Nowhere else in Europe lets you play a Bill Coore course in the morning and taste Margaux in the afternoon. Bordeaux golf is compact, uncrowded and wrapped in the most famous vineyard names on earth, and it works as well for a long weekend as for a full
Nowhere else in Europe lets you play a Bill Coore course in the morning and taste Margaux in the afternoon. Bordeaux golf is compact, uncrowded and wrapped in the most famous vineyard names on earth, and it works as well for a long weekend as for a full week. Here is how we build it, course by course, with the stays we actually price.
The golf: Medoc first, then the vines
Start at Golf du Medoc, recently rebranded Cabot Bordeaux by its new owners. The Chateaux course is Bill Coore’s early masterwork, a firm, open, links-minded examination that has hosted the French Open qualifiers and sits comfortably among the best courses in France; the Vignes course alongside makes it a full 36-hole day. Twenty minutes north, Margaux plays in sight of the appellation’s chateaux, a flatter, friendlier round between the estuary and the vines.
East of the city, Tom Doak’s Grand Saint-Emilionnais is the modern jewel of the region, minimalist golf ten minutes from the medieval town of Saint-Emilion itself. Closer in, Bordeaux-Lac offers 36 municipal-priced holes beside the exhibition quarter, Pessac covers 27 among the Graves estates, and Lacanau adds a sandy, pine-lined change of pace by the Atlantic surf beaches.
Where to stay: city base or on the golf
For first-timers we recommend the city. The Mercure Chateau Chartrons sits in the wine-merchant quarter a short walk from the riverfront, and holds three-night, two-round breaks from
To wake up on the course, the Medoc Golf Resort packages four nights and two rounds across the Medoc courses from
Where our specialists would stay in France
The wine, done properly
Golfers do not need a sommelier’s diary to enjoy Bordeaux; they need one good afternoon. We build in a chateau visit around Margaux or Saint-Emilion on the rest day, timed so nobody is putting with a headache. The pairing writes itself: Medoc golf with Medoc tastings, Doak’s course with Saint-Emilion’s cellars, and dinner back in the city either way. Tell us the wines you drink at home and we will point the afternoon at the right door.
Getting there and getting around
Direct flights reach Bordeaux from most UK airports in under two hours, and the airport sits on the city’s western edge, twenty minutes from the Chartrons quarter and half an hour from Medoc’s first tee. Our packages are ground-only with green fees and transfers arranged; where we add the flights they are ATOL protected. A hire car suits golfers who want Lacanau and the coast, but a city-based trip with transfers needs no driving at all beyond the airport runs.
The wider region is on our Bordeaux destination page, and the rest of the country’s best golf is ranked in our best golf courses in France guide.
Our specialists’ favourite stays in France
What our golfers say
4.997 reviews
Thanks Talia, glad we could finally get you back to Le Touquet! We look forward to arranging your next holiday. Simon and the team.
Golf Planet Holidays organised a fantastic golf trip to France for us. Everything was perfectly arranged, and the communication was excellent. Simon and Heather were incredibly helpful throughout. Highly recommended!
Frequently asked questions
How many golf courses are there around Bordeaux?
We sell seven within an hour of the city: the two Medoc courses, Margaux, Grand Saint-Emilionnais, Bordeaux-Lac’s 36 municipal holes, Pessac’s 27 and Lacanau by the coast. A week’s break plays five of them without repeating a tee.
When is the best time for a Bordeaux golf break?
April to June and September to October are ideal: settled weather, firm fairways and the vineyards either in leaf or in harvest. July and August stay very playable with early tee times. Winter golf continues on the sandier courses, with Medoc draining particularly well.
Can you combine golf and wine tours in one break?
Yes, and it is precisely what Bordeaux is for. We schedule chateau visits and tastings around your tee times, usually on the rest day, at estates in the Medoc, Graves or Saint-Emilion depending on where you are playing. Nothing is prescriptive: tell us what you drink and we arrange the door.
How much does a Bordeaux golf break cost?
City-based breaks with green fees and transfers start from about
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.
