Golf courses in Normandy

Normandy is not the first golf destination that comes to mind for Dutch golfers, but those who make the trip quickly understand why a growing group of regulars keeps coming back. The region begins at the white cliffs of Étretat and stretches west past the D-Day beaches to the Cotentin Peninsula — and along that coast lie a number of links and links-style courses that are among the finest in France. The Golf d'Étretat is the headline act: a course dramatically laid out on the clifftops above the Alabaster Coast, with views that rival anything in the British Isles. Golf de Saint-Germain-sur-Ay near Barneville-Carteret is a more hidden gem: a genuine links on the Channel coast of the Cotentin. Inland, Golf de Rouen-Mont-Saint-Aignan is the top parkland option in the region. Normandy is accessible by car via the Eurotunnel and the A13, or by ferry to Cherbourg, Caen or Le Havre. The drive from the Hook of Holland is under three hours to the nearest courses. Greenfees are very reasonable by French standards. The combination of excellent golf, extraordinary history and one of the finest regional cuisines in France makes Normandy an outstanding and very achievable golf trip from the Netherlands.