Normandy golf holidays

Deauville, Etretat and Saint Gatien: golf along the Norman coast

7 hotels · 14 courses · from £340pp · ATOL Protected

Plan my Normandy trip Talk to a golf expert · 01277 284284

Normandy is golf with a sense of place. The fairways here run between apple orchards and beech woods, along chalk cliffs and down to the long Atlantic beaches, with the smart resort town of Deauville at the heart of it. It is close enough for a short break yet rich enough for a full week, blending the parkland courses around Rouen and Le Vaudreuil with the seaside drama of Etretat and the championship pedigree of New Golf Deauville. Add in the cuisine, the cider and Calvados country, and the moving history of the landing beaches, and you have a region that rewards golfers who want more than just eighteen holes.

We have arranged Normandy golf since 1981. Every itinerary is hand-built and hand-priced around your dates, your group and the courses you want to play.

Why play golf in Normandy

  • A genuine spread of styles within easy reach: clifftop seaside golf, mature parkland and tree-lined inland layouts
  • New Golf Deauville and Saint Gatien give you serious championship-quality golf as the backbone of a trip
  • Etretat, perched above the chalk cliffs, is one of the most photographed and dramatic settings in French golf
  • A compact region, so several contrasting courses sit within a comfortable drive of one base
  • Deauville pairs golf with a polished resort scene of hotels, sea air and Norman gastronomy
  • The parkland courses around Rouen and Le Vaudreuil reward course management over sheer length

The courses you’ll play

The headline course is New Golf Deauville Golf Club, a wooded, undulating layout that has long been the championship name in the region. Close by, Saint Gatien Golf Club offers a generous, well-established test across rolling Norman countryside, while L'Amiraute Golf Club brings a more modern, water-laced design near the coast.

For pure setting, nothing beats Etretat Golf Club, laid out along the cliffs with the famous arches as a backdrop. Inland, the two Rouen courses — Rouen Mont St Aignan Golf Club and Rouen La Foret Verte Golf Club — give you classic tree-lined parkland, and Le Vaudreuil Golf Club rounds out the variety with a mature, parkland-and-water test in the Seine valley. We hand-pick the rotation to suit your group's handicaps and how far you want to travel each day.

Where you’ll stay

Deauville is the natural base, and we know its hotels well. The Hotel du Golf Barriere Deauville sits right on the golf, ideal if you want fairways from the door, while the Normandy Barriere Deauville is the grand, half-timbered landmark in the heart of town for those who want resort polish and sea air.

On the coast at Etretat, the Dormy House places you above the cliffs and beside the golf, and near Honfleur the Auberge de la Source offers a quieter, country-house feel. We match the base to your itinerary — Deauville for the championship cluster, Etretat or Honfleur for a more intimate, coastal stay — and build the rooms, rounds and transfers around it.

Best time to play golf in Normandy

Normandy golf is a summer game. The season runs roughly May to September, when the days are long, the parkland is at its greenest and the coast is at its most inviting around Deauville and Etretat.

June and September are our favourites: warm, settled days, firmer fairways and noticeably quieter courses than the August peak. High summer brings the resort crowds to Deauville and the best of the seaside atmosphere. Winters here are cool and often wet, and the inland parkland courses can play long and soft, so we steer trips firmly into the warmer half of the year. We will build your dates around the conditions you want.

A sense of Normandy

History & heritage

Normandy wears its history openly. The D-Day landing beaches and their memorials are among the most moving sites in Europe, and Omaha Beach sits within the region's golfing belt. Beyond the war story, this is the land of the Bayeux Tapestry, of Rouen's soaring Gothic cathedral that Monet painted again and again, and of the cliffs at Etretat that drew the Impressionists to the coast.

Deauville itself is part of the cultural fabric — boardwalks, racing, film festivals and belle-epoque architecture. A Normandy golf trip naturally folds in this heritage, and we are happy to weave a half-day of history or art into the schedule between rounds.

