France Golf Getaways: North Brittany and the Emerald Coast

The Domaine des Ormes welcomes you in a setting of 200 hectares of exceptional nature. On site, you will find a hotel, lodges, apartments, mobile homes, and even treehouses; in short, you have plenty of choices when it comes to accommodation.
This multi-activity domain, with its tropical dome, indoor and outdoor swimming pools, slides, and even a cable water ski, is located not far from Dol-de-Bretagne.

The Golf des Ormes can be your base in the area; its course, set within this former episcopal estate, offers a championship Par-72 layout of 5915 m.

This peaceful haven is ideal for a friendly game, with its wooded holes, water obstacles, and flower beds.
After an opening hole that allows players to let loose a bit on the tee shot, the next hole, a rather easy Par-3, the N°3 hole will require a bit of precision on the tee shot to avoid finding your ball in the water hazard that splits the fairway in two. It is not uncommon to come out of this hole with a birdie.

The course offers a great variety in the design of the holes, some with rather tight tee-offs and others allowing players to really let loose on the drives.

My favourite hole on this course is hole No. 10, this short Par-4 of 296 m uphill and with a right dogleg features a well-protected green with its front water hazard and surrounded by trees, a rather nice hole to play where accuracy on the first shot and the next will be essential.

The Saint-Malo Golf Resort is located a little further west of the previous golf course and more along the road axis Rennes - Saint-Malo.
As soon as you enter the site, you will be surprised, as some holes of the golf course are on the left and right of the road leading to the parking area.

Once your car is parked, you will have a few dozen metres to walk to the golf reception, which is next to the hotel reception.

The Saint-Malo Golf Resort offers a total of 27 holes with an 18-hole course named “Surcouf” and a 9-hole course evocatively named “Old Course”.

This relatively recent course, from 1986, was created by Hubert Chesneau, the architect of the Golf National. In this 100-hectare area, he skillfully combined the richness of the site by highlighting its water features (Lac de mireloup), its granite outcrops, and its trees, to achieve a varied and sporty layout.

The Old Course is a 9-hole, Par-36 course measuring 2646 m, featuring wide welcoming fairways nestled among majestic trees. It has very little water in play and will provide an excellent golf test for golfers of all levels.

The Surcouf course is a Par-72 of 5957 m, it is a true championship course that offers golfers of different levels some nice holes to play, featuring a mix of straight holes, right doglegs, and left doglegs.

The two signature holes of the course are undoubtedly holes No. 6 and No. 16; the former is a Par-3 of 157 m downhill spanning a arm of Lake Mireloup, while the latter is a Par-4 of 367 m where the second shot must cross the same arm of the lake as the previously mentioned hole, and the approach to the green must be precise depending on the position of the flag.

And what to say about hole No. 18, a downhill Par-5 of 471 m with its granite outcrops and its green almost like an island with a frontal water hazard, its pond at the back, and its bunker on the right side. Surely a hole where players will discuss their game strategy from the terrace of the club-house, which has an unbeatable view of this green.

The 4-star hotel offers all types of accommodation that delight golfers, families, and groups of golfers, and the restaurant "Virgule" features a menu that delights the taste buds of all lovers of good food. 

The two little extras: 

- opening hours with a brasserie from 12pm to 2pm and a snacking menu from 2pm to 3:30pm,

 - feel free to taste in moderation the cuvée Les Creisses, a red wine from the Pays d’Oc that will not leave you indifferent.

Located to the west of the town of Dinard, on the coastline of the Emerald Coast, the Dinard golf course, established in 1887, is one of the oldest golf clubs in France.

With its Art Deco clubhouse and concrete structure designed by architect Marcel Oudin, this place with its stunning view of the cliffs and the sea is worth taking a moment to relax.

This course, originally designed by Tom Dunn, has of course evolved over time, with its current 5334 m and a Par-68. The course features a single Par-5 and five Par-3s. It stretches over hectares of dunes and fields around rocky coves. It may initially seem simple, but this doesn't take into account the coastal boundaries that come into play on many fairways, and if the wind picks up, you will certainly have to accept losing a few balls during your round. 

After a tee-off from the first hole with a breathtaking view of the coast and the sea, holes No. 2 to 5 take you through the fields, and it is not until hole No. 6 that you will regain the sea breeze, which will not leave you until you reach the tee of hole No. 13, named “Les Essarts”. This Par-3 of 152m, starting from an old World War II bunker, is undoubtedly my favourite hole on the course.

