorts Editor Welcome to Golfweek’s Best rankings of the top 25 courses in Continental Europe as determined by Golfweek’s Best Raters for 2021 These rankings do not include Great Britain and Ireland for which Golfweek presents separate lists The members of our course-ratings panel continually evaluate courses and rate them based on our 10 criteria Those overall ratings on each course are averaged to produce a final rating for each course Then each course is ranked against other courses to produce the final rankings Golf de Morfontaine (Le Grand Parcours) 8.17 This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page Please include 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