Discovering Wine, Golf & the Art of Living Well
People often ask me where I’d spend a week or two if I wasn’t heading for the beaches near Lisbon or the Algarve in Portugal.
My answer usually surprises them.
France.
I was fortunate enough to live first in the countryside south of Paris and later in Champagne, and those years completely transformed the way I travel. While France is magnificent in every season, summer possesses a magic that’s difficult to replicate anywhere else.
The vineyards hang heavy with fruit. Village squares buzz from morning until late into the evening. Café terraces spill into cobbled streets, and every drive feels as though you’ve wandered into an Impressionist painting.
More than anywhere else in Europe, France rewards slowing down.
This isn’t a destination for squeezing in 36 holes a day. It’s about lingering over exceptional lunches, discovering family-owned wineries, wandering through medieval villages and enjoying a handful of outstanding golf courses along the way.
One of the reasons I so often recommend France is how naturally it lends itself to touring. The roads are superb, the distances surprisingly short, and within just a couple of hours the landscape changes completely. Travelling midweek also brings quieter roads, more relaxed hotels and better value.
For me, it’s one of Europe’s finest destinations for a two or three-centre journey.
Champagne & Chantilly
If you’re looking for a shorter escape, it’s difficult to improve on this combination.
From Calais, it’s around two hours to Champagne, ninety minutes onwards to Chantilly, before an easy drive back to the ferry or Eurotunnel.
Reims remains one of my favourite cities in France. It effortlessly blends remarkable history with some of the world’s most celebrated Champagne houses, exceptional restaurants and an atmosphere that somehow feels both vibrant and wonderfully relaxed. There’s also excellent golf nearby, making it wonderfully easy to balance cellar visits with a leisurely afternoon on the course.
The golfing rhythm here suits a summer trip perfectly. One day can start with a tasting in the chalk cellars before lunch, then shift into a late afternoon round when the light softens and the course quietens down. In Champagne, that works particularly well because the golf tends to complement the region rather than compete with it.
Golf de Champagne
Golf de Champagne is a smart example. It sits close enough to Reims to make logistics painless and gives you a proper inland test without demanding an entire day. The course is known for tree-lined holes and a layout that asks for shape and discipline rather than brute force. If you’re travelling with mixed handicaps, that matters. You can enjoy the architecture and the setting without feeling as though every missed fairway is going to cost you two golf balls and your temper.
Golf de Reims Champagne
Golf de Reims Champagne adds another useful option when building a short break. Staying in or around Reims means you can keep driving to a minimum, which in France is half the battle won. You want enough movement to feel you’re touring, but not so much that your holiday becomes a transfer schedule.
Chantilly
I always like to finish in Chantilly.
Most golfers know the region for its magnificent château and the outstanding Golf de Chantilly, but the surrounding area is home to several exceptional courses that receive far less recognition than they deserve. Together they make this one of France’s finest places to conclude a golfing journey.
Golf de Chantilly has the sort of old-world golfing gravitas that stays with you. The best classic inland courses always reveal themselves in stages. The fairways look generous from the tee, then the angles begin to matter, the greens ask more questions than you’d first assumed and by the back nine you’re thinking more carefully about where to leave the next approach. It is not a venue that bludgeons you with modern length. It tests judgement, placement and patience, which is exactly what this part of France should be about.
The wider Paris and surrounding region is one of the easiest places in France to build a proper golf break, with Your Golf Travel highlighting names like Chantilly, Fontainebleau and Le Golf National among the key options for the area. Even if you’re not planning a full Paris stay, the concentration of quality courses around Chantilly gives you flexibility. That’s invaluable if weather, tee times or the appetite of your group changes once you’re on the road.
Where I Stay
For Reims, I always recommend the Grand Hôtel des Templiers. Spacious rooms, complimentary parking, an indoor pool and an excellent location make it an ideal base for exploring the city.
In Épernay, La Briqueterie, part of Relais & Châteaux, delivers everything you’d hope for from one of Champagne’s finest country-house hotels.
For Chantilly, Hôtel Le Chantilly offers superb value just minutes from the region’s outstanding courses.
If you want to raise the bar a little further in Chantilly, the area also gives you excellent upscale choices such as Auberge du Jeu de Paume, Hyatt Regency Chantilly and Mercure Chantilly Resort. That range is one of the reasons the region works so well. You can build it as a refined couples’ escape, a proper mates’ golf trip or something in between without compromising the golf.
Burgundy & Versailles
If you have a little longer, this is probably my favourite itinerary anywhere in France.
