★★★★★
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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UK → Provence
Two Dave Thomas courses, one 301-hectare Provence estate, and you drive to it. Clubs in the boot, Beaune or Burgundy on the way down, straight onto the resort when you arrive.
Terre Blanche Château et Riou Golf Clubs, Tourrettes
- Dave Thomas Design
- 36 holes on-site
- Leading Hotels of the World
Resort aerial — the hotel village, pools and wooded Provence hills
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What our guests say about Terre Blanche
Reviews from past Golf Planet Holidays clients, shared with their permission.
★★★★★
Having used Golf Planet Holidays for our Golf trips for a number of years, we of course got in touch with Nigel and Simon to arrange this years trip to Tenerife. As always the trip was arranged exactly as requested and the team at Golf Planet Holidays ensured everything was ju…
★★★★★
We have just returned from South Africa, and Golf Planet arranged all our golf, hotel and care hire. Heather and Nigel were excellent and everything went according to plan. We couldn’t recommend them highly enough.
Reviews labelled Resort review are independent guest reviews attributed to their public source. Reviews labelled Golf Planet customer are from past Golf Planet Holidays clients and shared with their permission.
THE TERRE BLANCHE FRANCE COLLECTION
Choose your Provence golf experience
Three ways into Terre Blanche — start with Silver for a self-drive Provence taster, step up to Gold for the full road-trip with spa and an away-day round at Barbaroux, or aspire to Platinum for the five-night Premier Suite week. Available May, June & September 2026 only — Availability windows are tight, the courses are sometimes restricted on short stays.
Best for first-timers
Short Provence Break
The Silver Provence Break
3 nights
2 rounds
Recommended months: May, June & September 2026
A taster break — three nights of Provence sunshine, two championship rounds at Terre Blanche, and one easy self-drive south through France to find them. The trip that opens the door to French golf at its best.
- 3 nights B&B Deluxe Suite
- 2 rounds across Le Château and Le Riou (subject to availability — on short stays both courses rarely open the same window)
- Shared buggy & practice balls
£995pp
Upgrade to Gold for full restaurant + vineyard concierge
Most clients choose this
Best Value · Spa + Optional Away-Day Round
The Gold Provence Trip
4 nights
3 rounds
Recommended months: May, June & September 2026
Four nights at Terre Blanche, three rounds across the championship layouts (subject to availability), spa treatments arranged, and an optional away-day round at nearby Barbaroux Golf — the next-most-played course in this part of France. Full self-drive guidance from Calais to Provence. You'll speak to senior team members every time you call, because we are a full service French golf travel company.
The full road-trip — drive down via Beaune, settle into four nights of golf and Provençal evenings on the Terre Blanche terrace. Terre Blanche sits in its own 301-hectare estate so most dining and tasting happens on-resort; we arrange spa appointments and an optional away-day round at Barbaroux Golf if your party wants more than the on-site courses can offer.
- 4 nights B&B Deluxe Suite
- 3 rounds across Le Château and Le Riou (subject to availability)
- Shared buggy, practice balls & expert France self-drive route
- Spa treatments and on-resort dining reservations arranged for you
- Optional away-day round at Barbaroux Golf (own transport — Terre Blanche is rurally located, no transfer service)
- We'll arrange overnight stops in France on the way out and home
LeShuttle 5-day ticket
included
3rd round of championship golf
included
£1,655pp
Aspire to Platinum — fully tailored milestone trip
Fully tailored — milestone French golf trips
Aspire to Platinum · 5 nights
The Platinum Provence Experience
5 nights
4 rounds
Recommended months: May, June & September 2026
A five-night Premier Suite stay at Terre Blanche — five-star Provençal estate golf, four rounds across the championship Le Château and Le Riou layouts (subject to availability — at short stays the courses are rarely both open the same window). FlexiPlus LeShuttle so the drive south through France becomes part of the holiday.
- 5 nights B&B in a Premier Suite
- 4 rounds across Le Château and Le Riou (subject to availability)
- On-resort dining reservations, including Le Faventia where available
- FlexiPlus LeShuttle ticket included
FlexiPlus LeShuttle ticket
included
£1,945pp
Our fully-tailored French golf trip with bespoke extras
ATOL & PTS protected
Provence golf as a proper UK self-drive road trip
Le Château and Le Riou both sit on the same 301-hectare estate — same gate, same car park. Drive down via Beaune in two days, settle into a Deluxe Suite, play whichever course you fancy in the morning. Provence averages 300+ days of sunshine a year, which makes May, June and September the windows you actually want — and makes this the Provence week serious golfers take with their wife, where the spa does the heavy lifting on the off-day.