Food & wine

This is one of France's great larders, and it leans to dairy, orchard and sea rather than the vine. Expect Camembert, Livarot and Pont-l'Eveque cheeses, salt-marsh lamb, and seafood straight off the Channel — oysters, mussels and sole among them.

Normandy is cider and Calvados country: the apple brandy is the local digestif, and pommeau makes a fine aperitif. Look out for the "trou normand", the traditional Calvados pause mid-meal. Deauville and Honfleur are full of accomplished restaurants and harbourside bistros, and a long Norman lunch between or after golf is part of the appeal. We can point your group to the tables worth booking.

Beyond the fairways

There is plenty to fill the non-golf hours. The chalk cliffs and arches of Etretat are a must-see walk, and the painterly harbour at Honfleur is among the prettiest in France. Deauville offers its famous boardwalk, beach, racecourse and smart shopping, while Rouen rewards a day with its medieval old town and cathedral.

The D-Day beaches and museums make a powerful excursion for any group, and the cider route through the orchards is a relaxed way to spend an afternoon. Whether your group wants culture, coast or simply a good lunch, Normandy gives a non-golfing partner just as much to do.

Getting around & exploring

A hire car is the easiest way to enjoy Normandy, as the courses are spread between the coast, Deauville and the Rouen area, and the roads are quiet and well kept. From a Deauville base, the championship cluster — New Golf Deauville, Saint Gatien and L'Amiraute — is close at hand, with Etretat a scenic coastal drive away and Rouen and Le Vaudreuil within reach inland.

We can arrange private transfers and a driver if you would rather not drive, particularly useful if Calvados is on the menu at lunch. Tell us your group size and we will build the ground logistics to match.

Getting there

Normandy is one of the most accessible French regions for UK golfers. The Channel ports of Le Havre, Caen (Ouistreham) and Dieppe all sit within the region, so many guests bring their own car by ferry, with clubs in the boot and no baggage limits.

By air, Paris is the main gateway, with an easy onward drive or transfer to the coast. Flights are not included — they are an optional, ATOL-protected add-on we can arrange separately if you would like us to handle the whole journey. We will advise the smartest route for your dates, your group and where you are flying or sailing from.

Good to know

  • We are ground-only specialists: flights are a separate, ATOL-protected add-on, never bundled in
  • We are not an ABTA member; our credentials are ATOL (flights only), PTS and IATA
  • Normandy is a summer destination — plan for roughly May to September, with June and September the sweet spot
  • Ferry routes via Le Havre, Caen or Dieppe make bringing your own car and clubs simple
  • A hire car or private driver is recommended to link the coastal and inland courses comfortably
  • We hand-pick the courses, hotels and pace to suit your group — every Normandy itinerary is built and priced around you

The courses you’ll play in Normandy

Caen Golf Club, Normandy — Normandy golfCaen Golf Club, NormandyPlayed on tailored stay & play breaksDiscover & tailor your trip →Champ de Bataille Golf Club, Normandy — Normandy golfChamp de Bataille Golf Club, NormandyPlayed on tailored stay & play breaksDiscover & tailor your trip →Dieppe Golf Club — Normandy golfDieppe Golf ClubPlayed on tailored stay & play breaksDiscover & tailor your trip →Etretat Golf Club, Normandy — Normandy golfEtretat Golf Club, NormandyPlayed on tailored stay & play breaksDiscover & tailor your trip →L’Amiraute Golf Club, Normandy — Normandy golfL’Amiraute Golf Club, NormandyPlayed on tailored stay & play breaksDiscover & tailor your trip →Le Havre Golf Club, Le Havre — Normandy golfLe Havre Golf Club, Le HavrePlayed on tailored stay & play breaksDiscover & tailor your trip →

Golf resorts — stay & play on-site

Dormy House , Etretat — Normandy golfDormy House , EtretatEtretat Golf Club, Normandy · Le Havre Golf Club, Le Havrefrom£440per personDiscover & tailor your trip →Hotel du Golf Barriere , Deauville — Normandy golfHotel du Golf Barriere , DeauvilleNew Golf Deauville Golf Club, Normandy · L’Amiraute Golf Club, Normandyfrom£725per personDiscover & tailor your trip →