After Champagne, it’s an easy drive south into Burgundy, the spiritual home of fine wine.
Life slows down even further here.
Days are spent wandering through vineyards, visiting family-owned domaines, enjoying long lunches overlooking the vines and discovering villages that appear almost untouched by time. Whether you prefer private tastings or expertly guided wine experiences, Burgundy rewards curiosity and never feels rushed.
Golf isn’t the headline act here and that’s exactly as it should be, but several charming courses sit quietly amongst the vineyards, providing the perfect excuse to stretch your legs between tastings.
This is where many golf travellers get France wrong. They try to force a golf-first schedule onto a region that is better enjoyed as a sequence of beautifully paced days. In Burgundy, one round every day or two is enough. The golf should act as punctuation, not the entire sentence. A morning among the vines, lunch that runs longer than planned, then an afternoon tee time is the right order of play.
Golfers will already know Château de Chailly, and rightly so. Your Golf Travel features the wider Champagne & Alsace region with Golf de Château de Chailly among its notable courses, and the appeal is obvious. Staying on-site at a golf hotel in Burgundy removes the need to over-plan. You wake up in wine country, ease into breakfast, play a thoughtful inland course and still have the full evening available for dinner and a bottle that probably deserves more attention than your scorecard.
From Burgundy, head north towards Versailles
For golfers, this remains one of France’s most underrated regions. Historic clubs such as Saint-Germain, Racing Club de France and Saint-Cloud have welcomed generations of players and still rank among the country’s finest. Venture a little further west and you’ll discover hidden gems including Le Prieuré, Château de la Chouette and Golf Parc, courses that deserve far greater recognition than they receive.
There is a distinctly mature golfing character around Versailles and greater Paris. Many of the best clubs here are not about resort polish or staged drama. They are about routing, pedigree and strategic interest. Tree-lined two-shotters ask you to choose the correct side of the fairway. Greens are often subtly defended rather than theatrically bunkered. You can absolutely overpower parts of these courses if you’re playing well, but more often they reward the player who thinks one shot ahead.
If your group wants one bigger-name stop on the way, the Paris golf holiday options curated by Your Golf Travel also include Le Golf National, which offers a complete change of gear. It is more exposed, more modern in its championship feel and far more exacting when the wind gets involved. Water, tight visual framing and spectator-style shaping put pressure on your target lines from the opening stretch. It is a terrific contrast to the old-club atmosphere found around Versailles.
From Versailles, Calais is little more than a comfortable three-hour drive away.
Where I Stay
Golfers will already know Château de Chailly, one of Burgundy’s finest golf hotels.
Wine lovers should seriously consider Château La Commaraine in Pommard, while Les Sources de Vougeot has rapidly established itself as one of Burgundy’s standout luxury retreats, thanks to its exceptional cuisine and celebrated vinotherapy spa.
Near Versailles, the Waldorf Astoria Trianon Palace remains one of my favourite hotels in France, overlooking the gardens of the Palace itself while offering remarkable summer value.
Include Paris and Versailles on your next Golf Holiday if you want your French tour to finish with historic clubs, elegant hotels and easy access back north.
The Loire Valley
The Loire has quietly become one of my favourite recommendations for clients looking to discover another side of France.
Everyone knows Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé, but fewer appreciate just how diverse the wines become as you explore the valley.
I normally suggest beginning near Orléans, where one of France’s great hidden golfing treasures awaits.
Les Aisses is simply magnificent.
Designed by Martin Hawtree and consistently ranked amongst France’s finest layouts, it remains remarkably underplayed by British golfers. Wide fairways, towering woodland and immaculate conditioning create a course every bit as memorable as many of its more famous counterparts.
What I like most about Les Aisses is the way it balances width with consequence. From the tee, the corridors often look inviting, which encourages you to swing freely. But Hawtree was too clever to leave it there. Angles into the greens matter, the woodland frames your decisions and the stronger holes gradually tighten the screws as the round unfolds. It is the sort of course where a player can post a good number if they stay disciplined, yet still come off feeling properly examined.
Continue towards Tours
The Touraine region is home to almost one hundred wineries and cellars, making it perfect for a leisurely few days discovering independent producers, exploring vineyards and enjoying some of France’s finest regional cuisine.
Before heading home, don’t miss a round at Golf de Touraine, another wonderfully understated course that perfectly complements the pace of the region.