The Golf
Two Dave Thomas courses on the one estate — that's the headline. Le Château is the longer card: 7,087 yards from the back tees, par 72, dramatic elevation, a few honest carries. Le Riou plays shorter at 6,567 yards, par 72, tighter through the trees, more about angles than length. Thomas co-designed The Brabazon at The Belfry with Peter Alliss — the only course to have hosted the Ryder Cup four times (1985, 1989, 1993, 2002). The Albatros Performance Center on site holds a David Leadbetter Academy under master instructor Alain Alberti if you want a lesson during the trip.
The Stay
301 hectares of private Provençal estate. 115 suites and villas — generously sized, so you and your party have room to breathe. A 3,200 sq m spa with Valmont and KOS Paris treatments, Le Faventia plus further on-resort restaurants, and the assurance of Leading Hotels of the World membership. It feels luxurious without ever feeling stiff — exactly the balance that makes clients relax from night one.
Why It Works for Self-Drive Golfers
One base. Your own car, your own schedule. Drive down via LeShuttle, break the journey overnight in the Loire or Burgundy, then arrive to ~300 days of Provençal sunshine and a resort where golf, spa, restaurants and villas are all on one estate. You get the Provence golf trip you've always promised yourselves — but it still feels like a proper holiday for the non-golfer.
Why 4 nights, not 3
The Silver gives you 3 nights and 2 rounds — one round on each course, enough to say you've played them both. The Gold is the one serious golfers actually want, because Terre Blanche has two separate 18-hole championship courses on the same 301-hectare estate, and the third round on Gold lets you go back and play whichever of the two you preferred. The one regret clients talk about afterwards is driving to Provence and not having time for that second round on the course they liked best.
- Le Château — 7,087 yards, Par 72, Dave Thomas design. Co-designer of The Brabazon at The Belfry — the only Ryder Cup four-time host
- Le Riou — ~6,567 yards, Par 72, shorter and more technical with narrower fairways through the trees
- 115 luxury villas & suites — Leading Hotels of the World member
- Le Faventia + further restaurants, all on-site
- 3,200 sq m spa — Valmont & KOS Paris treatments, Leading Hotels of the World
- David Leadbetter Academy at the Albatros Performance Center on-site
- Provence sunshine · UK self-drive via LeShuttle · natural Beaune stopover
Course Facts That Matter
Dave Thomas pedigree: the British architect behind both Terre Blanche courses co-designed The Brabazon at The Belfry — the only course in history to host the Ryder Cup four times — and shaped more than 100 courses worldwide.
| Attribute | Le ChâteauChampionship layout | Le Riou | What This Means |
|---|---|---|---|
| Designer | Dave Thomas | Dave Thomas | The Brabazon / Belfry connection gives both courses instant credibility with serious golfers |
| Holes | 18 | 18 | A full day on each — enough variety for a 4-night trip with a round to spare |
| Par | 72 | 72 | Two championship par-72 layouts on the same Provençal estate |
| Yardage | 7,087 yards | ~6,567 yards | Championship length without punishing mixed-handicap clients |
| Style | Target / Parkland | Narrower, technical | Le Château rewards driving; Le Riou rewards course management |
| Best for | Drivers, shot-shapers, course experience hunters | Shot-makers, technical challenge seekers | Two very different golfing personalities — which is exactly why Signature 4 nights / 3 rounds is the sweet spot |
| Difficulty | ★★★★☆ | ★★★☆☆ | Play Le Riou on arrival day — save Le Château for when you're warmed up |
| Signature moment | Standing on an elevated tee, looking down over one of Le Château's dramatic par 3s before committing to the shot | Picking your line into a guarded green through mature trees, where the approach matters more than brute force | Different kinds of adrenaline: one cinematic, one surgical |
| Buggies | Shared buggy included | Shared buggy included | No hidden extras |
| Practice | Albatros Performance Center | Albatros Performance Center | David Leadbetter Academy on-site |
Le Château
7,087 yards
Yardage
72
Par
★★★★☆
Difficulty
Style
Target / Parkland
Best for
Drivers, shot-shapers, course experience hunters
Standing on an elevated tee, looking down over one of Le Château's dramatic par 3s before committing to the shot
Le Riou
~6,567 yards
Yardage
72
Par
★★★☆☆
Difficulty
Style
Narrower, technical
Best for
Shot-makers, technical challenge seekers
Picking your line into a guarded green through mature trees, where the approach matters more than brute force
Both courses share
- Designer: Dave Thomas
- Holes: 18
- Par: 72
- Buggies: Shared buggy included
- Practice: Albatros Performance Center
Two very different golfing personalities — which is exactly why Signature 4 nights / 3 rounds is the sweet spot
Tourrettes, Var, Provence
Calais → Terre Blanche: direct or via Beaune
LeShuttle from Folkestone
Golf on-site, no transfer needed
Option A: Beaune Road Trip
Option B: Direct Run
Folkestone → Coquelles: 35 mins (LeShuttle)
Coquelles/Calais → Terre Blanche: ~1,200 km direct or 2 easier days with Beaune
Beaune overnight works naturally with the route south
Getting There
Two smart ways to drive to Terre Blanche
Both routes start with LeShuttle from Folkestone to Coquelles, and every package includes the same 5-Day LeShuttle ticket.
