Few rounds in northern France ask as much of your legs and your judgement at the same time. The terrain here rises and falls across 262 measured metres of climb, which is a proper day's work on foot. Add the prevailing south-westerly off the coast and you have
Few rounds in northern France ask as much of your legs and your judgement at the same time. The terrain here rises and falls across 262 measured metres of climb, which is a proper day’s work on foot. Add the prevailing south-westerly off the coast and you have a course that rewards a clear head over a big swing. The setting on the Normandy coast does the rest.
The defining feature is the combination of slope and sea wind. Holes tumble downhill and then drag back up, and that south-westerly keeps shifting from in-your-face to over-your-shoulder as the routing turns. The par is derived rather than read off the official card, but it plays like a tight two-under-par-72 test, somewhere around par 70, where scoring comes from holding your line rather than overpowering anything. Get the club selection right and it is fair. Misjudge the wind and the hills will punish you.
The ninth is the signature hole and, by the measured data, the hardest on the property. It climbs uphill into the prevailing wind, so it plays a good deal longer than the number suggests. Treat it as a full two-shotter. Driver off the tee, then a mid or long iron in, and do not be shy with the club. Most players leave their approach short here because the slope and the breeze both eat distance. Club up. A par feels like a birdie.
After that, the two long holes on the back nine carry the rest of the difficulty, and they could not be more different in how they ask to be played. The fifteenth runs downhill with a crosswind pushing across the line of flight. The drop helps, but that side wind will drift a loose drive into trouble, so favour the upwind side off the tee and let the gradient feed the ball back. It plays like a three-shotter where position beats power every time. Take what the hole gives, leave yourself a flat number for the third, and walk off content with a five.
The sixteenth is the calmer of the two on paper and the easier to spoil. It sits flat with the wind behind, which tempts you to chase the green. Resist that. The downwind help is real, so take less club than instinct says and play it as a measured three-shot hole, working the ball into position rather than firing at everything. Power is not the asset here. Placement is. A controlled layup leaves a wedge, and that is where your birdie chance lives.
Where our specialists would stay in France
| Hole | Par | Plays | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9 | ~4 | Uphill, into the wind | Signature and the toughest. Club up, full two-shotter |
| 15 | ~5 | Downhill, crosswind | Allow for drift off the tee, position over power |
| 16 | ~5 | Flat, downwind | Take less club, layup and wedge it close |
| 7 | ~3 | Uphill, into the wind | A short hole that plays long, take one more |
This is a course for the player who enjoys thinking their way round and does not mind a hilly walk, or who is happy in a buggy. The constant changes in gradient and wind direction make it a satisfying test for mid and low handicappers who like to shape shots and manage their misses. Higher handicappers will enjoy it too, provided they take enough club uphill and into the breeze, which is most of the front nine. With twelve par fours, a cluster of short holes and only a pair of par fives, driving accuracy matters more than length.
On timing, the shoulder months are your friends in Normandy. Late spring, from May into June, brings settled days and firm enough turf to get some run on the ball. September into early October is the other window, with quieter fairways and the south-westerly often softer than midsummer. July and August play well but get busier. The depths of winter can leave the steeper holes heavy underfoot.
The climb is the thing to be straight about. At 262 metres of total ascent, this is a hilly course, and walking it carrying a bag will leave most golfers tired well before the closing stretch. A buggy is genuinely advised here, not a luxury, and on a wet day the steeper holes can feel like hard going even with one. If you struggle with hills, factor that in before you book, and build a buggy into the plan from the start.
We arrange tee times at Omaha Beach Golf Club as part of a tailor-made trip to Normandy, with a hotel to match and the rounds you want to play. See what it’d cost
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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!
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