8 Reasons to Take a Golf Break in France

F rance is still the                                                 world’s most popular            Let’s be honest, France used to    tourist destination –           be ridiculously cheap. It’s no     Paris, charming countryside inns,     longer that but it still offers    campsites in Brittany, the            brilliant value-for-money. You     chateaux of the Loire…There are       can play 36 holes with a buggy at  many reasons. Yet, despite this       the Jack Nicklaus gem of Paris     success, the fairways of the 510+     International (just two hours      courses in France are often           from Calais) for about £60 and     empty. But once a golfer takes a      you can play at Deauville for      French Golf Holidays, they’re         just £19. Compared to courses of   smitten – here’s eight reasons        the same quality, France offers    why:                                  far superior value. Where else                                           can you play one of the world’s    Easy Access                           great courses all day                                                    (Fontainebleau) and have a         Just 100 miles from London you’ve     three-course lunch and free use    got three of France’s great           of a trolley and the practice      courses: Le Touquet La Mer,           range for less than the price of   Hardelot Les Pins and Belle           a round at an average course in    Dunes. Drive for another hour and     England? For accommodation,        you’ve got another batch of           France has updated its offering    world-beaters…And it goes on.         and working in a hotel has always  Whether driving, taking the train     been a respected profession.       or taking a very short flight,        Generally speaking, you get        you can arrive and play on the        four-star quality for a            same day. As we say “So close,        three-star price.                  yet so different!”                                                                                             The Food                           The Value                                                                Need I say more? The French live      Designed by the likes of Tom       for food…Children study food as       Simpson, Harry Colt, Robert von    part of the national curriculum       Hagge, Henry Cotton, Trent Jones,  from the age of seven and nearly      Pete Dye, Jack Nicklaus. 517       everyone is a connoisseur. The        courses. Very few members.         produce is fresh, expertly            Chateau clubhouses.                prepared and served with style.                                          Every region has its influence –      It’s Better for the Planet         the seaside, the rivers, the                                             fields. You could tour non-stop       Air fares are climbing – charges   and try a different dish every        for clubs, luggage, four types of  day for years.                        tax etc. You can get to Northern   It’s no coincidence that France       France, Normandy, Champagne,       has the greatest restaurants in       Brittany, Paris and even the       the world and thousands of            south-west of France within one    wonderful brasseries serving          to three hours of getting off      delicious dishes all day long. I      Eurotunnel or your ferry, and no   often wonder how the menus are        need to add to your carbon         offered at such a low price (it’s     footprint in the process!          probably got more to do with the                                         UK over-charging!) Whilst we          The Weather                        Brits concentrate on money, the                                          French talk most about their          As a general rule, the weather is  food.                                 warmer and more consistent that                                          the UK. The South virtually        The Golf                              guarantees sunshine –                                                    particularly the Languedoc         FACTS: 22 courses in Europe’s Top     Rousillon region. I find that the  100. Links, parkland, target          Loire River is the cut off point   golf, woodland layouts.               from being a few degrees warmer    than “Old Blighty” to offering        very productive day!               truly lovely weather.                                                                                          The Culture                        The Fine Wine                                                                                                  Culture plays a hugely important   Despite all the advances of New       role in French society. From       World wines, France is still          fashion to paintings, from         considered to offer the best          architecture to history, you only  wines in the world. For red           need look at the attention and     wines, Medoc; for white wines,        public grief at the recent         Burgundy. Then there’s Champagne,     passing of Yves Saint Laurent to   the lovely light whites of the        realise what culture means to the  Loire, the fruity rose of             French. There are museums          Provence. Surprise, surprise, all     everywhere and they make a great   those regions also offer stunning     holiday for culture-vultures.      golf courses. There’s nothing                                            nicer than playing a round of         I could go on, but I’d be          golf in the morning, lunch at the     repeating the main points again    clubhouse or a nearby brasserie       and again: for great courses,      and stopping off at a chateau for     fine dining, high culture and      a tasting and opportunity to buy      terrific weather, you can’t beat   great wines at very low prices. A     a luxury golf holiday in France.   About the Author Morgan Clarke is the Chairman 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, includinggolf breaks in France, Belgium, Spain, Italy, Dubai, Morocco and over 20 other countries. Published At: www.Isnare.com