Most clients choose this
Option A: The Road Trip (Recommended)
An honest two-day drive with time to settle into Burgundy before Provence.
-
LeShuttle Folkestone → Coquelles — 35 min crossing
A straightforward start that gets you into France quickly and comfortably.
-
Day 1: Calais → Beaune, Burgundy — ~6.5 hrs driving, ~617km
Overnight in Beaune for wine country, dinner and a proper chance to decompress.
-
Overnight in Beaune
Wine country, dinner, time to decompress — and optionally add a round at Beaune Levernois before heading south.
-
Day 2: Beaune → Terre Blanche — ~6.5 hrs, ~596km via the A6/A7
The Autoroute du Soleil does the hard work for you as the scenery shifts from Lyon towards Provence.
"The road opens up past Lyon and Provence takes over."
Option B: The Direct Run
A long same-day run for golfers with 2 drivers who would rather press on.
-
LeShuttle Folkestone → Coquelles — 35 min crossing
Exactly the same easy channel crossing, just with no overnight stop built in.
-
Calais → Terre Blanche — ~1,208km via A26/A5/A6/A7
Follow the autoroute corridor south through Reims, Troyes and Lyon, then finish on local roads into Tourrettes.
-
Best with 2 drivers sharing a long road day
This is the press-on version rather than the relaxed version — no overnight stop, but a later arrival and proper rest stops are essential.
Not a call centre — talk to the person running your trip
Simon Crawley
Manager · Golf Planet Holidays
Hi — I'm Simon, and I've been in the travel industry for over 30 years, in golf specifically since 1999. I'm fluent in French and play off 17. When you enquire about Terre Blanche, I'll work with our team to shape the trip around your dates — choosing the right rooms and tee times, organising all your travel arrangements, and making sure the price is right. Once we have confirmation back from the resort we'll come back to you with the best options.
I always try and put myself in my clients' position while working on itineraries — as a fellow holidaymaker it's important to understand people's needs.
The light here, when it settles late afternoon over the Var hills, makes the case for Provence on its own — before a club has been swung.
— Golf Planet HolidaysBeyond the Golf
Tourrettes puts you at the centre of Provence.
Cannes in 35 minutes. Monaco in an hour. Nine medieval hilltop villages on the doorstep. The Gorges du Verdon — Europe's Grand Canyon — in 90. Terre Blanche isn't just a golf resort; it's a launchpad for one of Europe's most varied regions.
~300
days of Provence sunshine
2 days
via Beaune or Burgundy
9
medieval hilltop villages
35–90 min
Cannes · Monaco · Verdon
Evenings worth staying up for
On-resort dining is genuinely outstanding — a fine-dining room, a terrace restaurant and a proper grill. But the villages of Pays de Fayence are 10 minutes away, and Provence wine country begins at the edge of the estate.
On resort
Le Faventia
Terre Blanche's signature dining room. Refined French-Mediterranean cooking, the kind of dinner that defines the whole trip. Book early — tables go fast in peak season.
On resort
Le Gaudina
Contemporary plates, a stylish terrace and an easy resort feel. The smart call for a long relaxed lunch or an elegant evening without overdressing.
On resort
Le Tousco
Casual and easy after 36 holes. Good food, cold wine, no fuss. The right choice when you just want to eat well and wind down properly.
8 km · 12 min
Fayence village
Medieval streets, art galleries and a proper Provençal village square. Weekly market on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. Exactly the kind of non-resort evening that makes the trip feel complete.
Fayence & villages
Best local restaurants
L'Auberge Fleurie and La Farigoulette for classic Provençal cooking. Le 8 and Le France for livelier evenings. These are the local spots clients come back from talking about.
15–25 min
Seillans · Callian · Montauroux
The region holds nine medieval perched villages. Seillans is among France's official Les Plus Beaux Villages. Perfect for sunset aperitifs and the kind of slow Provence evening you planned the trip around.