Golf de Touraine fits the Loire perfectly because it never feels forced. The best rounds on a trip like this are often the ones that creep up on you. You arrive expecting a pleasant afternoon and leave talking about the routing, the texture of the greens and a couple of holes where position from the tee mattered far more than length. That is very much the Loire mood. Nothing shouts, but plenty lingers in the memory.
Of course, no conversation about golf in the Loire would be complete without mentioning Les Bordes.
Once regarded as one of the world’s most exclusive private clubs, Les Bordes has evolved into an extraordinary luxury estate that is redefining golf in continental Europe. Set within more than 1,400 acres of ancient Sologne forest, the property combines two exceptional courses with understated luxury, remarkable architecture and an atmosphere of complete tranquillity.
The original Old Course, designed by Robert von Hagge, has long been considered one of Europe’s most demanding and visually spectacular layouts. More recently, the addition of the Gil Hanse-designed New Course has created a fascinating contrast, strategic, beautifully natural and already widely regarded as one of the finest modern golf courses anywhere in the world.
The contrast between those two courses is exactly what makes a stay there so compelling for serious golfers. Von Hagge’s Old Course is intense, dramatic and exacting. It asks for commitment over every line and makes heroic golf feel both possible and dangerous. Hanse’s New Course takes a different route. It is more subtle in presentation, more grounded in strategic options and wonderfully walkable in its feel, but no less intelligent. You are constantly choosing between distance and angle, aggression and restraint. That kind of variety across one estate is rare anywhere in Europe.
Yet what makes Les Bordes truly special isn’t simply the golf. It’s the sense of space, privacy and understated elegance that runs through the entire estate. Whether you’re staying in one of the beautifully designed lodges, enjoying the wellness facilities, cycling through the forest or simply sitting beside the lake with a glass of Loire Valley wine, it offers an experience that extends far beyond the fairways.
For anyone seeking Europe’s most refined blend of luxury, nature and world-class golf, Les Bordes is rapidly becoming one of the continent’s essential destinations.
The Loire Valley page on Your Golf Travel also highlights the broader appeal of western France, from coastal names such as La Baule, Pornic and Saint Jean de Monts to inland touring routes. That matters if you’re building a longer holiday. The Loire can stand alone as a wine-and-golf journey, but it also connects beautifully with the Atlantic coast if you want to extend the trip and add a different style of golf at the back end.
Where I Stay
Near Orléans, Château des Muids remains a personal favourite. It may not be the newest hotel in France, but it’s warm, welcoming and full of authentic character.
If contemporary luxury is more your style, Fleur de Loire, created by multi-Michelin-starred chef Christophe Hay, has quickly become one of the Loire’s most exciting destinations.
Around Tours, I don’t think you can beat Château d’Artigny. Elegant, timeless and beautifully positioned, it captures everything I love about travelling through the Loire Valley.
Play the Loire Valley on your next Golf Holiday if you want your trip to lean into wine, woodland golf and unhurried French charm.
Why France?
After more than two decades helping golfers discover the world’s finest destinations, I still find myself returning to France.
Not because it has the best golf in Europe, although some courses are exceptional, but because it offers something far richer.
It’s the morning coffee in a sleepy village square before an afternoon round. It’s discovering a vineyard that’s remained in the same family for generations. It’s driving through landscapes that seem untouched by modern life before settling into a long dinner beneath the stars with a bottle of local wine you’ve never heard of but will never forget.
Golf simply becomes the thread that ties the journey together.
If you’re looking for a summer escape that combines world-class food, exceptional wine, beautiful golf and the freedom of a classic road trip, I don’t think anywhere in Europe does it better.
After twenty-one years helping golfers experience France, from hidden vineyard retreats to legendary championship courses, I still believe the country’s greatest luxury isn’t found in five-star hotels or Michelin stars.
It’s the pace at which life is lived.
And perhaps that’s the finest souvenir you can bring home.
Planning Your Own French Golf & Wine Journey?
If this has inspired your next summer escape and you’d like some personal recommendations, I’d be delighted to help.
Whether you’re looking for a Champagne weekend, a leisurely tour through Burgundy and Versailles, or a bespoke itinerary combining France’s finest golf, wine and gastronomy, our team at Your Golf Travel & Premier Golf can tailor every detail to suit you.
For inspiration or to start planning your own journey, feel free to contact me directly at ross@yourgolftravel.com or Tom Macfarlane at tom@yourgolftravel.com.
I always enjoy sharing favourite hotels, hidden vineyards and lesser-known golf courses that have made France one of my favourite destinations for more than two decades.
