Not every golf holiday needs to be wall-to-wall golf. Many groups we book now want a rounder trip. A vineyard tasting after the morning round, a long lunch, a chateau in the afternoon, a spa day for whoever sits one out.
Golf Planet Holidays has arranged golf travel since 1981; trips like this are hand-built around your dates, own room where you want one. Here is how we plan a holiday that keeps golfers and non-golfers equally happy, using the Loire Valley as the worked example.
Golf and Wine Holidays: Tee Off and Taste Local Wines
Golf and wine sit together naturally; many good courses were laid out in wine country.
Top destinations for golf and wine holidays:
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France: Bordeaux, Burgundy and, our pick, the Loire Valley, where quiet parkland golf runs close to the cellars of Vouvray and Chinon.
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Italy: Tuscany and Lake Garda. Stronger on food and scenery than on championship golf, and none the worse for it.
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South Africa: the Cape Winelands pair championship courses with serious wine estates.
In the Loire we would base you at Chateau de Beaulieu on the edge of Tours, from
Golf and Spa Breaks: The Perfect Way to Unwind
A spa day suits couples or mixed groups where not everyone plays every day. Golf in the morning, pool by three.
Top destinations for golf and spa holidays:
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Portugal: many golf resorts around the Algarve and Lisbon have proper spas on site.
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Madeira: scenic golf, good spa hotels, a relaxed pace.
Manage your expectations on one point: the Loire’s chateau hotels are long on character and shorter on serious spas, so if a full treatment menu is the priority, the Algarve does it better. What the Loire offers instead is the chateau life. Chateau des Sept Tours, a four-star chateau north of Tours with golf on site, from
Planning the Perfect Golf and Lifestyle Holiday
To get the balance right:
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Choose somewhere the golf and the sightseeing genuinely sit close together. The Mercure Orleans Centre, from
£395 (≈ €455) (≈ $525) (≈ CA$735) (≈ AU$755) (≈ NZ$895) (≈ CHF 425) (≈ kr 5,065) (≈ kr 5,065) (≈ kr 3,435) -
Pick hotels with something beyond the golf: L’Hostellerie du Chateau les Muids at La Ferte St Aubin, from
£440 (≈ €505) (≈ $585) (≈ CA$825) (≈ AU$835) (≈ NZ$1,005) (≈ CHF 475) (≈ kr 5,635) (≈ kr 5,645) (≈ kr 3,825) -
Build in non-golf days. Five rounds in five days leaves no room for the region.
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Be realistic about driving. The Loire is self-drive and the distances add up, so we usually plan two bases, with the Grand Hotel de Solesmes, from
£225 (≈ €255) (≈ $295) (≈ CA$415) (≈ AU$425) (≈ NZ$515) (≈ CHF 235) (≈ kr 2,885) (≈ kr 2,885) (≈ kr 1,955)
Why Book with Golf Planet Holidays?
No two groups want the same trip, so we do not sell a fixed one. Every holiday is hand-built: golf for the players, wine and sightseeing for the rest, own rooms where needed. Your booking sits under PTS protection, and should we arrange flights as part of the package, those come with ATOL protection too.
Get in touch and tell us who is coming. We will build the rest around them.
What a golf break here costs by month, Loire Valley
| 0.98 | 1.00 | 1.03 | 1.00 | 1.00 | 1.02 | 1.07 | 1.28 | 1.13 | 0.96 | 0.98 | 0.92 |
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
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Where to stay & play in Loire Valley
Price your Loire Valley golf break →
What our golfers say
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Frequently asked questions
How much does a golf holiday in Loire Valley cost?
Hand-built golf breaks in Loire Valley start from
Do you arrange flights to Loire Valley?
Flights can be added as an ATOL-protected option, or you book your own and we handle everything on the ground — private transfers, tee times and buggies.
Is my money protected?
Yes. Every booking is financially protected through Protected Trust Services (PTS) — your money is held safely in trust until you have travelled. Flight-inclusive trips are also ATOL protected.
Can I tailor the trip?
Always. We don’t sell off-the-shelf packages — every Loire Valley break is built personally around your group, your preferred courses and your dates.
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.
