Le Touquet: A first-timer's guide to a golf break

As a casual golfer embarking on my first golf break, I was looking forward to experiencing the golf on offer in the towns of Hardelot and Le Touquet in Northern France.

The trip was incredibly straightforward. Instead of lugging a suitcase and clubs to the airport or queuing for check-in, we had the ease of loading everything into the car as we began our journey down to Folkestone for the Eurotunnel.

The Eurotunnel was a very efficient way to travel and allowed us to be on the first tee within as little as six hours.

Arriving at Golf d’Hardelot after an easy 45-minute drive from the Eurotunnel crossing, Les Pins course was a great layout to open our golf break with. It's generous fairways and picturesque pine tree surroundings allowed for an enjoyable and very fair round of golf, particularly for a more casual golfer like myself.

Post-round we headed on over to the clubhouse to enjoy a spot of lunch and soak in the views of Les Dunes, the newer of the two golf courses at Golf D’Hardelot. The clubhouse veranda overlooks a beautiful lake, with two holes in view inclined into the distance. At a glance, Les Dunes showcased more of a challenge compared to Les Pins, which is solidified by its ranking as one of Europe’s best golf courses.

That evening we stayed at Hotel du Parc, just a three-minute drive from Golf d’Hardelot, a great three-star hotel which lived up to its great reputation by Golfbreaks clients. Spacious rooms and a substantial breakfast the following morning was perfect after a day of travel and set us up nicely for another day on the course.

We did venture into Hardelot town that evening, which is only a 20-minute walk into town from the hotel. This was definitely worth the steps after we chose to dine at La Terrasse. We may not have opted for local cuisine but I highly recommend their burgers – one of my best to date.

After dinner we headed over to Saint-Patrick, an Irish themed bar, with darts, pool & an array of drink choices to finish off the evening before proceeding back to the hotel.

Our second day in France began with a 20-minute drive down to the beachside town of Le Touquet.

Having our own car made things incredibly easy. Instead of having to book transfers, all we had to do was pack our stuff up and we were on our merry way with a short trip to Golf du Touquet.

We arrived at Golf du Touquet with plenty of time before our tee time, which gave us the opportunity to roam the facilities and utilise the driving range (with Trackman tracing equipment) ahead of our round. The clubhouse is first class, in immaculate condition, and with lovely views out onto the course – the perfect spot to enjoy a pre-round coffee or post-round beer.

La Foret was a great course to follow on from Les Pins from the previous day. Both courses offer a similar round with their pine & oak tree surroundings, with La Foret providing a slightly more open feel out of the two. The back nine holes were amongst my favourite from our trip, particularly as this is where I play my best golf!

After a spot of lunch and a short break off the course, we were able to head out onto Golf du Touquet’s second course, Le Mer. Immediately upon stepping onto this course, I could see why this course is ranked as one of the best layouts in France. It offers more of a challenge to La Foret and you can soak in a panoramic view when teeing-off on the 18th.

Before we departed Golf du Touquet – we enjoyed a post-round drink at the bar in the La Manoir Hotel. This provides great accommodation if you’re looking for a stay & play golf package, whilst also being within an easy taxi ride into the town centre.

Our second evening in France saw us upgrade our accommodation to the five-star Le Westminster Barrière. Here, we were perfectly located in the heart of Le Touquet, with access to the on-site pool, sauna and restaurant. This hotel is a must-stay, even for one evening if you can. It’s perfect for a relaxing evening, or for venturing out into town with a short 5-minute walk from the hotel.

For our final round of golf on the trip, we drove 30 minutes south of Le Touquet for a day out at Golf Belle Dune. This course definitely lived up to the hype. It provided a fantastic challenge as the course design is outstanding with sand hills throughout, but not finding the fairway came costly throughout for a casual golfer like myself.

Golf Belle Dune was the more remote of the three courses we played but you’ll find all the facilities you need at Belle Dune with a driving range, putting green, clubhouse, and pro shop. I’d highly recommend enjoying some post-round refreshments and a croque monsieur in the clubhouse.

For our final evening we continued our stay in Le Touquet, moving over to Hotel Red Fox. This hotel is perfectly located in the heart of this beachside town, and you’ll find the popular hotspot of Le Globe Trotter on the same road – perfect for evening drinks or catching any televised sports.

We opted to dine at Le Matisse for our last night, with an array of food options to choose from. I made sure I wasn’t leaving France without trying Escargots (aka snails) – you can find them at Le Matisse & I’d recommend La Raclette pizza for your main.

A self-drive golf break to France is a must for all golfers. Travelling at your own pace, with an array of golf courses and locations to choose from makes for a first-class golf tour destination.

A few days away from reality, where you can tee off six hours after departure; that’s not something all locations have to offer.