Omaha Beach

The verdict

Few rounds in France carry the weight of place that Omaha Beach does. Yves Bureau routed the course from 1986 across the bluffs above Port en Bessin, on ground that looks straight out over the English Channel toward the D-Day landing beaches. The holes are named for the generals and colonels of the campaign, and the most memorable of them, the clifftop run on the La Mer nine, stands among the most photographed golf in northern France.

This is resort golf with a serious sense of occasion rather than a tournament test. The par 72 La Mer combination plays to about 6,266 yards, firm and breezy when the wind is up off the water, parkland and sheltered when it turns inland through Le Bocage. Pair it with the American cemetery at Colleville, the Arromanches harbour and a plate of Norman oysters, and a day at Omaha Beach becomes one of the most resonant on any French golf itinerary.

The holes worth the trip

Omaha Beach divides into three nines, La Mer, Le Bocage and Le Manoir, and the two you want strung together are La Mer and Le Bocage as the 18 hole card. La Mer is the show, climbing to the cliff edge where the fairways and greens are framed by nothing but sky and the grey-blue Channel beyond. The signature short hole on the seaward side plays straight toward the water, and on a clear day you can pick out the remains of the Mulberry harbour off Arromanches.

Le Bocage turns inland through hedgerows and Norman farmland, a quieter, more sheltered stretch that rewards position off the tee and gives a breather from the wind. Le Manoir, rebuilt in 2006 from the old L'Etang loop, weaves through woods and ponds and plays a touch tighter, a good third nine for a full day on site.

None of it is brutally long, and that is the point. Omaha Beach is about the setting and the variety of looks, the sea on one side and the bocage on the other, with the history of the coast pressing in at every turn. Bring a camera and give yourself time to take it in.

Where to stay nearby

The natural base is Bayeux, ten miles inland, a beautifully preserved medieval town with its famous tapestry, good restaurants and a clutch of comfortable hotels and chateau stays within easy reach of the course. It puts Omaha Beach, the landing beaches and the cemeteries all within a short drive.

For a stay right on the water, Port en Bessin and the bayside villages offer small hotels and seafood restaurants beside the working harbour, while Deauville and the wider Calvados coast add a more glamorous resort option to the north. It is an ideal region to build a Normandy golf and history trip around.

Looking for a base? See our recommended hotels and resorts near Omaha Beach.