15–30 min
Côtes de Provence tastings
A dozen domaines within easy reach offer private tastings. Rosé, of course — but serious reds too. An easy half-afternoon that adds a proper wine-country layer to the trip.
Want help mixing golf, Provençal villages and Riviera day trips into the right itinerary for your party's pace and budget? Our Provence specialists know the region inside out. Terre Blanche pairs naturally with Normandy or Burgundy for the full French self-drive Grand Tour.
Ask our Provence specialistsPractical questions
The questions our self-drive guests ask before booking Terre Blanche
Provence is the longest of our three drives — these answers cover the journey, the resort, the two courses and the Riviera around it. Checked against primary sources in May 2026.
Calais to Tourrettes — how do most couples actually do this drive?
It's around 1,170 km via the A26 / A6 / A7 / A8 — about 10½ hours of driving and roughly €95–120 in tolls each way. We always recommend breaking the journey into two days, with an overnight stop near Beaune, Lyon or Valence on the way south.
We can build the overnight stops into your itinerary — handpicked hotels with secure parking and a proper dinner at the end of the day. Many clients pair Terre Blanche with Burgundy, the Loire or another French stop so the drive becomes part of the holiday rather than just a long transfer.
Is Terre Blanche a Relais & Châteaux property?
No — and we should be straight about that. Terre Blanche is a member of The Leading Hotels of the World, not Relais & Châteaux. It's a 5-star resort with 115 suites and villas across a 301-hectare private estate in the Var hills, which is a different kind of luxury again.
There are two 18-hole courses — how do they differ?
Both Le Château and Le Riou were designed by Dave Thomas. Le Château (par 72, 6,616 m / 7,087 yards) is the championship course, ranked 12th best in Continental Europe by Golf World UK in 2019. Le Riou (18 holes, 6,005 m / roughly 6,567 yards) is the more strategic, scenic round — it hosts the Terre Blanche Ladies Open on the LET Access Series.
The resort itself was named the 2nd Best Golf Resort in Continental Europe by Golf World UK in 2022. Most of our Signature guests play one course twice and the other once across four nights.
What's the coaching setup like — is the Leadbetter Academy really there?
Yes. The Albatros Golf Performance Center is home to the David Leadbetter Academy, with adult and junior programmes plus a rooftop driving range. We can pre-book a half-day or full-day clinic as part of your trip — it's one of the things that makes a Terre Blanche stay genuinely different.
What's the spa and dining offer at the resort?
The 3,200 m² spa uses KOS Paris and Valmont treatments across 14 massage rooms, with an indoor pool, an outdoor vitality pool and a fragrant garden.
Dining: Le Faventia is the fine-dining restaurant; Le Gaudina is gastronomic, Le Tousco is Mediterranean, Les Caroubiers is the relaxed pool-side option, and Le Pitchoun is a dedicated children's buffet for under-12s.
Can we visit Saint-Tropez, Cannes and the Riviera from here? How long does it take?
Yes — this is one of the great strengths of the location:
• Cannes: around 35 minutes
• The Riviera coast: around 45 minutes
• Saint-Tropez: around 1 hour 10 minutes (Wikipedia and some guidebooks still say 45 minutes — it isn't, the road through the hill villages takes longer than the map suggests)
Closer to home, the medieval village of Fayence is about 8 km / 10 minutes away, and we can recommend half a dozen wineries within an easy drive.
Do we need a Crit'Air vignette for Provence and the Côte d'Azur?
Crit'Air stickers are only legally required when driving into a designated Low Emission Zone (ZFE). Lyon's ZFE is on the A6/A7 corridor — the motorway itself bypasses the city centre, but a stop in central Lyon would require a sticker. Provence and the Côte d'Azur towns currently sit outside the strict national ZFE list, but additional cities are adding their own restrictions.
For €3.70 at certificat-air.gouv.fr/en/ — and a couple of weeks' postal lead time — it's the cheapest peace of mind on the trip. We always recommend ordering it.
What documents and kit do we need for the self-drive?
Your UK photocard licence is enough; no IDP required for standard UK photocard licences. Carry a warning triangle, a hi-vis vest inside the cabin (not the boot), and fit headlamp beam deflectors on your right-hand-drive car.
Number plate must display the Union Flag and 'UK' identifier — old 'GB' stickers are no longer valid; use a white oval 'UK' sticker instead. Apply for the free GHIC card at nhsbsa.nhs.uk and carry it alongside your travel insurance. We'll cover all of this in our pre-trip pack.