The Best Golf Courses in French Riviera

If the Riviera has a flagship, it is Terre Blanche, the hotel, spa and golf estate at Tourrettes, from £895 (≈ €1,045) (≈ $1,215) (≈ CA$1,675) (≈ AU$1,695) (≈ NZ$2,035) (≈ CHF 975) (≈ kr 11,365) (≈ kr 11,565) (≈ kr 7,805) pp. Its two Dave Thomas championship courses roll across the Provençal hills above Fayence, generous off the tee in places and ruthless where it matters, and the presentation holds up in any month you care to visit. Water, elevation change and cleverly defended greens ask a question on almost every hole.

The drawback is the drive. It sits well inland, and the drive up from the coast takes the best part of an hour, so it suits a stay far better than a day trip. Base yourself at the resort and the problem disappears; you walk from spa to first tee at your own pace. Should the trip allow a single round in the south of France, spend it here. Most of our guests wish they had booked a second day on it.

Twenty minutes inland from the Croisette, Royal Mougins Golf Resort threads a tight, dramatic course through a wooded valley where precision counts for far more than length. It is a thinking golfer’s day out, from £650 (≈ €755) (≈ $885) (≈ CA$1,215) (≈ AU$1,235) (≈ NZ$1,475) (≈ CHF 705) (≈ kr 8,245) (≈ kr 8,395) (≈ kr 5,665) pp, with a polished resort and clubhouse attached. Leave the driver in the boot on at least half the holes.

Château de la Begude near Valbonne, from £495 (≈ €575) (≈ $675) (≈ CA$925) (≈ AU$935) (≈ NZ$1,125) (≈ CHF 535) (≈ kr 6,285) (≈ kr 6,395) (≈ kr 4,315) pp, is the gentler counterpoint, a handsome course wrapped around a restored 16th-century farmhouse among the olive groves. Stronger players belong at Royal Mougins in our book, while a sociable mixed group will get more from Begude; the golf at Mougins is simply the better examination. For a quiet hillside base near both, Le Mas Candille at Mougins, from £795 (≈ €925) (≈ $1,075) (≈ CA$1,495) (≈ AU$1,505) (≈ NZ$1,815) (≈ CHF 865) (≈ kr 10,095) (≈ kr 10,275) (≈ kr 6,935) pp, keeps you within minutes of Cannes without ever feeling part of it.

Head a little further west and the landscape changes character. Domaine de Saint Endreol Golf & Spa Resort at Le Muy, from £700 (≈ €815) (≈ $955) (≈ CA$1,315) (≈ AU$1,325) (≈ NZ$1,595) (≈ CHF 755) (≈ kr 8,885) (≈ kr 9,045) (≈ kr 6,105) pp, is the most spectacular course in the region to look at, its holes plunging and climbing through the red rock and gorges of the Var. It is also the most physical round on this list, so take a buggy whatever your usual habits and let the on-site spa deal with the aftermath.

Nearer the coast at Saint Raphael, Najeti Golf Hotel de Valescure is the elder statesman. The course is mature and tree-lined, framed by parasol pines and cork oaks, and it asks for placement over power rather than heroics. From £265 (≈ €305) (≈ $355) (≈ CA$495) (≈ AU$495) (≈ NZ$605) (≈ CHF 285) (≈ kr 3,365) (≈ kr 3,425) (≈ kr 2,305) pp it is also the best value on this coast by some distance, which is why we so often make it the opening act of a longer French Riviera golf holiday.

How you stay shapes the whole trip. For the full Côte d’Azur experience, base yourself on the Croisette. The InterContinental Carlton, from £1,460 (≈ €1,705) (≈ $1,985) (≈ CA$2,745) (≈ AU$2,775) (≈ NZ$3,325) (≈ CHF 1,595) (≈ kr 18,535) (≈ kr 18,865) (≈ kr 12,735) pp, is the grandest address in Cannes, and the Majestic Barriere runs it close. Le Gray d’Albion Barriere, from £435 (≈ €505) (≈ $585) (≈ CA$815) (≈ AU$825) (≈ NZ$985) (≈ CHF 475) (≈ kr 5,515) (≈ kr 5,615) (≈ kr 3,795) pp, and Hotel Le Cavendish give you the same postcode with less ceremony. From any of them the courses are an easy morning’s drive and the evenings belong to the city.

Prefer to wake with the first tee in view? The resort stays do it properly: Terre Blanche, Royal Mougins, Le Mas Candille and Saint Endreol each pair fine golf with a spa and real seclusion. A last word on timing. July and August bring heat, traffic and busy tee sheets, so we plan most Riviera trips for spring or autumn, shaped to the dates that suit you, with own-room options as standard.