Golf in Biarritz
Continental Europe learned to play golf here. The British laid out Biarritz le Phare in 1888, and the coast that runs north into the Landes now holds a Tom Simpson links, two modern resort courses and a clutch of classics in the pines, all within an hour of one another and the surf.
Photo: Golf de Biarritz via Google.
Why golf here
Biarritz is where golf crossed the Channel and put down roots. British visitors built the course at Le Phare in 1888, one of the oldest in continental Europe, and the elegant resort town has been a golfing base ever since. What makes it a trip rather than a single round is the coast around it: a thirty mile run of Atlantic shore from Anglet up through Hossegor, Seignosse and Moliets, with great golf strung along the whole of it.
The variety is the draw. Chiberta gives you genuine seaside links holes among the dunes and then turns inland through the pines, a combination almost unique in France. Seignosse and Moliets are big, modern, beautifully conditioned courses cut through the Landes forest, and Hossegor is a 1930 classic that the locals quietly rate above all of them. Add a mild climate, a serious food and surf town to come back to each evening, and short transfers between courses, and the Basque coast makes a relaxed, high quality buddies or couples trip that never feels rushed.
Reviewed June 2026 by the GolfForKings editorial desk. Course facts and indicative fees verified at publication. How we research and review.
Biarritz golf at a glance
- Best months
- May, Jun, Sep
- Style
- Links and pine forest
- Courses
- 6 within an hour
- Trip length
- 4 to 6 nights
- Fly into
- Biarritz
- From / head
- about $2,200 in 2026
Indicative figures for a 2026 high season trip; the per head guide is a third party package estimate, not our price, and excludes flights. Always confirm rates and tee times directly before booking.
The courses to build around
Six courses make the Basque and Landes coast a proper golf destination. They sit within an hour of one another, so a four or five night trip can take in the best of them without a long transfer. Here is how we would rank them for a visiting golfer.
1. Golf de Chiberta, Anglet
The headline round and one of the most unusual courses in France. Tom Simpson laid out Chiberta in 1927, commissioned to build something special, and the result alternates true links holes among the dunes by the Atlantic with quieter holes threaded through a pine forest on sandy, fast draining soil. It is short by modern numbers but full of strategy and character, and it remains the round every visiting golfer should plan around. See our Chiberta course guide for how to play it.
2. Golf de Seignosse
Robert von Hagge's 1989 design is widely rated among the best courses in southwest France, a dramatic, sculpted layout that climbs and falls through dense Landes pines with water, elevation change and bold green complexes. It is a more demanding, more theatrical test than the older coastal courses and a favourite of stronger players. Conditioning is consistently excellent.
3. Golf de Moliets, Foret et Ocean
Robert Trent Jones Senior routed the eighteen hole Foret et Ocean course through the pines and out toward the dunes, part of a wider 27 hole complex in the Landes. It is generous off the tee, classically bunkered and finishes near the beach, an enjoyable, holiday paced round that pairs well with a stay on the Moliets and Maa coast.
4. Hossegor Golf Club
The connoisseur's choice. Opened around 1930 and laid out among tall pines just back from the famous surf beaches, Hossegor is a tight, classical, tree lined test that many regulars rate the best on the coast. There is no water and little drama, just a beautifully natural routing that rewards position and shape over power.
5. Golf de Biarritz le Phare
The historic heart of golf on this coast and one of the oldest courses in continental Europe, laid out by Willie Dunn in 1888 right in town by the lighthouse. It is short, flat and parkland in character rather than a championship test, but a round here is a round through the game's history, and the location could not be more convenient. Our Biarritz le Phare guide has the detail.
6. Golf d'Ilbarritz
A spectacular short course and international training centre set on the cliffs at Bidart, with some of the best ocean views on the coast. It is not a full championship eighteen, but it is a memorable, scenic warm up or an easy afternoon between the bigger rounds, and the practice facilities are first class.
When to go
| Season | What to expect |
|---|---|
| Apr to Jun | The sweet spot. Warm, mostly dry days, firm turf and long evenings, with the coast still quiet before the summer holiday rush |
| Jul to Aug | Peak summer and peak crowds. Beaches and towns are busy, so book tee times and hotels well ahead; mornings are best for golf |
| Sep to Oct | The local favourite. Warm Atlantic air, settled weather and emptier courses make early autumn an excellent time to play |
| Nov to Mar | Mild but wetter. The forest courses drain well and stay playable, with the lowest green fees of the year |
Indicative green fees and costs
| Course | Style | Indicative green fee |
|---|---|---|
| Golf de Chiberta | Links and forest | about €90 to €120 |
| Golf de Seignosse | Forest | about €75 to €100 |
| Hossegor | Classic parkland | about €80 to €110 |
| Golf de Moliets | Forest and ocean | about €60 to €90 |
| Biarritz le Phare | Town parkland | about €70 to €95 |
Package guide. A four to six night Basque coast golf trip with four or five rounds, a comfortable hotel and a hire car commonly runs from around $2,200 to $4,500 per golfer for 2026, before flights, depending on the standard of lodging. These are third party ranges, not our prices, and you should always confirm directly before booking.
Comparing live tee times? See our recommended tee time partner for the Basque coast courses.
Getting there and where to stay
Biarritz Pays Basque airport sits a few minutes from the coast with direct flights from London, Paris and other European cities, and Bordeaux is around two hours north by car if you want to combine the two. A hire car is essential, as the courses spread along the coast from Anglet through Hossegor and Seignosse into the Landes, though no transfer between them takes much over an hour.
Most golfers base themselves in Biarritz itself, an elegant resort town full of excellent hotels and restaurants, or in the surf towns of Hossegor and Seignosse closer to the forest courses. Either puts the whole coast within easy reach. It is an easy region to pair golf with good food, Atlantic beaches and the wider Basque country inland.
Looking for a base? See our recommended hotels and resorts on the Basque coast.
Plan a Biarritz golf trip
Tell us roughly when you want to travel and who is in the group, and one concierge builds a costed itinerary around Chiberta, the Landes courses and the best places to stay and eat, with no obligation.
Biarritz golf questions
What are the best golf courses near Biarritz?
Tom Simpson's Chiberta at Anglet is the headline round, a rare blend of true links and pine forest. Robert von Hagge's Seignosse, Robert Trent Jones Senior's Moliets and the classic 1930 Hossegor complete a strong group in the Landes pines, with the historic Biarritz le Phare in town and Ilbarritz for ocean views.
When is the best time to play golf in Biarritz?
May, June, September and early October give the warmest dry spells and the firmest turf without the peak summer crowds. July and August are busy with beach holidaymakers, so book tee times ahead. Winters are mild and playable but wetter.
How much are green fees around Biarritz in 2026?
Indicative 2026 high season green fees run from around 60 euros at the Landes resort courses to 90 to 120 euros at Chiberta and the better known links. Shoulder season and twilight rates are lower. Always confirm directly before booking.
How do you get to Biarritz for golf?
Fly into Biarritz Pays Basque airport, a few minutes from the coast, or drive down from Bordeaux in around two hours. A hire car is essential, as the best courses spread along the coast from Anglet up through Hossegor, Seignosse and Moliets into the Landes.
Related
The Tee Sheet
Tee time windows, course access changes and the trips worth taking. Every other week.
Researched and written by the GolfForKings editorial desk. Course designers, opening years and par verified June 2026 from the clubs and leading course databases; green fees indicative for 2026 high season, always confirm directly before booking. Last reviewed June 2026.