The best golf courses in Northern France

Grab your clubs and book your tee times – there are some fantastic golf courses near Calais. LeShuttle can’t promise a hole in one, but we can get your golfing break off to the perfect start with a 35-minute crossing on LeShuttle. 

Why tee off in Northern France?

Northern France is ideal for a golfing break – its coastal location ensures great conditions for golf, and there is an excellent mix of links and parkland courses offering a variety of challenges to suit all abilities of golfer. All the courses on the Opal Coast and those more inland are within easy driving distance of the LeShuttle terminal in Calais, so a weekend of golf in the Hauts-de-France region is so convenient and accessible. 

You’ll also be playing on some of the best golf courses in France, especially if you’re lucky enough to get a round at La Mer at Le Touquet – a links classic – and Aa Saint-Omer, which has hosted European Challenge Tour events. 

The best golf courses in Northern France

Golf de Wimereux – Coastal views and challenging holes

Admire the views from the greens at Wimereux 

Par: 72

Length of course: 6,150m

Drive from LeShuttle Calais terminal: 27km /  23 mins

Built in 1901, and later rebuilt after the First World War, Golf de Wimereux is one of the oldest courses in the area. If you’re a fan of Scottish links courses, you’ll love its location. Situated right by the sea, Golf de Wimereux was designed to complement the rugged natural beauty of the area.

This undulating course boasts wide fairways and outstanding greens, and being exposed to the elements in classic links style the winds coming in from the Channel can be challenging for even the best golfers! Wimereux is considered one of the best links courses in France. From some of the holes on a clear day you can even see the White Cliffs of Dover in the distance.

Golf d’Hardelot - Les Pins and Les Dunes courses

Les Pins: Par 73, Length of course: 5,929m

Les Dunes: Par 72, Length of course: 5,713m

Drive from LeShuttle Calais terminal: 44 km / 38 mins

One of the biggest attractions of Golf d’Hardelot is the fact that there is not one, but two stunning courses nestled in the exclusive seaside resort of Hardelot-Plage. Each offers something very different. Les Pins is a beautiful, technical course in stunning forest surroundings, and its little sister, Les Dunes, offers breathtaking sea views.

Les Pins (the Pines) has hosted European Tour qualifying events, and offers an excellent standard of play. The course has undergone extensive renovations, and you’ll encounter some of the biggest bunkers around. 

Les Dunes is the shorter course of the two, which may come as a welcome break if you’ve been touring courses in the area for a few days. Depending on the time of year that you visit, you may find the greens a little slow, but this shouldn’t affect the overall quality of play.

Aa Golf de Saint-Omer – Historic course and parkland charm

Aa Saint-Omer has hosted European Challenge Tour events (Image credit: Pierre Andre Leclercq, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons)

Le Val: Par 73, Length of course : 6,218m

La Haute-Drève: Par 31, Length of course : 2,038m

Drive from LeShuttle Calais terminal: 47km / 34 mins

The courses at Aa Saint-Omer Golf Club offer something a little different. Each overlook the beautiful Aa Valley, but with the choice of 18 holes or 9 holes, there’s a course to suit all golfing abilities. 

The 18-hole course hosts the Hauts de France – Pas de Calais Open, a leading event on the European Challenge Tour, so you’re guaranteed a good round. It’s incredibly hilly in places, so you may want to hire a buggy, and it will certainly challenge your long game. The hills offer some quirky holes, and you’ll find the density of the grass on the fairways to be superb, as well as some excellent quality greens.

The 9-hole course is also full of technical challenges to help you work on your short game.

Another benefit of the Aa Saint-Omer Golf Club is the wonderful on-site hotel from our partners at the Najeti Group. The Najeti Hôtel du Golf sits alongside the course, with stunning views over the 18th hole, and LeShuttle customers can save on green fees with our special partnership offer.

Le Touquet Golf Resort – Championship greens and luxury facilities

La Mer: Par 72, Length of course : 6,430m

La Forêt: Par 72, Length of course : 5,915m

Le Manoir: Par 34, Length of course : 2,413m

Drive from LeShuttle Calais terminal: 64km / 47 mins

In keeping with the history and tradition of the upmarket seaside resort of Le Touquet-Paris-Plage, its golf club has a stellar reputation – once patronised by British royalty, it is now one of the leading luxury golf resorts in France. The golf resort features two 18-hole championship courses and a 9-hole course. 

Widely considered the finest links course in the country, La Mer is the course at Le Touquet that offers the sternest golfing challenge, with its dunes, bunkers and seaside setting. It has hosted the Open de France, the country’s biggest golf tournament, several times, and has some famous past winners (including Seve Ballesteros). 

Sheltered from the coastal winds by forest pines, La Forêt offers a completely different golfing experience – a classic parkland course with wide tree-lined fairways and gently undulating terrain, landscaped by the famous golf course designer Harry Colt.

Completing the Le Touquet trio is the 9-hole Le Manoir course, perfect for a relaxing round. The 41-room boutique hotel on site means you can enjoy stylish, comfortable accommodation during your golfing tour. 

The links at La Mer

Golf de Bondues – Forested fairways and scenic lakes

Hawtree: Par 73, Length of course : 6,227m

Trent Jones: Par 72, Length of course : 6,146m

Drive from LeShuttle Calais terminal: 121km / 1 hour 25 mins

Situated around the sprawling Bondues estate near Lille, Golf de Bondues features two highly regarded 18-hole courses and some truly stunning holes. 

