The Top 5 Golf Courses in Brittany

By Morgan Clarke

Brittany is just a pleasant ferry journey away or you can take the motorway from Calais or even fly from many UK airports to several in Brittany. The sheer number of high- quality golf courses in Brittany make it the ideal location for golfers seeking a luxury holiday with easy-to-get-to access and that French "je ne sais quoi!"

Here are 5 courses that should make you consider a Brittany golf holiday.

5. Dinard

The oldest golf course in Brittany (and the second oldest in the country!) starts our list. Designed by celebrated golfing architect Willie Dunn all the way back in 1887, this is a course that has improved with age and simply has it all: great golf, sensational coastal views and a charming Art Deco clubhouse. It isn't for novices though, despite being a short 5814 yards - it starts off easily, but quickly ramps up the difficulty to tax the most experienced of golfers. If you can manage it, try and play midweek as it's popular with members at weekends.

4. Nantes La Vigneux

Nantes Vigneux is full of surprises - fortunately, they're all of the pleasant variety for experienced golfers. Designed by Frank Pennink, this course really is a hidden gem. Lovely fairways, delightful woodland, and a relaxed atmosphere are countered by the difficulty of the small greens and the River Cens. First timers may struggle to get a good score, but this is one course that gets better every time you play it, meaning that one Brittany golf holiday may not be enough for this gem.

3. Val Andre

At only 15 years old, it's easy to overlook Val Andre as a young pretender to the prestige of some of the older golf courses in Brittany. However, Val Andre is one of France's best "new" courses. The wide fairways will do their best to lull you into a false sense of security but that will soon vanish after your first three putt on the tricky greens (made all the more difficult by the coastal winds!). Expertly maintained, Val Andre is well worth a day's golf on a golf holiday in Brittany - not just for the course, but for the fabulous views and splendid seafood on offer in the nearby coastal town.

2. Saint-Laurent

Perhaps the most famous golf course in Brittany, Saint-Laurent has hosted the PGA Championship on numerous occasions and offers a suitably challenging parkland test. Tough off the back, friendly off the front, you have to have all the shots in the bag to put a good score together. It's a classic design with great variety and a lovely "clubby" feel to the place.

1. La Baule

La Baule is the most popular golf course in Brittany and one of our clients' favourites. What you get is two fine 18 hole courses - the Red and the Blue - and the jury is out as to which one is the better. With a hotel on site, many clients "play and stay" for a few days, enjoying not only the golf but the nearby resort and myriad of restaurants. The golf course designers were Dave Thomas, Michel Gayon, Jack Nicklaus Jnr and Peter Alliss - they don't disappoint. This is parkland golf at its prettiest and requires a tight driving game to the lush fairways. As they say, "keep the ball in play and the pars look after themselves". With the round topped off by the smart thatched-roof club house, golf days in Brittany don't come much better than this.

Honourable mentions must include the courses at La Bretesche and Saint Malo...With so many great courses and just a short ferry and drive from England's south coast, Brittany makes the perfect escape for golfers. Consider a golf holiday in Brittany next time you feel like hitting the fairways with friends!

Morgan Clarke is the Managing Director of Your Golf Holidays, a company that has been providing bespoke golf holidays for over 25 years. They are experts in the world's best places to play, including [http://www.yourgolfholidays.com/brittany-golf-breaks-holidays.html]golf holidays in Brittany, Belgium, Spain, Italy, Dubai, Morocco and over 20 other countries. The award-winning specialist tour operator is privately-owned and determined to ensure that both experienced golfers and novices will enjoy an unforgettable experience wherever they choose to go.

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