One of my favorite sayings has always been “Organization is the key to productivity.” Now, this is certainly a very wise saying but an even wiser saying is “The key to finding the best golf courses in France is Private Golf Key Travel.” Private Golf Key is a travel agency that specializes in golf and lifestyle excursions across Europe. These folks create some of the most memorable and customized trips for visitors who are willing to discover France off of the beaten path with a high level concierge service. Sounds pretty awesome, right?
My man Olivier from Private Golf Key Travel took me on a tour of some of France’s finest private clubs. Here they are presented in no particular order. Please enjoy this walk behind France’s guarded gates.
Just outside of Paris lies 36 holes of golf from Robert Trent Jones. Both the Retz and the Marly courses are of similar caliber and are routed around the rolling hills, trees, and ponds of the French countryside. The conditions are immaculate and the golf is just 20 minutes away from Paris.
Saint Cloud is one of the premier golf clubs in the Paris area and provides the very best view of the Eiffel Tower from a golf course. The tee box on the par 3 8th hole provides an absolutely perfect view of the 8th green, 9th hole and the tower looming in the backdrop.
In 2017, that tee box was the site for one of my all time favorite photographs (bottom left). When I arrived at the 8th tee box for the second time in 2024, I didn’t want to just recreate the same photograph again. I decided to send “Pete Fly” up into the sky and let him do his magic. The result was good but I still prefer the original image.
The 2017 image and the 2024 image vary slightly with afternoon light in December 2017 and morning light in October of 2024.
The Eiffel Tower hole might get all of the attention but the rest of the property deserves some appreciation as well. There are 36 holes of golf at Saint Cloud, the Jaune course and the Vert course which was designed by H.S. Colt and has hosted the French Open on 14 different occasions.
There is a wealth of golf history at Saint Nom. Fortunately, most of it is on display in the bag room. The room is filled with signatures and pictures of the many famous golfers that have walked down its fairways. However, I was unable to concentrate on anything except the Trophee Lancome tournament poster. There are two courses to play at Saint Nom and they championship layout uses holes from each 18.
Saint Germain has been called the Pine Valley of France and after playing just a few holes you will notice why. The course sets out from the clubhouse and forges its way through a mighty forest and a maze of flash faced bunkers. The result is something that feels a great deal like the world’s very best golf course that resides halfway across the globe in New Jersey.
There is excitement from the very beginning of the round and you run into some serious action on the 2nd hole with one of France’s finest par 5’s. After the 3rd hole you get the chance to walk across an old abandoned railroad track. You will cross this barrier 6 times during your round… which is awesome.
This HS Colt design also provides one of the country’s best collections of par 3’s. When you step onto the first par 3 on the 5th tee box you will know that you are in for a treat.
The par 3 7th hole
The well protected par 3 11th hole
Colt’s use of bunkers and hazard areas in the foregrounds of the par 3’s make them visually appealing and often much more difficult than they actually are. While most of today’s golfers use laser range finders, the visual distance confusion back in the 1920’s must have been profound. Even with an overcast and drizzly day, these golf holes were still a pleasure to photograph.
The finishing par 3 comes on hole #17
There is also a short course at Saint Germain and I would highly suggest crossing the railroad tracks a few more times to experience the handful of short par 4’s and fun par 3’s.
When you pass by the Chateau below on your way to Golf de Chantilly you will know that you are almost there. Beyond the nearby gate you will find 36 holes of championship golf. Even though the Parcours de Vineuil and Parcours des Longerés courses both provide holes to the championship routing, it is the Vineuil course that garners most of the attention.
This Tom Simpson design provides a flood of well designed golf holes and it is easy to see why the venue has hosted numerous French Opens since 1913. The course really ups the interest level when it traverses a massive ravine that plays home to the 17th hole and splits the 16th and 18th holes in half.
The bunkering is perhaps the most prominent and memorable feature of this golf course with large faces of tightly mown grass ensuring that only the purest of strikes are able to escape the sand in style.
The 17th hole plays down the middle of a ravine.
The Longerés course is the less celebrated of the two course at Chantilly but provides just as much fun as the Tom Simpson design. I zipped around it with a smile on my face on a beautiful fall afternoon.
Finally it is Fontainebleau. The final French course has arrived and we saved the best for last. Designed by the Frenchman Julien Chantepie, redesigned in 1920 by Tom Simpson and modified in 1963 by Fred Hawtree, Fontainebleau has the finest French pedigree that you could possibly ask for.
The par 5 8th hole is a highlight of the front nine. A glorious little hazard area separates your tee ball from your second shot. Like many of the holes at Fontainebleau, a premium is placed on accuracy over length.
The well guarded 10th hole.
The clubhouse behind the 9th green drips with charm
The opening hole at Fontainebleau immediately lets you know that there are magical forces at play here. The good news is that you will only have to deal with 50% off full Voo-doo forces. Just the voo and not the doo.
Awesome golf barn alert.
Fontainebleau provides a tremendous routing around the often rocky terrain.
The course is built on top of sandy soil which makes it playable in just about any condition. The area had experienced a major rainfall just several days before my visit and the ground was already in tournament conditions when I played. Fontainebleau also features various holes with dramatic rock outcroppings that give the course a tremendous visually advantage.
As a veteran of organizing aggressive and glorious golf trips, I know the challenges that a trip like the RGV Tour de France poses. It takes a high level of expertise to manage the access, tee times and scheduling. Fortunately, Private Golf Key Travel handled all of my needs and organized everything down to the mobile internet and the chocolate bars. After my world record setting golf trip in 2023, it was truly a glorious experience to hand over control knowing that everything would be scheduled to a tee.
If you are looking to play the best courses in France and Europe, I would highly suggest reaching out to Private Golf Key Travel. From Paris to Bordeaux, on the French Riviera or on the Atlantic coast in Brittany and Normandy, these folks are going to make your French experience something special and unlock some of the very best golf that France has to offer.