France - Brittany
With a rugged coastline and landscape similar to Cornwall you’ll feel at home in France’s North-West
GETTING THERE
Fly to Dinard or Nantes with Ryanair (www.ryanair.com). Flybe (www.flybe.com) flies from Southampton to Rennes.
Brittany Ferries (www.brittanyferries.co.uk) travels from Portsmouth to Caen, Cherbourg and St Malo, Plymouth to Roscoff, and from Poole to St Malo and Cherbourg.
WHERE TO PLAY
Val-André runs by the beach and through classic, rolling Breton countryside.
Dinard is the second oldest course in France, built by Scotsman Tom Dunn and one
of the best-loved links on the north coast. Featuring dunes, gorse, panoramic views and an art deco clubhouse this is something special.
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Close by, Les Ormes is a wooded course which complements the large number of links for which Brittany is famous. The nearby 16th-century chateau provides a reminder that this can?t be anywhere other than France.
La Baule is a great layout with several holes overlooking the Atlantic. There are two 18-hole courses here ? Bleu and Rouge ? and it?s debatable which is better. Nearby La Bretesche lies among woodland in the shadow of a fairytale chateau.
Near Rennes lies Golf de la Freslonnière. The course isn?t the longest but the holes are interesting and plenty of water creeps into play. Some of the fairways run through a century-old forest.
Close by, Val Queven features some treacherous water features but has generous fairways.
WHERE TO STAY
Dinard is one of the most popular coastal resorts in the north, offering seaside walks, excellent restaurants and café culture. For luxury, the Grand Hôtel Barrière is five minutes from Dinard airport. Boasting Leading Hotels of the World status, the food is outstanding and the town centre is within walking distance. The hotel is well placed to play Dinard and Val André.
La Baule is situated in a beautiful, three-mile-long sandy bay. The hotels are upmarket and leisure facilities extensive.
Rent a self-catering cottage in the grounds of La Bretesche chateau ? some lie on the edge of the course.
OFF COURSE
Between La Baule and La Bretesche lies the nature reserve of La Brière where you can take a boat through the marshes and visit thatched homes typical of the region. The prehistoric stones at Carnac ? one of the largest Neolithic sites in Europe ? are arranged in mysterious lines.
Rennes was an important medieval town and has a chateau and gardens. Make a reservation for dinner at Hotel La Bretesche. The Michelin-starred restaurant in the chateau overlooking a lake may be expensive, but it?s worth it.
CONTACTS BOOK
Grand Hotel Barriere
www.lucienbarriere.com
Val-Andre
www.bluegreen.com
Dinard
www.dinardgolf.com
Les Ormes
www.lesormes.com
La Baule
www.lucienbarriere.com
La Bretesche
www.bretesche.com
Golf de la Freslonniere
www.golfdelafreslonniere.com
Val Queven
www.formule-golf.com/val-queven