Golf in Brittany
France's wild northwest, where the Emerald Coast holds one of the country's oldest links at Dinard, a thrilling clifftop course at Pleneuf-Val-Andre and a ring of forest and parkland courses around Saint-Malo and Rennes. Modest green fees, uncrowded tee sheets, oysters and cider, and a ferry hop from England. The courses that matter, the areas, the season and how to plan it.
Photograph: Dinard Golf, via Google
Why golf in Brittany
Brittany is the part of France that feels most like the home of the game. The coast is rocky and windswept, the light is silver and changeable, and the turf along the Emerald Coast has the firm, springy feel of a British links. At its heart sits Golf de Dinard, laid out at Saint-Briac in 1887 and the second oldest course in the country, a short, quirky, utterly charming links that hugs the shoreline and rewards the player who can flight the ball under the sea breeze. For golfers who love St Andrews and the Channel coast, it is an easy place to fall for.
What lifts Brittany from a single historic course to a genuine destination is the variety packed into a small area. Pleneuf-Val-Andre gives you one of France's most dramatic clifftop layouts, the forest courses at Le Tronchet and Des Ormes offer sheltered, tree lined contrast, and the old links at Sables-d'Or-les-Pins and the coastal nine and eighteens at Saint-Cast carry on the seaside theme. Add the parkland around Rennes, the seafood and the cider, the walled city of Saint-Malo and a ferry crossing that puts the region within reach of southern England without a flight, and you have a relaxed, good value golf week with real character.
The areas
The Emerald Coast
The heart of Breton golf, the Cote d'Emeraude around Dinard and Saint-Malo. Dinard, Le Tronchet, Des Ormes and Sables-d'Or-les-Pins cluster within a short drive, the natural base for a links and forest trip, with the walled city of Saint-Malo and Dinard's airport on the doorstep.
The Cotes-d'Armor coast
West along the rugged northern shore to Pleneuf-Val-Andre, Brittany's spectacular clifftop course, and the seaside golf at Saint-Cast Pen Guen. A scenic extension to an Emerald Coast week, pairing dramatic coastal golf with the pink granite headlands of the north.
Rennes and the south
Inland to the parkland courses around the regional capital at Cice-Blossac, Rennes Saint-Jacques and La Freslonniere, then south toward the Loire for the chateau golf at La Bretesche and the Finistere courses at Cornouaille and l'Odet near Quimper and Benodet.
The courses that matter
Golf de Dinard
The romantic anchor of Breton golf, founded in 1887 and the second oldest course in France, a short, quirky links that runs along the rocky shore at Saint-Briac. Blind shots, stone walls and a constant sea breeze make it pure seaside golf with a history to match.
Golf de Pleneuf-Val-Andre
The jewel in Brittany's crown, an Alain Prat design that tumbles over dramatic clifftop ground above the Cotes-d'Armor coast. Big rolling greens, serious elevation change and ocean views from almost every hole make it the most spectacular modern course in the region.
Saint-Malo Golf, Le Tronchet
A varied parkland and forest course set in the Mesnil woods near Saint-Malo, with a river and lake threaded through the design and a nine hole second course alongside. Sheltered, scenic and well kept, the natural inland complement to the coastal links.
Golf des Ormes
Routed through the ancient forest around the Chateau des Ormes, a tranquil course where the holes sit in isolation among the trees, with water adding to the arboreal challenge. Part of a leisure domaine that makes an easy stay and play base near Dol-de-Bretagne.
Golf de Sables-d'Or-les-Pins
A characterful old links dating from 1925 among the pines and dunes near the Cap Frehel, full of period charm and seaside quirk. A lovely, low key round that pairs naturally with Pleneuf-Val-Andre on the north coast leg of a trip.
Golf de Saint-Cast Pen Guen
A breezy coastal course above the beaches of Saint-Cast on the Emerald Coast, with sea views and a relaxed holiday feel. An enjoyable, scenic round that suits a mixed group looking for golf with a sea air rather than a championship test.
Golf de Cice-Blossac
A polished parkland and resort course on the outskirts of Rennes, with water in play and a hotel on site. The pick of the inland courses around the capital and a comfortable base for a stay and play stop between the coast and the south.
Golf de la Bretesche
One of the great settings in French golf, a mature parkland laid out around the moated Chateau de la Bretesche on the southern edge of Brittany. Tree lined, peaceful and beautifully framed by the castle, with a hotel in the old stables for a romantic golf stay.
Golf de Cornouaille
A classic parkland course near Benodet on the Finistere coast, set around a manor house with mature trees and gentle contours. A pretty, playable round that anchors the south west corner of a wider Breton tour toward Quimper.
Golf de l'Odet
A well regarded parkland complex near Quimper with a full eighteen and a shorter nine, woodland, water and good conditioning. The leading course of southern Finistere and a useful stop for golfers exploring the Breton coast beyond the Emerald Coast.
Golf Bluegreen Rennes Saint-Jacques
A 27 hole municipal style complex on the edge of Rennes with three nines of varying character, from a championship loop to a friendlier short course. Accessible, good value golf and an easy round to bolt onto a city stay in the Breton capital.