The Hawtree course is a classic parkland style affair with tall trees and plenty of bunkers. The final hole is one of the highlights, a dogleg par 5 which after the tee shot opens out within an avenue of trees to a breathtaking view of the 18th -century Chateau du Vert-Bois. 

The Trent Jones course was originally just 9 holes, designed by the renowned US course designer of the same name. A back nine was added in 1990 by his son Robert Trent Jones Jnr, filling its tricky holes with sand and water hazards that make it a good test for even low handicap golfers. Consider yourself warned about the 8th hole – a 387-metre par 4 with a heavily defended uphill green. 

Belle Dune Golf – Links-style golf on the Opal Coast

Eco Domaine de Belle Dune: Par 71, Length of course : 5,883m

Drive from LeShuttle Calais terminal: 87km / 1 hour 10 mins

To call Belle Dune just a links course would be something of an understatement. Yes, you do battle with coastal winds and a lack of tree cover – but this is a wild course, where nature has been more or less left untouched, but somehow making room for fairways, greens and bunkers. As you stand at some tees, you’re faced with all manner of untamed bumps, gorse and hills - yet the early part of the course, by way of a friendly introduction, is thickly wooded at times. 

Playing Belle Dune is a unique challenge. One hole in particular stands out, the par 6 epic 605-metre dogleg 15th, added to the course in 2021. Other tricky holes are the long par 4 8th, and severe dogleg 13th, which also features an approach over a canyon. 

Plan your golfing getaway in France 

Make your trip go with a swing

Drive to golf courses in Northern France

All the courses featured here are within 90 minutes drive of the LeShuttle terminal in Calais – in fact most are much closer than this. You could be teeing off at Golf de Wimereux around half an hour after leaving one of our shuttles! Pack as much golfing gear as you like – there are no baggage charges when you travel with LeShuttle. 

Get the Opal Coast Golf Pass

Save on your golfing holiday with the Opal Coast Golf Pass – valid for 15 days, the pass gives you access to eight 18-hole courses in the area, and permits you to play a maximum of five rounds (one round at no more than each course). The pass costs €375, and is valid at the following courses: 

•    Golf de Dunkerque Grand Littoral

•    Golf de Wimereux

•    Golf d'Hardelot - Les Dunes

•    Golf d'Hardelot - Les Pins

•    Golf de Nampont Saint-Martin

•    Golf de Belle Dune

•    Golf du Touquet - La Mer

•    Golf du Touquet - La Forêt

•    Aa Saint-Omer Golf Club

Where to stay for a golfing break

You’ll never be far from a country club style hotel on your golfing holiday in Hauts-de-France. As well as the golf resort hotel at Saint-Omer, the Najeti Group have a hotel within walking distance of the course at d’Hardelot, offering luxury accommodation and discounted green fees. Staying here is a great base for playing not only at Hardelot, but also Le Touquet (only 28 minutes drive away) and Wimereux (32 minutes drive). 

Golf weekend itineraries near Calais

You’ll have a ’par’-fect golfing weekend in Hauts-de-France

A golf weekend with friends

Saturday –

•    9am – Arrive at LeShuttle Calais terminal 

•    Drive to the Najeti Hôtel du Parc in Neufchâtel-Hardelot, just round the corner from Golf d’Hardelot golf club

•    Tee off at 10am for 18 holes on Les Pins course

•    Have lunch at the Pines restaurant in the clubhouse

•    Afternoon round on Les Dunes course

•    Dinner at the hotel’s L’Orangerie restaurant

Sunday – 

•    30 minute drive to Le Touquet Golf Resort

•    Play 18 holes on the iconic La Mer course 

•    Lunch at ‘The Spoon’ restaurant in the clubhouse 

•    9 holes on Le Manoir course 

•    Return to LeShuttle terminal (50 minute drive)

•    Arrive in Folkestone by 8pm

A golf escape for couples

Saturday –

•    10am – Arrive at LeShuttle Calais terminal 

•    Drive to the Najeti Hôtel du Golf at AA Saint-Omer course, your hotel for the weekend

•    Tee off at 11am at AA Saint-Omer Le Val course. Play 18 holes

•    Late afternoon - Relax in the hot tub at the hotel’s health club 

•    Dinner at the Le Ristandèl restaurant

Sunday – 

•    Drive 40 minutes to Golf de Wimereux

•    Play 18 holes at the links course 

•    Back to Najeti Hôtel du Golf at AA Saint-Omer

•    9 holes at La Haute-Drève 

•    Dinner at the hotel

Top tips for a golfing holiday

• All these courses allow non-members to play, but some may have members only days. Check with the course first before your visit
• Book your tee times in advance, especially in the summer (courses like Le Touquet are very popular) 
• Get better value if you’re playing on several courses with a multi-course pass like the Opal Coast Golf Pass
• Just because you’re on holiday doesn’t mean you can dress down. Wear what you normally would to play on a members course in the UK

Things to do during your Northern France golf break

The Opal Coast is a wonderful place to explore on your non-golfing days

The Opal Coast is a stunning stretch of coastline in Northern France, running from the Belgian border down to Berck. So, when you travel with us, you’ll drive straight off LeShuttle right into the heart of this beautiful region.

When you’re not golfing, here’s a few ideas of what to see and do in the area: 

• Visit the D-Day beaches in Normandy
• Get up close with the giants of the sea at Nausicaá, Europe’s largest aquarium
• Explore Étretat, the coastal gem that inspired the Impressionists 
• Catch the international kite festival at Berck-sur-Mer

Hit the greens with LeShuttle

We’ll take you ‘straight down the middle’ of the Channel in only 35 minutes, and you could be striding down the fairways of northern France only half an hour later!