Golf d'Etretat is one of Normandy's most memorable cliff-top tests, a par-72 set high on the region's white chalk cliffs above the English Channel. First laid out in 1908, it's seaside golf where the scenery is spectacular but you still need to keep your head down over the ball.
A handful of holes flirt with the cliff edge, so straight driving really matters. Miss your line and you can quickly find thick rough, awkward stances or worse. Add in the exposed setting and you'll often be shaping shots, flighting irons down and accepting that club selection can change by a couple of numbers when the wind gets up.
Part of Etretat's appeal is the atmosphere. It's long been rumoured to have drawn in French artists as well as golfers, and you can see why when you're standing on the high points looking out across the coastline. It's not a brute by modern yardage, but between the elevation changes and the ever-present breeze it can play tougher than the card suggests.
If you're putting together a Normandy break, Etretat is ideal for golfers who want a round that feels different to an inland parkland track, with views you'll remember long after the scorecard's been binned.
Who is this for?
Golfers planning a Normandy golf break who want a scenic, historic round near the coast, especially if you're travelling over from the UK.
Who is it best for?
Mid-to-low handicappers who enjoy wind-affected, strategic golf and don't mind a course that asks for accuracy and imagination.
