Tee Off in Bordeaux: Guide to the Region's Finest Golf Courses

Bordeaux has long been celebrated for its grand châteaux and world-renowned wines, but those in the know have another reason to make the journey. The golf here is exceptional – and it remains one of Europe’s most gloriously underrated destinations for the discerning golfer. We’ve played these courses more times than we can count, and trust us, once you’ve teed off in the Médoc with a glass of claret waiting at the 19th, everywhere else feels like a consolation prize.

Here are the five courses you simply cannot miss.

When to play

With mild weather year-round, golf is very much a four-season pursuit here, but spring and early autumn are the sweet spots.

The light is extraordinary in September and October, the courses are quieter, and you’ll coincide with harvest season in the vineyards – which means the local wine is flowing and the atmosphere across the region is genuinely electric.

Cabot Bordeaux – Les Châteaux Course

This is the crown jewel, and it knows it.

Designed by Bill Coore in 1989 and routed across flat open country in the fashion of an inland links, Les Châteaux even has heather, gorse and broom waiting to catch the wayward shot.

When the Atlantic wind picks up, you’d swear you were in Scotland – except the wine list is considerably better.

Each hole is named in honour of a great Bordeaux wine château, with oversized wine bottles serving as the marker posts. A beautiful touch that never gets old.

Our favourite hole: The 11th. A dogleg left par four where a stream crosses the fairway then runs all the way up the left to the rear of the putting surface, punishing both stray drives and wayward approach shots. It’s the kind of hole that stays with you long after the round is over.

Cabot Bordeaux – Les Vignes Course

Don’t leave the Médoc without playing Les Vignes too.

Crafted by Rod Whitman in 1991, it winds through pines and vineyards, offering a scenic yet strategic challenge that feels entirely different to its sister course.

Whitman believes strongly in giving the golfer options, with strategically placed obstacles throughout the course that force you to make decisions. Where Les Châteaux is open and dramatic, Les Vignes is intimate and thoughtful.

Two courses, one extraordinary estate. This is a full day well spent.

Our favourite hole: The closing stretch. With shorter holes, tighter fairways, and more severe greens than its counterpart, Vignes rewards precision and punishes complacency. Pure theatre.

Grand Saint-Émilionnais Golf Club

Tom Doak’s first Continental European design, and what an entrance he made.

Set in a valley bordered by century-old oaks and the vineyards of one of the world’s most celebrated wine appellations, this course is as close to Augusta as France is ever likely to get – Doak himself said so.

The minimalist style respects the natural landforms of the land, with very little earthworks giving a subtle effect blended into the landscape.

It has no weak holes. Not one.

Our favourite hole: The par three 9th. The green is set over water, meaning the tee shot requires careful consideration when it comes to club selection. On a breezy afternoon with the vines glowing in the background, it’s one of the most beautiful shots in the region. The clubhouse, a converted barn overlooking the 18th, is waiting for you with a well-chilled Saint-Émilion rouge. Don’t rush it.

Château des Vigiers

Affectionately known as ‘little Versailles’, Château des Vigiers is a restored 16th-century French château surrounded by its own 27-hole course designed by Donald Steel, winding around vineyards, orchards of plum trees and mature oaks.

The fast greens and thick rough can prove a test for anyone.

But it’s the full picture that makes Vigiers truly special: a Michelin-starred restaurant, a spa, and the château’s own award-winning wine produced on its estate.

Our favourite hole: The final hole on Le Lac. When asked by a leading golf magazine to name his favourite hole from his long career, Donald Steel himself selected this one. A doglegging closer requiring a drive over a ridge followed by an approach across the lake to a green that lies directly in front of the château. When the architect picks his own hole as a career highlight, you know you’re in for something special.

Cognac Golf Club

On the banks of the Charente and in the heart of the vineyards, this 18-hole par-72 course designed by French champion Jean Garaïalde is hilly, technical, and quietly superb.

The variety across the 18 holes is genuinely impressive, and the back nine in particular has built quite the reputation among those who know it.

The clubhouse, nestled in an old restored farmhouse, offers a panoramic terrace overlooking the 18th hole. The perfect spot to reflect on your round with a glass of the local spirit in hand.

Golf and cognac in the same afternoon. It doesn’t get much better than that.

Our favourite hole: The back nine as a whole deserves the mention, but if we had to pick one, it’s the closing hole. Standing on that terrace afterwards, looking back down the 18th with Cognac’s legendary distillery towers visible on the horizon, is one of those moments that reminds you exactly why you travel.