Biarritz is one of the cradles of golf in Europe, and the coast around it is a dream tour: links and pinewood courses by Tom Simpson, John Morrison and Robert von Hagge strung along the Basque shore and the dunes of the southern Landes. These are the six courses we rank first for a trip here, and why.
Photograph: Golf de Chiberta, near Biarritz, via Google
This is a tight, rich cluster, so rather than list every club we have ordered the courses worth planning a trip around, drawn from Biarritz itself and the short coast north into the Landes where most of the great golf actually sits. We weighed design pedigree, variety and setting, and we favored the layouts that give a traveling golfer a genuine reason to return, from historic in town charm to modern dune drama.
Every designer and detail here was checked at the time of writing, and the verdicts and the order are ours. The Basque and Landes coast rewards a course a day on a single base, mixing the styles, and pairs golf with surf beaches, Bayonne and the spa towns. See our Biarritz and the Basque coast golf holidays for how the trip comes together, or tell us your dates and our concierge builds and costs it.
The best course in the area and one of the finest in France. Robert von Hagge carved Seignosse out of a hilly pine forest up the coast from Biarritz, with bold elevation changes, water and dramatic, tumbling fairways that feel a world away from the gentler classics nearby. It is the round most visitors rate the highlight of a Basque coast trip, a modern design with real teeth.
The connoisseur's choice and a true two in one. Tom Simpson laid Chiberta on a headland at Anglet in 1927, with a links stretch among the dunes by the sea and a back nine threading through umbrella pines, a rare combination of styles on the same card. Atmospheric, historic and right by the beach, with a hotel on site, it is the most characterful round in the cluster.
A classic pinewood course from 1930, designed by John Morrison among the cork oaks and pines beside the Hossegor lake. Quiet, narrow and beautifully mature, it asks for accuracy off the tee and rewards the thinking golfer, a peaceful, old fashioned pleasure in one of the smartest little resorts on the coast. The kind of course that grows on you over a week.
History and convenience in one. Le Phare, laid out by Willie Dunn in 1888 and named for the town lighthouse, is the second oldest course in France and sits right in Biarritz, a short walk from the grand hotels and the beach. It is short and tree lined rather than a championship test, a charming, walkable round full of heritage that no first trip here should skip.
A Robert Trent Jones Senior design from 1989 further up the Landes coast, mixing open holes through the dunes near the Atlantic with a wooded stretch among the pines. Longer and more expansive than the classics around Biarritz, it adds welcome variety to a touring week and pairs naturally with a few days of beach and surf in the laid back resorts of the silver coast.
A gem south of Biarritz at Saint Jean de Luz, designed by Harry Colt in 1928 and the home club of the Lacoste family of tennis and crocodile logo fame. A gentle, leafy parkland in rolling Basque country, it is more about charm and history than length, and it rounds out the cluster with a relaxed round in one of the prettiest towns on the coast.
Designers and opening years verified June 2026 from club and recognized ranking sources. The order is our editorial view; Seignosse and Chiberta sit at the top for very different reasons, modern drama against historic character. Always confirm access and fees directly before booking.
A course a day along the Basque and Landes coast, a base in Biarritz or Hossegor, and the beaches, Bayonne and the table in between: tell us roughly when and who is travelling, and one concierge builds the trip and costs it to the head, with no obligation.
Golf de Seignosse, a Robert von Hagge design from 1989 set in pine forest and dunes just up the coast in the Landes, is our pick for the best in the Biarritz area. Tom Simpson's Chiberta at Anglet, part links and part pinewood, and the classic John Morrison course at Hossegor are the strongest alternatives, with the historic Le Phare in town the most charming.
The Biarritz and Basque coast cluster, stretching north into the southern Landes, holds a dozen or so courses within an hour's drive, an unusually rich concentration. The headline names are Seignosse, Chiberta, Hossegor, Le Phare, Moliets and Chantaco, enough for a varied week mixing links, pinewood and parkland golf along one beautiful coast.
Late spring and early autumn, roughly May to June and September to October, are ideal, with warm, settled weather and the pine forest courses at their best. The Atlantic climate keeps things green and playable much of the year, though July and August are busy with the beach crowd and winter can bring rain off the ocean.
Indicative 2026 green fees run from around 50 euro at the in town and classic courses to 90 euro or more in peak season at Seignosse and the headline links, with twilight and multi round rates available. Figures move with season and demand, so always confirm directly before booking.
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Researched and written by the GolfForKings editorial desk. Course facts verified June 2026. Last reviewed June 2026.