Grand Saint Emilionnais Golf Club sits just over an hour from Bordeaux and only six miles from the medieval village of Saint-Émilion, ideal if you fancy great golf with a wine-country backdrop. It's also one of the few chances to play a Tom Doak design in France, and you can really feel his minimalist touch from the first tee.
The course threads through classic Bordelais countryside, with fairways framed by mature oak trees and the edge of the vineyards never far away. Doak routed the holes to suit what was already here, working with the natural contours and fall of the land, so it feels unspoilt underfoot and visually seamless. Each hole feeds smoothly into the next, which makes for a lovely rhythm over 18.
In playing terms, this is strategic golf at its best. You'll be asked to work the ball both ways around the trees, factor in breezes when you step into more open vineyard sections and trust your reads on greens that move with the natural slopes. It's testing without being brutal, and it rewards good decisions just as much as good swings. If you enjoy thoughtful, varied golf in a genuinely French setting, this is a brilliant option for a Bordeaux-based break.
Who is this for?
Golfers building a Bordeaux or Saint-Émilion break, couples and small groups who want quality golf with vineyard time, and anyone who loves courses that feel part of the landscape.
Who is it best for?
Players who enjoy strategic, ground-game golf over target-golf, mid-to-low handicappers looking for variety off the tee, and design fans keen to tick off a lesser-played Doak in Europe.
