US Golf Guides · 2 June 2026
The Best Golf Courses in French Riviera
French Riviera By The Golf Planet Holidays Team · Golf-travel specialists since 1981 · Published 2 June 2026 At a glance What are the best golf courses on the French Riviera? The standout courses we build into Riviera trips are Terre Blanche at Tourrettes (two championship Dave Thomas layouts), Royal Mougins Golf Resort near Cannes, […]
There is a particular light on the French Riviera in the soft hours after a round — the kind that turns the limestone hills above Cannes to gold and makes a glass of rosé on a clubhouse terrace feel like the most civilised thing in the world. This is golf played in the company of umbrella pines and lavender, where the Mediterranean is never far over your shoulder and the courses are carved into some of the most beautiful hinterland in Europe.
The Côte d’Azur rewards the golfer who comes for more than the scorecard. Behind the glamour of the Croisette lies a cluster of genuinely fine courses — championship layouts and intimate hillside tests alike — all within an easy drive of one another. The following are the ones we know intimately and weave into tailor-made trips, each chosen for the particular pleasure it offers.
Terre Blanche, Tourrettes — the championship benchmark
If the Riviera has a flagship, it is Terre Blanche Hotel Spa Golf Resort at Tourrettes. Set across rolling Provençal countryside in the hills above Fayence, its two Dave Thomas-designed championship courses are the most complete golfing test the region offers — generous in places, ruthless where it matters, and immaculately presented year-round.
This is a course for the golfer who wants their game examined: water, elevation change and cleverly defended greens demand thought on every tee. Stay at the resort itself and you can wander from spa to first tee at leisure, making it the natural anchor for a trip built around serious golf. It is the kind of place that rewards more than a single visit — and most of our guests wish they had booked another day.
Royal Mougins & the courses of the Cannes hinterland
A short drive inland from Cannes, Royal Mougins Golf Resort at Mougins is the Riviera in miniature — tight, dramatic and beautifully manicured, threading through a wooded valley where precision counts for far more than length. It is a thinking golfer’s course, and an exhilarating one, with a polished resort and clubhouse that make a half-day here feel like an indulgence.
Close by, Château de la Begude near Valbonne offers a gentler, more pastoral counterpoint — a handsome course wrapped around a restored 16th-century farmhouse, all olive groves and Provençal calm. Mougins also gives you Le Mas Candille, a discreet hillside retreat that makes an elegant base from which to play the surrounding courses while staying within minutes of Cannes.
Where our specialists would stay in French Riviera
Saint Endreol & Valescure — the wilder, wooded Riviera
Head a little further west and the landscape changes character. Domaine de Saint Endreol Golf & Spa Resort at Le Muy is the most spectacular of the region’s courses to look at — set among the red rock and dramatic gorges of the Var, with holes that plunge and climb through wild, fragrant terrain. It is a memorable, occasionally heart-in-mouth round, and the on-site spa rewards you handsomely afterwards.
Nearer the coast at Saint Raphael, Najeti Golf Hotel de Valescure is the elder statesman — a mature, tree-lined course of real charm and history, framed by parasol pines and cork oaks. It asks for placement over power, and its unhurried, classical feel makes it a favourite for those who like their golf with a sense of heritage.
Where to stay — Cannes glamour or resort calm
How you stay shapes the whole trip. For the full Côte d’Azur experience, base yourself on the Croisette: the InterContinental Carlton and the Majestic Barriere are Cannes landmarks in the grand manner, while Le Gray d’Albion Barriere and Hotel Le Cavendish offer that same address with a touch more intimacy. From here the courses are an easy morning’s drive and the evenings belong to the city.
If you would rather wake with the first tee in view, the resort stays do it beautifully — Terre Blanche at Tourrettes, Royal Mougins, Le Mas Candille at Mougins or Saint Endreol at Le Muy each pair fine golf with a spa and a sense of seclusion. We match the base to the mood of your group, and tailor every transfer, tee time and table around it.
Our specialists’ favourite stays in French Riviera
What our golfers say
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Frequently asked questions
When is the best time of year to play golf on the French Riviera?
Spring and autumn are the sweet spots — April to June and September to October bring warm, settled days, courses at their greenest and the Riviera at its most relaxed. The mild Mediterranean climate means golf is rewarding well into the shoulder seasons, and we plan trips around the conditions and the calendar you prefer.
Can I combine several courses and hotels in one tailor-made trip?
Absolutely — that is exactly how we design Riviera golf. Because Terre Blanche, Royal Mougins, Saint Endreol, Valescure and the Cannes hotels all sit within a compact arc, we can blend resort stays and Croisette glamour, sequencing your tee times and transfers so the week flows effortlessly.
Is my money protected when I book?
Yes. Golf Planet Holidays has been crafting golf travel since 1981, and your booking is fully protected — we are ATOL Protected for trips including flights, and your money is held securely in trust with PTS until you travel, so you can plan with complete peace of mind.
How much does a French Riviera golf trip cost?
Our tailor-made Riviera trips start from £495pp, and we build each one entirely around you — your chosen courses, the calibre of hotel, the number of rounds and the size of your group. A specialist will shape a precise quotation once we understand the trip you have in mind.
Come and play with us
Wherever you're travelling from, you're welcome on a Golf Planet hosted tour — a small group, a host with you from the first tee to the last, and every round, transfer and dinner taken care of. You just bring the clubs.
