You know how the annual mates' trip works. One person ends up herding everyone, the WhatsApp group runs for three weeks, and half the banter is just arguing about who's driving. The golf is supposed to be the easy bit. On the French Riviera it actually can be:By Simon Crawley · Golf travel specialist at […]
You know how the annual mates' trip works. One person ends up herding everyone, the WhatsApp group runs for three weeks, and half the banter is just arguing about who's driving. The golf is supposed to be the easy bit. On the French Riviera it actually can be:
You know how the annual mates’ trip works. One person ends up herding everyone, the WhatsApp group runs for three weeks, and half the banter is just arguing about who’s driving. The golf is supposed to be the easy bit. On the French Riviera it actually can be: a handful of genuinely good courses sit within a short drive of each other between Le Muy, Tourrettes and Saint Raphael, so four to eight of you can play a different track each morning and still be back in time for a long lunch and a longer evening.
Golf Planet Holidays has been putting trips like this together since 1981, and the whole thing comes as one tailor-made package from
The courses worth the banter
This is a corner of France where the golf rewards a group that actually wants to play, not just sit by a pool. Saint Endreol at Le Muy is the kind of course that gives you a story for the bar afterwards — dramatic, memorable, the sort of round where someone’s tee shot becomes a running joke for the rest of the weekend. Up at Tourrettes, Terre Blanche runs two full courses, the Château and the Riou, so a bigger group can split, play both, and settle the result over dinner.
Closer to the coast you’ve got Esterel at Valescure and Valescure itself at Saint Raphael — tighter, characterful tracks framed by pine and red rock that suit a relaxed fourball. Inland at Grasse, Claux Amic climbs through the hills above the perfume town for a change of scenery and a stiffer test. Pick two or three across the trip and you’ve got variety without anyone spending half their holiday in a minibus.
Where you stay, and why it matters for a group
The base sets the tone. Domaine de Saint Endreol Golf & Spa at Le Muy keeps you on-site with the golf — roll out of bed, onto the first tee, no logistics — which is exactly what you want when the point is fewer moving parts. Terre Blanche Hotel Spa Golf Resort at Tourrettes is the step up: two courses on the doorstep and enough space that a group of eight never feels on top of each other. And if the trip wants a touch more polish for the evenings, Le Mas Candille at Mougins gives you a smarter, quieter base within easy reach of the coast courses.
Whichever you choose, it’s all one package on one bill in GBP. No splitting receipts, no chasing each other for the transfer money — your organiser pays once and we sort the rest.
Where our specialists would stay in French Riviera
Zero hassle, properly protected
The reason these trips fall apart is usually admin, not golf. So we take it off you. Tailor-made means we shape the itinerary around your group — the number of rounds, the tee times that suit late starters, the transfers from the airport to the course. You tell us the dates and the headcount; we come back with a plan and a price.
And because we’ve done this since 1981, the money side is handled the way it should be. Trips are ATOL Protected when flights are included, and every payment is held in trust with PTS until you’ve actually travelled — so the mate who fronts the deposit for everyone is never exposed if plans change. That’s one less thing for the group chat to argue about.
Flying in from the US?
This works just as well as a transatlantic buddies’ trip. The Riviera courses are an easy add-on once you’re across the pond, and a group landing together can have flights and resort transfers folded into the same package — billed in GBP, which often lands keener than booking the European leg piecemeal from home. If you’d rather not captain the logistics yourselves, ask us about a hosted, escorted group format where someone travels with you and runs the schedule on the ground. Either way it’s the same deal: real courses, one organiser, money held safe until you’ve played the last hole.
Our specialists’ favourite stays in French Riviera
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Frequently asked questions
How many golfers can come on a buddies' trip?
These trips are built around groups of roughly four to eight mates, which is the sweet spot for fourballs and for splitting across two courses like the Château and Riou at Terre Blanche. Larger groups are no problem — because it’s tailor-made, we scale the rooms, tee times and transfers to your headcount.
How much does a French Riviera golf trip cost?
Packages start from
Which courses would you recommend for a mates' trip?
A popular mix is Saint Endreol at Le Muy for the drama, one or both Terre Blanche courses at Tourrettes for variety, and a coastal round at Esterel or Valescure near Saint Raphael. Claux Amic at Grasse adds a hillier test if you want a fourth. We’ll tailor the rotation to your group’s standard and pace.
Is my deposit safe if our plans change?
Yes. Golf Planet Holidays is ATOL Protected where flights are included, and your money is held in trust with PTS until you have travelled. That means the person collecting everyone’s share isn’t carrying the risk if the group’s plans shift before departure.
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.
