When planning a golf trip, Paris doesn’t immediately spring to mind. The City of Light is celebrated for its world-class cuisine, romantic boulevards, artistic treasures, and cultural sophistication—but golf? Not so much. Yet France, and Paris in particular, offers exceptional golf experiences that rival anywhere in the world. Six of the top 20 courses in Continental Europe are found here, including the ultra-exclusive Morfontaine, which I had the pleasure of playing along with Chantilly a few years back. Morfontaine is heavenly—or any other description that captures a place so otherworldly it creates a spiritual connection with the game.
The focus of this particular trip, however, was to fulfill a long-held ambition: playing Les Bordes, one of Europe’s finest courses and once among its most feared. The club was notorious for maintaining a board in the clubhouse listing anyone who broke 80—and there weren’t many names on it.
The Journey Begins
Hooking up with the ebullient Robert Sexton of Elite Golf Experiences, I looked forward to experiencing courses that would normally be beyond reach for anyone without an exceptionally thick black book of golf contacts. The adventure began with a civilised channel crossing aboard a DFDS ferry from Dover to Calais. While slower than the Eurotunnel, there’s something appealing about fresh air, coffee, proper food, and the genuine travel experience of a sea crossing.
Three hours later, after thundering down the A1 and navigating the Périphérique, we found our accommodation strategically positioned on the edge of town—perfectly placed for accessing courses both north and southwest of the city.
Day One: Golf de L’Isle Adam
Our first day took us to the relatively unknown Golf de L’Isle Adam, less than an hour north of Paris. The course is part of Le Domaine des Vanneaux, a hotel and spa that serves as a classy retreat from the capital’s hustle and bustle. The hotel’s excellent restaurant provided a first-class lunch, while the mature surroundings—lush grass, woodland, and lakes—created high anticipation for the round ahead.
With the exception of one or two questionably designed holes and a couple others that had been attacked by wild boar, the course proved hugely enjoyable. Several holes featured very steep, long inclines (making a buggy essential), but many spectacular holes threaded through towering trees. The resort maintains relationships with other leading courses in the area, making it an ideal base for local golf while offering easy access to central Paris.
Day Two: The Crown Jewel – Les Bordes
Day two was the trip’s undisputed highlight: a visit to the ultra-private Les Bordes, located 90 minutes south of Paris in the Loire Valley. The club built its fearsome reputation on the original Old Course, a Robert Von Hagge design that became legend for the tales of beaten golfers recounting its difficulty and penal nature.
In 2021, a second course designed by Gil Hanse was added (along with a 10-hole short course called “The Wild Piglet”). This heathland-style layout provides a complete contrast to the Old Course, despite sharing the same 1,400-acre former hunting estate. A brief tour of Hanse’s creation immediately sparked a desire to return someday and experience it properly.
But today’s opportunity was the famous Old Course itself—a 7,044-yard, par-72 brute that had been considered Continental Europe’s most difficult for many years. It has since been “softened” slightly to give mere mortals a fighting chance, though it remains formidable.
The Old Course Experience
Taking in the beautifully converted farmhouse-style clubhouse and stunning warm-up facilities, the first hole announces the course’s stern intentions. From the tips, you need proper preparation for that opening tee shot over an expanse of reed-filled water, followed by a second shot to an island green—an island in the sand. This sets the tone for what lies ahead: plenty of sand, abundant water, beautifully sculpted holes, and pristine conditions, all within what feels like a nature reserve, detached from the world by miles of trees and vegetation.
The par-3s are stunning—three feature water and railway sleepers at varying distances, each set amidst the tranquility of the Sologne forest. The four par-5s present fabulous challenges, but two remain etched in memory. The 7th, at 555 yards, ranks among the most spectacular holes you’ll ever play. It wraps around a lake from start to finish, offering the possibility of reaching the green in two—but only with nerves of steel and a precise launch across the water. Otherwise, you must carefully negotiate the risk-reward of approaching along the water’s edge, with bunkers punishing any shots straying too far on the fairway’s far side. More than anything, the hole exists in a setting of serene beauty.
The 14th presents another rollercoaster of demanding shots, again playing to an island green, this time completely surrounded by water.
The par-4s feature memorable doglegs—the 3rd, 9th, and 17th—but the 6th proves particularly eye-catching with its expanse of bunkers punctuated by an ancient cross. This memorial honours a historical family member who fell from his horse and died while hunting. No doubt many golfers have come close to a similar fate attempting to shoot par around this magnificent course.
It’s undeniably tough, but clearly built that way intentionally. Almost every shot questions your ball-striking ability, and there are no easy pars, let alone birdies. As an experience, it shoots straight into my personal top 10. There’s a long-term vision to build a community here, though one that will remain outside most people’s budgets. Whatever evolves, I sincerely hope it succeeds, because it provides insight into what the very best money can buy: understated class, privacy, excellence, magnificence, and stunning beauty.
Day Three: Paris International Golf Club
How do you follow perfection? Our final round took us to Paris International Golf Club, France’s only Jack Nicklaus design. After a 40-minute drive, a grand and impressive (if slightly peculiar) clubhouse emerged. Being August, the place was quiet, but fortunately, the warm and charming former tour professional Matthias Debove was there to welcome us and make us feel at home.
From the clubhouse balcony, the course looked enticing, featuring more water-protected holes with the 18th presenting another island green. The front nine, laid out before the clubhouse, is largely flat but well-crafted. Had this been our second round, we would have been thoroughly impressed. Following Les Bordes, however, it felt like poor sequencing—very little anywhere could compare to the previous day’s golf, creating a slight feeling of anticlimax (and associated guilt) that had absolutely nothing to do with Paris International’s quality.
The Back Nine Revelation
On the 10th, we embarked on a long par-5 that took us high above the front nine and into a forest-filled landscape containing truly spectacular and exhilarating holes. The 11th didn’t seem wide enough through the towering trees; the 12th was a stunning, sweeping downhiller. Suddenly, the blood was flowing again.
Playing golf in an elevated forest is pure fun, and with a stunning château as backdrop to the par-3 13th, we knew we were somewhere special. As the course ebbed and flowed through the trees, we began feeling genuinely saddened that the trip was nearing its end. The long, downhill par-5 finishing with that island green proved a fitting conclusion to a thoroughly enjoyable experience. I would recommend Paris International to anyone with the opportunity to play it.
Conclusion
Paris may not be golf’s most obvious destination, but it offers experiences that combine the game we love with everything else that makes the City of Light magical. From the otherworldly perfection of Les Bordes to the forest-wrapped beauty of Paris International, and the convenient charm of L’Isle Adam, Parisian golf provides memories to last a lifetime—all enhanced by the city’s legendary cuisine, culture, and sophistication.
Sometimes the most rewarding discoveries come from the most unexpected places.