After or before your round, feel free to take a seat at the clubhouse restaurant, the food is generous and of good quality. It is quite popular with the locals, but priority is given to players, and I would highly recommend making a reservation.

The golf course of Pléneuf-Val André is the westernmost golf course on the Emerald Coast, although some consider it more part of the Penthièvre coast.

In any case, the golf course of Pléneuf-Val André is a true championship course, hosting an event of the Challenge Tour each year, the Open de Bretagne.

This Par-72 of 5835 m from the white tee boxes is a relatively recent course, established in 1992, but the architect Alain Prat has managed to ideally integrate the terrain to provide golfers with a significant number of holes that offer a panoramic view of the sea or the cliffs.

It is with the sequence of holes No. 10, 11, and 12 that the views are literally breathtaking.

It's a varied and fairly hilly course, with fairways that are more or less wide and sometimes sloped; I assure you that this will add some spice to your games.

Furthermore, if the wind rises, like all coastal golf courses, the course can be fierce towards the boldest, so I advise caution rather than zeal for your golf game.

Its clubhouse with its pro shop and restaurant are ideally located and offer a breathtaking view of the sea and the tee off of hole No. 10.

In the midst of summer, it is not uncommon to enjoy a meal on the terrace with the chef working over grills/planchas to delight your taste buds with local dishes and products prepared with care.

This golf course, created in 1926 by a group of friends from Saint-Andrews, which initially had 18 holes, was completely destroyed during the Second World War. It was rebuilt in 1959, at which point it only had 9 holes (the current holes 1 to 3 and 13 to 18). It was extended back to 18 holes in 1995 after 5 years of work.

The course is a Par-69 of 5009 metres from the white tees, divided into two distinct parts, with holes bordering the beach of Pen-Guen and holes winding through the upper section, which is the most recent part of the course.

Just after placing your tee on the teeing ground of hole No. 1, I suggest you take a nice breath of fresh, salty air and enjoy the stunning view you have of Pen-Guen beach and the Garde headland.

With this first downhill hole on the historical part of the course, the golf course of Saint-Cast offers a Par-5 of 453 m where it is not uncommon to finish with par or better in terms of score.

After a Par-3, Hole Number 3 is a Par-4 of 282 m with a surprising left dogleg and an elevated green at least 10 to 15 m above the fairway.

It is as you arrive at the fairway of hole No. 5 that the magic happens again, a panoramic view between the Pointe de la Garde, the Pointe du Bay, and the Île des Ebihens.

It is after hole No. 12 that you head down towards hole No. 13, which is my favourite on this course. This short Par-4 of 240 m with a right dogleg is, to me, the perfect illustration of the benefit/risk hole. Some will try to drive the green, while others will place the ball at a preferred distance to attack the green under the best conditions. It's not uncommon to finish this hole with par or better.

You will be playing the holes by the beach at Pen-Guen, where the wind is really a factor to consider, or you risk being either too short or too long depending on your time of play. The course finishes with a Par-3, which at first glance seems simple, but the wind and certainly fatigue may challenge your score on this final hole.

Before or after your visit, feel free to reserve your table at the 19th, the restaurant next to the reception. It offers a breathtaking view of the sea and serves dishes made with local products at an excellent price/quality ratio.

The accommodation offer is truly abundant on the Emerald Coast, but if you choose not to settle at the Domaine des Ormes or the Saint-Malo Golf Resort, I recommend using concierge services for a temporary rental.
“Les Clés de Saint-Cast” has a selection of managed/rental properties that will delight golfers looking for accommodation in the seaside town of Saint-Cast-Le-Guildo (https://lesclesdesaintcast.fr), Isabelle, as a host and quality concierge, but above all as a passionate golfer, will be able to assist you in enhancing your stay in the region with walks and typical places to visit, a must.

As for dining in the sector, my favourites are as follows:  

Dol de Bretagne

The Bishopric with its heated terrace and its recipes rich in the traditions of French cuisine.

The Tronchet

The Garden of the Abbey - Chef Marie-Léa Coulon will surprise you and take you on a journey through her generous and vibrant flavours of Breton produce.

Saint-Cast Le Guildo

La Marinière for its fish and seafood overlooking the large beach of the seaside resort.

The Café Face, which is located in the harbour for its rib-eye facing the sea.

Tasting oysters on the quays of Cancale is still a unique experience to have when in the area, even though the town of Cancale is not on the Emerald Coast.