Golf in Le Touquet: the 3 courses of the Golf Resort and nearby clubs

To play golf in Le Touquet, everything happens at Le Touquet Golf Resort, avenue du Golf, south of the resort: two 18-hole courses (La Mer and La Forêt) and a 9-hole course (Le Manoir), open all year round. Golf has been part of the town's identity since 1904, so much so that the caddie has become its emblem. Here is how to choose your course, when to come and which other Opal Coast courses to combine it with.

Le Touquet Golf Resort at a glance

The estate lies between the pine forest and the dunes, about 3 km from the town centre. According to the tourist office, it welcomes nearly 40,000 visitors a year from all over Europe. It is now run by Resonance Golf, which also operates the Hardelot golf club.

On site: a 30-bay driving range, around twenty of them covered, a putting green, a pitching green and a clubhouse with bar and restaurant, rebuilt in 2016.

The three courses in detail

La Mer, the benchmark links

Laid out in the dunes along the Channel, La Mer is a true Scottish-style links: rolling fairways set among the marram grass, large sloping greens and wind that is almost always present. In 2018 it was ranked among the 100 best courses in continental Europe by Golf World magazine, and it was reworked in 2017. It is the most demanding course on the estate: a handicap is required to play it, with a stricter limit than on the other two courses. Check the required level when booking.

La Forêt, the historic course

Opened in 1904, La Forêt is the founding course. It winds through some hundred hectares of pine, oak and willow, well sheltered from the sea breeze. It is the logical choice in strong wind, and a pleasant course for players of different levels heading out together. Since a few holes were redesigned in 2020, it can also be played as 9-hole loops returning to the clubhouse, handy when you only have a morning.

Le Manoir, for learning and improving

This 9-hole course, opened in 1994, covers every playing situation over a shorter distance. It is used for coaching courses and first competitions, and lets you play a round in under two hours, at the end of the day for example.

A little history: golf, part of Le Touquet's DNA

The first course was opened in 1904 by Arthur Balfour, then British Prime Minister: the resort, founded by English investors, attracted visitors from across the Channel very early on. A Golf Hotel opened in 1908, and from 1910 a tramway linked the centre to the golf course. La Mer completed the set in 1931. The Golf Hotel, destroyed in the 1944 bombing, was never rebuilt; today it is the Manoir Hôtel that borders the courses.

This past is still visible everywhere: the caddie appears on signs, on forest markers and even on the sails of the resort's sand yachts. To find out more, see our article on the history of Le Touquet.

When to play and how to plan

Golf in Le Touquet is played twelve months a year: the sandy ground soaks up rain quickly, and the greens stay playable when other courses are closed. A few pointers to choose your timing:

• April to June: long days, the course in excellent condition, still reasonably quiet on weekdays.
• July-August: the resort is full; book your tee times several days ahead, especially for La Mer at weekends.
• September-October: often the best period, with soft light and gentler prices than in summer.
• Winter: playable, but bring a windproof jacket and gloves; La Forêt is then more comfortable than La Mer.

Green fees vary with the season, the day and whether or not you hold a golf federation licence: check the current price list on the resort's website. The estate also offers taster sessions to discover the equipment, the driving range and the short game, so you can get a partner or teenagers to give it a try. If you are unsure about timing, our page when to visit Le Touquet describes the climate month by month.

Charles's tip: check the wind direction the day before. In a strong westerly, save La Mer for the next day and play La Forêt; and book an early-morning tee time, when the wind is usually lighter and the course quieter.

Other golf courses within 45 minutes

Le Touquet is a good base for a golf break on several courses. Approximate driving distances from the resort centre:

Les Pins at Hardelot, under the maritime pines, is often cited as the ideal complement to La Mer: two opposite styles in two days. Resonance Golf offers an Opal Coast pass covering its courses in the region; check the conditions on its website before booking.

A sample three-day golf break

For a long weekend, here is a sequence that lets you discover the very different playing styles of the Opal Coast without spending your life in the car:

1. Day 1, arrival: 9 holes on Le Manoir or a loop of La Forêt in the afternoon to get back into your swing, then a bucket of balls at the covered driving range.
2. Day 2, La Mer: a morning tee time on the links, lunch at the clubhouse, and a walk in the dunes or on the beach at the end of the day.
3. Day 3, Hardelot: a 30-minute drive north to Les Pins, a wooded, technical course, before heading home.

Those who prefer valley settings can swap Hardelot for Nampont-Saint-Martin, to the south, where the Cygnes course runs alongside the Authie. Non-golfing companions have plenty to do in the meantime: the beach, cycling in the forest, the market and the shops of rue Saint-Jean; our guide things to do in Le Touquet has ideas.

Where to stay for a golf break

For a golf weekend, the ideal is to stay in the town centre: you reach avenue du Golf in under 10 minutes by car and can walk to restaurants in the evening. From Villa Mon Étoile, on rue d'Étaples, the resort is about 3 km away, and our two-bedroom apartments suit two golfing couples well. For the resort's other activities, see our guide to sport in Le Touquet.