Golf de la Freslonniere
A mature parkland course set around a manor west of Rennes, with streams, ponds and old trees framing the holes. A relaxed, attractive inland round that completes the cluster of courses around the regional capital.
Designers, opening years and pars verified June 2026 from the clubs and leading course databases; courses are predominantly visitor friendly with advance booking. Always confirm visitor access and fees directly before booking.
When to go
| Season | Conditions | Verdict |
|---|---|---|
| May to June | Long days, settled spring weather, firm coastal turf | Prime window; the links at their best before the holiday crowds |
| July to August | Warm summer, busiest with French holidaymakers | Reliable golf and a lively coast; book tee times and lodging early |
| September to October | Mild, quieter early autumn with warm sea | Excellent value and uncrowded courses, a connoisseur's choice |
| November to April | Cool, damp Atlantic winter, courses still open | Low season golf for the hardy; mild but with the chance of wind and rain |
Brittany has a mild maritime climate and plays year round, but the prime golf window is late spring to early autumn. The Atlantic brings the chance of a shower in any month, so pack waterproofs and play the firm, breezy days when the links run fast.
Indicative costs
| Item | Indicative 2026 | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Leading course green fees | Moderate by resort standards | Dinard, Pleneuf-Val-Andre, Le Tronchet and Des Ormes; lower in shoulder season |
| Resort and parkland courses | Modest green fees for good golf | Cice-Blossac, La Bretesche, Cornouaille and the Rennes courses |
| Lodging | Wide range from chateau hotels to coastal inns | Saint-Malo, Dinard or a stay and play domaine such as Des Ormes |
| Getting there | Ferry, regional flight or high speed train | Ferries from England, flights to Dinard and Rennes, train to Rennes |
Indicative third party figures for the 2026 season, shown to set expectations only. We are a guide, not an operator, and never quote our own pricing. Green fees and lodging rates move with season and demand. Always confirm directly before booking.
Getting there and around
Brittany is one of the most accessible corners of France for British golfers, with ferries from Portsmouth and Poole into Saint-Malo and from Plymouth into Roscoff, so a group can bring the car and the clubs without a flight. Dinard airport sits right on the Emerald Coast beside the leading courses, Rennes has its own regional airport, and the high speed train reaches Rennes from Paris in around an hour and a half. Wherever you arrive, a hire car is essential: the courses are spread along the coast and through the interior, though the headline cluster around Dinard and Saint-Malo keeps the driving short, and even the run west to Pleneuf-Val-Andre or south to La Bretesche is comfortable in well under two hours.
Where to stay
For a pure golf trip, base on the Emerald Coast at Dinard or within the walls of Saint-Malo, both within easy reach of the cluster of links and forest courses and full of restaurants, oyster bars and sea air. For a stay and play week with everything on site, the leisure domaine at Des Ormes or the chateau hotel at La Bretesche let a group sleep, dine and tee off in one place. Split a longer trip with a night or two near Rennes or on the Cotes-d'Armor coast to take in Pleneuf-Val-Andre, and book the lodging and tee times together for the summer peak when the coast fills with holidaymakers.
Plan your Brittany golf trip
Tell us whether you want the historic links and forest courses of the Emerald Coast, the clifftop drama of Pleneuf-Val-Andre, or a wider tour toward Rennes and the south, and roughly when. One concierge secures the tee times, sorts the lodging, the ferry or the flights and the car, and costs the whole trip to the head, with no obligation.
Brittany golf questions
What are the best golf courses in Brittany?
Golf de Dinard at Saint-Briac, founded in 1887 and the second oldest course in France, is the romantic links anchor of Brittany golf, with the clifftop Golf de Pleneuf-Val-Andre by Alain Prat its most spectacular modern test. The forest courses at Le Tronchet and Des Ormes, the old links at Sables-d'Or-les-Pins and the parkland around Rennes complete a varied region. Together they make the Emerald Coast one of France's most underrated golf corners.
When is the best time to play golf in Brittany?
May to September is the prime window, with the long days, settled weather and firm coastal turf of the Breton summer. Spring and early autumn are quieter and still very playable in Brittany's mild maritime climate, though the Atlantic brings the chance of a shower year round. The links courses are at their best in a dry, breezy spell, when they run fast and firm like their British cousins across the Channel.
Can visitors play golf in Brittany?
Yes. Almost every leading Breton course welcomes visiting golfers with advance booking, including Dinard, Pleneuf-Val-Andre, Le Tronchet and Des Ormes, and several are attached to hotels and resorts geared to golf trips. Green fees are modest by the standards of the great resorts and tee times are rarely under pressure. Always confirm visitor access and fees directly before booking.
How do you get to Brittany for golf?
Rennes, Dinard and Brest have regional airports, Dinard sitting right beside the Emerald Coast courses, while the ferry ports of Saint-Malo and Roscoff link Brittany directly to southern England. From Paris the high speed train reaches Rennes in around an hour and a half. A hire car is essential to link the coastal and inland courses, with the leading clusters around Dinard and Saint-Malo within easy reach of each other.
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Researched and written by the GolfForKings editorial desk. Course details, designers, access and seasons verified June 2026. Last reviewed June 2026.