French golf splits between two glories: the golden age heathland north of Paris, where Tom Simpson and Harry Colt laid out some of Europe's finest courses, and the modern championship stage of Le Golf National. Here are the ten we rate most highly, ranked, with our verdict and how to play each.
Photograph: Les Bordes Golf Club, Les Bordes Golf Club, via Google
France is one of golf's quiet treasures. The sandy belt north of Paris holds a cluster of golden age courses, Morfontaine, Chantilly, Fontainebleau and Saint-Germain, that rank with the best inland golf anywhere in Europe, mostly the work of the great British architects Tom Simpson and Harry Colt in the 1920s. Add the modern drama of Le Golf National, the southwest links around Biarritz, the clifftop spectacle of Corsica and the polished resort golf of Provence, and France offers a remarkable spread of styles within easy reach.
We weighed design quality, conditioning, championship pedigree and the simple pleasure of the round, and we noted access plainly, because several of the very best are private members clubs that a visitor cannot easily play. Every fact here, from designers and founding years to host events, was checked at the time of writing. The verdicts are ours, the order reflects our editors' view rather than any single published list, and reasonable people will reorder the top five. If you want any of these built into a costed trip, that is exactly what our concierge does.
Almost universally rated the finest course in France and one of the great inland courses in Europe. Tom Simpson's heathland masterpiece sits in the sandy forest of the Oise north of Paris, a routing of perfect, understated holes among pine and silver birch that rewards thought over power. A modern restoration by Kyle Phillips has kept it faithful to Simpson's vision. A deeply private members club, and an invitation here is one of the most coveted in golf.
A bold, beautiful and brutally difficult course carved from an ancient forest in the Sologne, south of the Loire. Texan architect Robert von Hagge's design uses water on more than half the holes and remains one of the most demanding tests on the continent, set on a private estate with a new sister course and a five star lodge. A bucket list round for those who can arrange access through the resort.
A classic Tom Simpson parkland and heathland course in the forest near the great racing town of Chantilly, long the home of the French Open before Le Golf National, with eleven championships to its name. Elegant, strategic and beautifully maintained, the Vineuil course is a connoisseur's favourite and a fixture in any French top five. A private club that admits visitors on limited weekday terms.
The modern championship stage of French golf and the most famous course in the country, a man made stadium layout near Versailles that staged the 2018 Ryder Cup and the 2024 Olympic Games. Water lined and amphitheatre shaped, with the dramatic island green finish that crowned Europe in 2018, it is owned by the French Golf Federation and, crucially, open to visitors. The one to build a trip around.
A glorious heathland course set in the royal forest of Fontainebleau south of Paris, all heather, sand and ancient oaks, with rock outcrops and wild boar to remind you where you are. Tom Simpson's design is natural, quiet and beautifully proportioned, one of the most charming rounds in France and a perfect companion to a visit to the chateau. A private club with some visitor access.
Harry Colt's elegant parkland on the plateau west of Paris near Saint-Germain-en-Laye, a pure, classic course of fine bunkering and lovely flow that has hosted the French Open and the Lancome Trophy. Less heathy than its neighbours but no less admired, it completes the remarkable ring of golden age courses around the capital. A private club open to visitors on weekdays.
A rare and wonderful hybrid on the Basque coast at Anglet, where Tom Simpson routed half the holes through pine forest and half across true links land along the Atlantic dunes. Atmospheric, breezy and full of character, it anchors the historic golf scene around Biarritz and pairs beautifully with the region's other courses. More accessible to visitors than the Paris clubs.
One of the most spectacular clifftop courses in the Mediterranean, a Robert Trent Jones Senior design on the southern tip of Corsica with holes plunging along the rocks above turquoise sea. The closing stretch by the water is unforgettable on a calm day, and the setting alone earns it a place. A resort course that welcomes visiting golfers.
A beautiful Tom Simpson course among the pines and dunes of the Opal Coast south of Boulogne, an easy hop from the Channel and long a favourite of travelling British golfers. Graceful, tree lined and quietly testing, Les Pins is the pick of the northern French coast and a natural addition to a short break from England.
The polished face of modern French resort golf, a Dave Thomas designed championship course on a luxury estate in the hills of Provence near Fayence, with two courses, a five star hotel and spa and a renowned academy. Manicured, dramatic and beautifully sited above the Var countryside, it is the southern counterpoint to the golden age clubs of the north.
Designers, opening years and host history verified June 2026. Several of these are private members clubs with limited or no visitor access, noted where relevant. Course profiles are added across the site as the directory grows. Always confirm visitor access and fees directly before booking.
Tell us which of these courses you want to play and roughly when. One concierge costs the whole trip to the head and replies within one working day, with no obligation.
Golf de Morfontaine, Tom Simpson's heathland masterpiece north of Paris, is almost universally rated the finest course in France, a private club of perfect, understated golf among the pines and sand of the Oise. Les Bordes in the Loire Valley and the championship Albatros at Le Golf National, host of the 2018 Ryder Cup and the 2024 Olympics, are the other courses at the top of any French list.
Yes. Le Golf National near Versailles is a public facility owned by the French Golf Federation, and the Albatros, the Ryder Cup and Olympic course, can be booked by visitors, unlike the private members clubs such as Morfontaine and Chantilly. It is the most accessible of the great French courses and the one to build a Paris trip around.
New course openings, Le Golf National tee time windows and the trips our concierge is quietly building. Every other week.