Golf on the French Riviera

Written By Lauriane Thompson

From the pines of the Esterel to the hills above Monaco, a coast that has been a golfing destination for well over a century

Picture the French Riviera and you will hear about beaches, yachts and long lunches. Golf rarely comes up first, yet the coast has been a golfing destination for over a hundred years, and the people who play here will tell you it is one of its best-kept secrets.

It began with the British, who came south for the winter sun in the late nineteenth century and brought their favourite pastime with them. The first courses were laid out among the pines and red rocks of the Esterel, and today there are dozens between Monaco and Saint-Tropez, each with its own character.

At a glance

French Riviera, from Monaco to Saint-Tropez

Features

  • Dozens of courses between Monaco and Saint-Tropez, from historic Harry Colt layouts to full resorts with hotels and spas

  • A range of settings, from seaside pines and hillside views to open plateaus and Provençal countryside

  • Valescure, the oldest course in the Var, with an academy for beginners and young players, minutes from Saint-Raphaël

Around Monaco and Cannes, the Monte-Carlo Golf Club in La Turbie looks over the principality and the sea, while the Old Course Cannes-Mandelieu, drawn by Harry Colt, is often described as the Riviera’s very first.

A few minutes inland, the Golf Country Club de Cannes-Mougins dates back to the 1920s and has one of the most talked-about clubhouses on the coast.

In the hills the mood shifts. Terre Blanche near Fayence is a world of its own, with two 18 hole courses, celebrated water features and a hotel and spa to match. Opio-Valbonne stretches across an open, airy plateau, and Saint-Donat, ten minutes from both Cannes and Grasse, sits among soft Provençal scenery.

Towards the Var, Roquebrune Resort sits between Cannes and Saint-Tropez, only minutes from Saint-Raphaël. There is more to discover still, from Royal Mougins to Barbossi to Saint-Tropez in Gassin.

The heart of it all is Valescure, in the foothills of the Esterel above Saint-Raphaël. Founded in 1895 by British aristocrats and later designed by Harry Colt, the Golf de Valescure is the oldest course in the Var. It is a short, narrow course among century old umbrella pines, with the Golf de l’Esterel and a nine hole academy for beginners alongside, which is why Valescure is known as the quartier des golfs. For a stay close to the courses, Le Confidentiel is a few minutes away.

 
Lauriane Thompson