Hotels — play the area’s courses

Auberge de la Source, Honfleur — Normandy golfAuberge de la Source, HonfleurSaint Gatien Golf Club, Deauville · New Golf Deauville Golf Club, Normandyfrom£340per personDiscover & tailor your trip →Dormy House , Etretat — Normandy golfDormy House , EtretatEtretat Golf Club, Normandy · Le Havre Golf Club, Le Havrefrom£440per personDiscover & tailor your trip →Hotel du Golf Barriere , Deauville — Normandy golfHotel du Golf Barriere , DeauvilleNew Golf Deauville Golf Club, Normandy · L’Amiraute Golf Club, Normandyfrom£725per personDiscover & tailor your trip →Mercure Champ de Mars , Rouen — Normandy golfMercure Champ de Mars , RouenRouen Mont St Aignan Golf Club, Normandy · Rouen La Foret Verte Golf ClubPlayed on tailored stay & play breaksDiscover & tailor your trip →Normandy Barriere , Deauville — Normandy golfNormandy Barriere , DeauvilleNew Golf Deauville Golf Club, Normandy · L’Amiraute Golf Club, Normandyfrom£845per personDiscover & tailor your trip →

Ready to play Normandy?

Tell us your dates and group — we’ll build a tailored itinerary and hand-priced quote, usually within 15 minutes.

Plan my Normandy trip →Talk to a specialist · 01277 284284

ATOL & PTS protected · Tailor-made since 1981

Frequently asked questions

Golf holidays in Normandy — answers to the questions our golfers ask most.

How long is LeShuttle crossing time to France

The Eurotunnel Le Shuttle crossing from Folkestone to Calais takes approximately 35 minutes — one of the quickest ways to reach continental Europe. This makes Northern France, and Le Touquet in particular, one of the most convenient golf destinations from the UK. The total journey from London to Le Touquet is under 2.5 hours door to door. Trains run frequently and you can take your car, making it a seamless experience for golfers who prefer driving to their destination.

Where should I play golf in France?

There are more than 700 golf courses in France. As first steps we would recommend Northern France. There are ten great courses here.  Chat with us about the various choices if you wish to venture further afield.

Is it easy to get around in France?

Getting around France is straightforward. Self-driving is the most popular option — if you've come via Le Shuttle, you already have your car. Trains are excellent for city-to-city travel, particularly from Paris to Bordeaux (2 hours on the TGV). Within golf regions like the Algarve or Brittany, a hire car gives you the freedom to explore at your own pace. We include all airport or station transfers in our packages and can arrange inter-course transfers, so you're never left without options.

Is France good for golf groups?

France is a superb destination for golf groups and societies. The variety of courses — from links at Le Touquet to parkland in the Loire Valley to clifftop courses in Brittany — gives you genuine choice. French resorts are experienced hosting golf groups, and the combination of excellent golf, great food and fine wine makes for an outstanding social trip. We specialise in French golf tours for groups of all sizes and can design a multi-course itinerary with accommodation, transfers and tee times arranged end to end.

Do all the golf courses in France have buggies?

Most good golf courses in France have buggies available, though it varies by venue. Le Touquet's championship courses offer buggies; in Brittany and Normandy, availability depends on the specific course. We always check buggy availability when booking your tee times and confirm in advance. If buggy access is essential for your group — whether for accessibility reasons or preference — just let us know and we'll ensure your selected courses can accommodate you. France's gentler courses can often be walked comfortably.

Is France expensive for golf?

France offers excellent value for golf, particularly compared to the UK. Green fees at top courses like Le Touquet range from €70–130, while many excellent regional courses charge €40–80. Accommodation, food and wine are generally very good value by British standards — particularly outside Paris. A short break combining two to three rounds of golf, quality accommodation and wonderful food typically costs less in France than equivalent quality in Southern England. Northern France is especially competitive on price given its proximity to the UK.

Still have a question? Ask our golf travel team — a free, no-obligation quote, no call centre.

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