Northern France _ Wimereux _ Wimereux Gold Resort © CRTC Hauts-de-France _ Anne-Sophie Flament

50 golf courses in Hauts-de-France

Rejuvenation, history and heritage, a nature retreat, or just fun and games… Golf in Northern France is whatever you make it!rcement, histoire et patrimoine, évasion nature ou partie de plaisir… C’est selon !

Hauts-de-France is famed as a region of fantastic green spaces, of culture, and of wonderful food and excellent breweries: a region where generosity and conviviality are part of local art de vivre. But this is also a fabulous golfing region, with no shortage of courses – indeed, there’s something for everyone here, from remote hidden-away courses where you can slow right down to courses where you can combine your sporting practice with new cultural discoveries, ones where you can get lungfuls of fresh seaside or forest air, or ones where you simply relax and have a great time with friends… From Chantilly to Valenciennes via Lille and the Opal Coast, there are plenty of courses all over Hauts-de-France to get you into the swing of things!

Of the 50 golf courses in the region, we’ve looked at five that will make you want to discover all of them!

©CRT Hauts-de-France - Guillaume Crochez

NORD DEPARTMENT

Golf de Mormal: taking it easy as a couple 10 minutes from Valenciennes

If you aspire to slow down, relax and enjoy some tranquillity, Mormal golf course is made for you. At the heart of the Avesnois natural park, this 18-hole course plunges you into an undulating landscape dotted with ponds, groves and orchards. The par-72, 6,022m course blends in perfectly with its natural surroundings not far from Mormal Forest, making it the perfect spot for a spot of serenity with your partner. There’s a driving range with 30 spaces (10 covered), a compact six-hole course to perfect your short game, and a putting green. You don’t need to be pro to play here: beginners are welcomed with open arms. And to top it all, Mormal is among the 22 sites included in the Hauts-de-France Golf pass. You’re also only 10 short minutes from Valenciennes, where you can cocoon yourself in a hotel in an sumptuous18th-century mansion and historic monument with a incredible spa – a 1,200m2 temple of wellbeing. The Royal Hainaut Spa is the kind of place that will you make you feel so good, you’ll never want to leave. But the city conceals other delights to lure you out: amble streets punctuated by sculptures, and sample a glass of local wine on a pontoon over the lake of a vineyard, for instance — Valenciennes is synonymous with la vie douce!

OISE DEPARTMENT

Play golf in Chantilly and immerse yourself as a couple in its exceptionally rich history.

If you’re interested in learning more about French history, head for the Forêt de Chantilly course 40 minutes from Paris – this member of the Hauts-de-France pass is located right next to an outstanding heritage site. Surrounded by towering trees, the setting in itself is enough to put one in a contemplative frame of mind. And the actual course is a treat for the eyes: 18 holes (par 72) spread over more than 6km: 14 at the forest edge, the other four with a French-garden style layout and a location opposite a handsome hotel. The site is a pretty one of ponds, canals, reeds and small islands – even the driving range is set on the water! In short, this is a charming course accessible to all, with a great deal to admire. Continue the enchantment with a visit to the Château de Chantilly just 3km away. An architectural wonder and romantic vision known around the world, it includes the Musée Condé with its unique exhibition design and one of the most impressive collections of ancient paintings in all France; don’t miss the Santuario with Raphaël’s Three Graces. Afterwards, wander among the fountains and reflecting pools of the André Le Nôtre designed gardens… Yes, indeed, everything you can admire in Versailles was seen in Chantilly first! Finish in the Hameau, nestled away in the château’s Anglo-Chinese garden, with a tasting of true, inimitable Chantilly cream in the very place where the recipe was invented 300 years ago.

Northern France _ Chantilly _ Chateau and garden ©CRTC Hauts-de-France - Jean-Louis Aubert

Northern France _ Chantilly _ Chateau © Crt Hauts De France Nicolas Bryant

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Northern France _ Chantilly _ Château de Chantilly © CRTC Hauts-de-France - Vincent Colin

NORD DEPARTMENT

Golf de Mérignies: a course to enjoy with friends – followed by a hearty meal and a beer!

