Spring starts a little earlier across the Channel and a lot of the golf courses in Northern France and Belgium are built on sand so course condition is well ahead of most of the UK until at least May. So, if you’re keen on playing great golf courses in firmer and warmer conditions, here are four super itineraries worth cleaning your clubs for! Of course, I’ve cherry-picked courses that have superb irrigation and great reputations for maintenance and comfortable hotels that maximise your holiday budget.
Hardelot Les Pins and Wimereux
Hardelot, Northern France, 45 minutes from Calais
The two Hardelot courses are cut through tall pines and deservedly rated among the very finest in France. In fact, Hardelot Les Pins is in Europe’s Top 30. The links of Wimereux is ideal as your loosener with its wide fairways and large greens but it’s still a fine test of all-round golf and has hosted the French Amateur Championship. For accommodation, the three-star Hotel du Parc is a tiny drive from both Hardelot courses and the charming seaside town.
- Le Shuttle return travel with your car
- Three nights’ bed and breakfast at Hotel du Parc, Hardelot
- Golf at Hardelot Les Pins
- Golf at Hardelot Les Dunes
- Golf at Wimereux
As detailed above @ £350 per person throughout March and £405 per person midweek April, based on twin/double occupancy and four people sharing a car. Add £45 per person if taking two cars.
Chantilly, north of Paris, 2 ¼ hours from Calais
The three-star Hostellerie du Lys is simple but comfortable and cracking value. Set amid the serene and century-old Du Lys housing development, it’s very close to International Club du Lys and well under ten-minutes from the elegant town centre of Chantilly and the World Top 100 golf course of Chantilly Vineuil.
Chateau Conde in Chantilly and the World Top 100 Chantilly Vineuil
- Le Shuttle return travel with your car
- Three nights’ bed and breakfast at Hostellerie du Lys, Lamorlaye
- Golf at International Club du Lys Les Chenes
- Golf at Chantilly Vineuil
- Golf at Apremont
As detailed above @ £520 per person midweek March 1 to May 31, based on twin/double occupancy and four people sharing a car. Add £45 per person if taking two cars.
Ypres, Belgium, 75 minutes from Calais
For culture-vultures and history buffs, this golf break has a bonus. Not only is Ypres a small and vibrant town but it’s a poignant reminder of The Great War. Make sure you’re in town at 8pm on at least one evening to experience The Last Post Ceremony. Lille, France’s second richest city, is 40 minutes’ south of Ypres and both cities have museums and art galleries to satisfy the most avid of intelligentsia.
Koksijde Golf Clyb and Ypres town hall
For golf, Koksidje is a Belgian Top 10 course and a fine inland links ideal for playing on one of your travel days. Palingbeek is just outside Ypres so perfect to play in the morning and then explore the area in the afternoon, and Lille Bondues is a prestigious 36-hole club with courses designed by Trent Jones Snr and Fred Hawtree. Hotel Albion is a family-run and good-quality three-star in the best of locations for the town.
- Le Shuttle return travel with your car
- Three nights’ bed and breakfast at the Hotel Albion, Ypres
- Golf at Palingbeek
- Golf at Lille Bondues
- Golf at Koksijde
As detailed above @ £520 per person midweek March 1 to May 31, based on twin/double occupancy and four people sharing a car. Add £45 per person if taking two cars.
Bruges, Belgium, 85 minutes from Calais
Always great fun and as pretty as a picture, Bruges also boasts several fine courses within easy reach. The city has countless restaurants, museums, chocolate shops and micro-breweries so you can choose your reward (or solace) depending on how you play. Royal Ostend is rated 5th best in Belgium, Koksidje 10th (see main picture) and Damme 25th so this is a high-quality golf tour with a strong emphasis on links.
Royal Ostend Golf Club and Bruges
- Le Shuttle return travel with your car
- Three nights’ bed and breakfast at Martins Bruges
- Golf at Royal Ostend
- Golf at Damme
- Golf at Koksijde
As detailed above @ £599 per person midweek March 1 to May 31, based on twin/double occupancy and four people sharing a car. Add £45 per person if taking two cars.
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