In over a quarter-century of sending golfers across the pond to enjoy some of the world’s best courses, it has always been our steadfast belief that the memories and experiences off the course are just as valuable as those on it. Nowhere is that better exemplified than France.

Whether it’s the renowned avenues of Paris, the hallowed shores of Normandy, or the culture surrounding wine and gastronomy, there is so much of the Good Life to be found in France one could easily forget that we’re also here to play golf.

Yet it’s a good thing that we’ve packed our clubs, because while the off course activities may fight for top billing, the golf in France is as exceptional as the collection in The Louvre’s Grand Gallery. From historic layouts at Fontainebleau, Chantilly, and Biarritz to the modern classics of Saint Emilionnais and Le Golf National – Home of the 2018 Ryder Cup – France offers arguably the finest collection of courses in Continental Europe.

Like Great Britain and Ireland, the best approach to a golf trip to France is to think of the country as a collection of several different regions. There’s Paris and Normandy in the north, the French Riviera to the south, with the famous wine regions of Bordeaux, Burgandy, and the Loire Valley in-between. Choose the two or three areas of most interest and build your first itinerary around those. Attempting to squeeze in any more than that not only turns the trip into a hectic game of hopscotch, but it likely does so at the expense of the Good Life.

To help further explain Golf and the Good Life in France, we suggest tuning-in to this short video with our partner in the country, Francois Bras.