France is one of the most rewarding golf trips a group can take and one of the most overlooked, a short flight from the UK with a Ryder Cup venue near Paris, five star resorts in Provence and on the Riviera, modern masterpieces in the Loire and classic links on the Opal Coast. Add the food, the wine and the easy pace, and it is built for a buddies trip. Here are the seven courses we would build a group trip around, ranked, with our verdict on each and how to play it.
Photograph: Le Golf National, via Google
A great buddies trip needs more than one great course. It needs golf a group of mixed handicaps can enjoy and talk about for years, a base with somewhere to eat and drink after the round, and an easy itinerary that does not waste the trip in the car. France delivers all three better than almost anywhere in Europe, yet most travelling golfers still default to Spain or Portugal. The headline is Le Golf National outside Paris, where everyday golfers can take on the same Albatros course that decided the 2018 Ryder Cup and staged the 2024 Olympic golf. From there the country opens up by region.
We weighed the quality of the golf, how well each course suits a group rather than a solo purist, the strength of the base around it and the ease of getting there, because a buddies trip lives or dies on logistics as much as on the courses. We leaned toward courses a visiting group can actually book, which is why the famous private clubs near Paris are not on this list. The order is our editors' view, so reorder the resorts to suit your group. If you want any of these built into a costed trip with the tee times and lodging secured, that is exactly what our concierge does.
The best buddies round in France, the stadium course designed by Hubert Chesneau and von Hagge that hosted the 2018 Ryder Cup, where Europe routed the United States, and the 2024 Olympic golf. A par 72 that stretches past 7,200 yards from the tips, its water lined closing holes around the 18th are some of the most recognisable in the game, and the thrill of playing them as a group is the trip's centrepiece. Public, near Versailles, and unforgettable.
The flagship course at France's finest golf resort, in the hills of Provence above Cannes, a Dave Thomas design that tumbles through oak and pine with elevation, water and beautifully kept surfaces. Paired with a five star hotel, a spa and the gentler Le Riou course next door, it is the most complete base on the list for a group that wants the golf and the comfort in one place. The Riviera is half an hour away when the clubs go back in the bag.
A modern heathland masterpiece in the forests of the Sologne south of Orleans, designed by Gil Hanse and Jim Wagner and opened in 2021, where fairways melt into natural sandy scrub and the green contouring is among the most sophisticated in Europe. It joins the brutal, beloved Old Course by Robert von Hagge to make Les Bordes a two course pilgrimage. A members club with stay and play access, so a group plans ahead, but worth every effort.
An early Bill Coore solo design in the vines north of Bordeaux, now part of the Cabot family as Cabot Bordeaux, with a heathland flavour of gorse, broom and firm turf that plays far better than its flat setting suggests. The sister Les Vignes course and an on site hotel make it an easy two course base, and the obvious pairing of golf and the great wine chateaux of the Medoc is the most civilised buddies trip in France.
A true links on the dunes of the Opal Coast, designed by the legendary partnership of Harry Colt and Charles Alison, a short drive or quick hop from the UK that feels a world away. Firm, rumpled fairways and sea breezes give it real links character, and the seaside town of Le Touquet has the restaurants and bars to round off the day. Pairs naturally with Hardelot up the coast for a classic two course links break.
A Tom Simpson design from the late 1920s laid out through pines and heather near Boulogne, blending heathland and links character with the architect's trademark strategic bunkering. Quieter and more sheltered than Le Touquet, it is a favourite of golfers in the know and the perfect companion round on an Opal Coast trip. Easy to reach by ferry or the tunnel, which makes it one of the best value golf breaks from the UK.
A dramatic Robert von Hagge design tucked into a wooded valley above Cannes, tight, tumbling and full of risk and reward, with a smart boutique hotel and spa attached. It is more of a precision test than a bomber's course, which keeps a mixed group honest, and the setting and the Riviera nightlife on the doorstep make it the most glamorous base on the list. Pair it with Terre Blanche for a two course Cote d'Azur trip.
Designers, opening years and tournament history verified June 2026 from the clubs and recognized course databases; access, conditioning and green fees vary by season and year. Always confirm visitor access and fees directly before booking. Check tee time availability.
Tell us the group, the rough dates and whether you want the Paris and Ryder Cup golf, a Provence or Riviera resort base, the Bordeaux wine country or an Opal Coast links break, and we will build it. One concierge secures the tee times, sorts the lodging and the drives, and costs the whole trip to the head, with no obligation.
Le Golf National's Albatros, the stadium course outside Paris that hosted the 2018 Ryder Cup and the 2024 Olympic golf, is the standout buddies round in France. It is a genuine championship test that everyday golfers can play, with grandstand memories on every hole. Terre Blanche in Provence and Les Bordes in the Loire are the other essential stops, the first a five star resort and the second one of the great modern courses in Europe.
It depends on the trip. Paris and Versailles put Le Golf National and several fine courses within easy reach for a short break with a city at the end of it. The French Riviera around Cannes pairs Royal Mougins and Terre Blanche with sunshine and a lively after golf scene. The Opal Coast near Le Touquet is a classic short flight links trip, and Bordeaux marries golf at Golf du Medoc with the wine country. Pick one region per trip rather than driving the whole country.
Late spring, from May to June, and early autumn, from September to October, are the prime windows across most of France, with warm, settled weather and the courses in peak condition. The Riviera and the south play well into October and from March, while the Paris and Opal Coast courses are at their best in summer. Always confirm conditions and tee times before booking.
French golf, the tee time windows and the trips worth taking. Every other week.
Researched and written by the GolfForKings editorial desk. Designers, opening years and tournament history verified June 2026. Last reviewed June 2026.