Northern France _ Lille _ La Capsule © La Capsule

If you love trying new activities with friends as well as gathering together for delicious sharing meals and animated conversations until the small hours, Mérignies golf course is your Eden. Here, in the heart of the countryside yet only 20 minutes from Lille, Béatrice and Emmanuel Gaulier welcome both high-level players and beginners, families and children – and happy bands of friends! So round up some mates and treat yourselves to a round on the ‘hilliest golf course in the flat country’. You’ll find three high-quality, wonderfully maintained courses spread over vast, perfectly set-up spaces, as this is a site committed to the environment – one that conserves its wild spaces and has a money- and energy-saving system of water management. In a similar vein, L’Engrenage, its club-house brasserie, focuses on local suppliers. But if you prefer to dive into Lille’s famous nightlife, head instead to Bierbuik in the Old Town, where locavore chef Florent Ladeyn offers a new twist on classic Flemish cuisine as well as brewing his own beers. And for one for the road, let yourselves be seduced by the warmly welcoming Capsule, an inviting bar with artisan beers, or the joyful Joker, a cocktail bar with a weekly-changing menu.

Vous aimez essayer de nouvelles activités avec vos amis, vous re-trouver autour de bons petits plats et avoir des discussions endiablées jusqu’au bout de la nuit ? Le golf de Mérignies sera votre Eden. En pleine campagne (mais à seulement 20 minutes de Lille !), Béatrice et Emmanuel Gaulier accueillent les sportifs de haut niveau comme les débutants, les familles, les enfants, … mais aussi votre bande de joyeux lurons ! Alors c’est décidé, on motive les copains pour s’offrir une partie sur le green du « golf le plus vallonné du plat pays » … Ici, trois parcours à la qualité reconnue, entretenus avec le plus grand soin, sur d’immenses espaces aménagés juste ce qu’il faut. Car oui, Mérignies est un site engagé : les zones sauvages sont préservées, la gestion de l’eau se fait économe … Et l’Engrenage, la brasserie du club-house, se fournit local ! Si vous préférez toutefois vous imprégner de la vie nocturne lilloise, rendez-vous après votre partie dans le Vieux-Lille, au Bierbiek : porté par Florent Ladeyn, chef locavore étoilé, l’estaminet 2.0 revisite la cuisine flamande (et brasse ses propres bières !). Un petit after, ça vous dit ? On parie que vos amis seront séduits par l’ambiance chaleureuse de la Capsule, pittoresque bar à bières artisanales, ou par la joyeuse atmosphère du Joker, maison à cocktails où la carte change toutes les semaines.

Opal Coast

The Opal Coast: seaside golf courses and vas natural spaces with big skies to intoxicate and inspire

The Opal Coast offers a golfing escape in the greatest of the great outdoors, just two hours from Paris but in the heart of nature, between vast protected spaces swept by soft sea breezes. The variety of its courses makes it a firm favourite with golfers. The “Golf en Côte d’Opale pass” gives you access to seven courses dotted along the coast, all with different but stunning views. The Golf de Belle-Dune is a unique course straddling a pine forest and the Marquenterre sand dunes. On the banks of the Authie, the Golf de Nampont-Saint Martin unfurls around a 15th-century forest that gives it an ancient charm. The prestigious Touquet Golf Resort combines an elegant manor-house hotel, a fine-dining restaurant and an exceptional club-house. In Hardelot, the Golf des Dunes and Golf des Pins both offer a remarkable golfing experience, while the 18-hole Val and nine-hole Haute Drêve of Saint-Omer also leave nothing to be desired. The Golf de Dunkerque offers rounds loosely inspired by the architecture of its Vauban citadel, following the traces of the small hills, inclines and drops of the fortifications – a strange, anachronistic world providing an escape into history. And not to forget Wimereux with its Scottish-style links course in the heart of the Boulonnais countryside around Calais and Boulogne-sur-Mer. As you move between the holes, the views – including those of the soaring cliffs – will take your breath away.

Golfing on the Opal Coast

AISNE DEPARTMENT

The ‘Secret Valley’, a romantic escape close to Paris – with golf AND champagne

This is the holy grail for couples who love both tiny bubbles and little golf balls. In the south of the Aisne, just 50 minutes de Paris, the Golf du Val Secret is hidden deep in the Picardy countryside, where 10% of AOC (appellation d’origine contrôlée) French champagne is produced. So while, yes, this is a golfing break, you can slake your thirst with some champagne. It would be rude not to! Nicely hilly, with ingeniously placed water features and bunkers to add a bit of spice to your game, this 18-hole (par 72) course extends over more than 5,700m of delicious countryside. Your immersion in nature will be complete once you’ve branched out into the vast vineyards that surround it, meeting artisan wine-growers passionate about his region and keen to welcome you personally into their cellars or for fascinating vineyard walks. A world away from the big estates with their classic tastes, these personalised visits and tastings will give you the chance to savour a champagne with unique aromas – and best of all, to share moments of human complicity with local artisans.