Golf courses in Aquitaine

Aquitaine, in France's deep southwest, is one of the country's most rewarding golf destinations, with around two dozen courses spread between the long Atlantic beaches, the great pine forest of the Landes and the cultured city of Bordeaux. The variety is the draw: you can play a refined parkland round at Golf Bordelais or Golf de Pessac among the vineyards, then head south to the sandy, sea-air links character of Golf de Moliets or Golf de Gujan, where holes thread through umbrella pines towards the dunes. Down near the Basque country, Golf de la Nivelle adds rolling hills and ocean views to the mix.

The regional climate is mild and Atlantic, with a long playing season that stretches comfortably from spring into late autumn, and forest cover that keeps summer rounds pleasant. For the travelling golfer, Aquitaine offers an unusually complete trip: serious courses in genuine variety, the surf towns of Hossegor and Biarritz close at hand, and a food-and-wine culture that ranks among the best in France. Pair a morning on the Landes fairways with an afternoon tasting in the Médoc, and you have a golf break that appeals well beyond the scorecard.