From the Côte d'Azur to the Italian Lakes

There are places where golf is simply a game, and there are places where it becomes a way of life. Along the Riviera, from the pine-scented hills above Cannes to the still waters of Lake Como, a round is never just eighteen holes. It is the morning light over the fairway, a long lunch on a shaded terrace, and a table by the sea as the evening settles in.

We have gathered our favourite courses on both sides of the border, along with the hotels worth staying in and the restaurants worth dressing for afterwards.

The Côte d'Azur

Where to play

Terre Blanche, Tourrettes

About 45 minutes inland from Cannes, in the quiet hills of the Var, lies what many consider the finest golf resort in continental Europe. Terre Blanche has two courses designed by Dave Thomas, and they could hardly be more different in character. Le Château is the one most visitors play. It is long, dramatic and full of elevation changes, with tee shots that seem to hang in the air above valleys of oak and pine. Le Riou is more intimate and more strategic, and it is reserved mainly for members and hotel guests.

What makes Terre Blanche special is not only the golf. The resort feels like a private estate: stone villas, a village perched on the hillside opposite, and a silence that is rare on the Riviera. Come for three or four days, play both courses, and let the rest of the time slow down.

Royal Mougins Golf Club, Mougins

Only ten minutes from the Croisette, Royal Mougins feels miles away from it. The course, designed by Robert von Hagge, winds through a Provençal forest with water hazards, sharp undulations and greens that are kept with almost surgical precision. It rewards control rather than power, and anyone who strays from the fairway will quickly learn how unforgiving the rough can be.

The club itself is small and exclusive, with a clubhouse terrace that is perfect for a slow lunch after the round. Spring, especially May and June, is the ideal time to play, when the course is lush and the summer heat has not yet arrived.

Monte-Carlo Golf Club, La Turbie

High on Mont Agel, around 800 metres above Monaco, sits one of the most spectacular courses in Europe. Founded in 1911, the Monte-Carlo Golf Club is as much about the setting as the game. On a clear day you can see along the coast to Italy, with the Mediterranean spread out far below you.

The altitude brings cooler air, which makes it a pleasant choice even in high summer. It is a private club with limited access for visitors, so arrange your tee time well in advance, ideally through your hotel.

Where to stay

Hôtel du Cap-Eden-Roc, Antibes

If there is one hotel that embodies the Riviera, it is this one. Set at the tip of Cap d'Antibes among pine gardens, it has welcomed artists, writers and film stars for well over a century. The saltwater pool cut into the rocks and the white cabanas along the water are among the most photographed places on the coast.

What guests return for, though, is the discretion. Nothing is loud, nothing is rushed. From here, Royal Mougins is a short drive, and Terre Blanche is within easy reach for a day of golf.

La Colombe d'Or, Saint-Paul-de-Vence

This small inn in the medieval village of Saint-Paul-de-Vence is something truly unique. Over the decades, artists who stayed here left works on the walls, and the collection is now one of the most remarkable private art settings in France. With only a handful of rooms, it feels less like a hotel and more like staying in the house of a well-travelled friend.

It is the perfect counterpoint to the golf: after a morning on the course, you return to a place of stone walls, fig trees and quiet courtyards.

Where to dine

Mirazur, Menton

Mauro Colagreco's restaurant in Menton, right on the Italian border, is one of the most celebrated tables in the world. The menu follows the moon and the seasons, and much of what arrives on the plate comes from the restaurant's own terraced gardens. Dinner here is an experience worth planning an entire evening around, ideally after a round at Monte-Carlo, just a short drive away.

Club 55, Ramatuelle

On the sands of Pampelonne, near Saint-Tropez, Club 55 is less a restaurant than an institution. Under white canopies and weathered wood, the long lunch here is a Riviera ritual: grilled fish, crisp rosé and an atmosphere that is relaxed yet unmistakably elegant. Book ahead, arrive in linen, and do not plan anything for the afternoon.

The Italian Riviera and Lake Como

Where to play

Circolo Golf Villa d'Este, Montorfano

Opened in 1926, Villa d'Este is one of the great classic courses of Italy and has hosted the Italian Open many times over its history. It sits in a wooded park beside the small lake of Montorfano, a short drive from Como. The fairways are narrow and lined with chestnut and pine, and the greens are small, so this is a course that rewards precision and patience far more than length.

The clubhouse, with its timber and stone, has the atmosphere of a gentlemen's club from another era. Play in the morning, then drive down to the lake for lunch on the water.

Menaggio & Cadenabbia Golf Club, Lake Como

Founded in 1907 by British families who spent their summers on the lake, this is one of the oldest golf clubs in Italy. The course climbs the hills above the western shore, and between the trees you catch glimpses of the water and the mountains beyond. It is not the longest course, but its slopes and tight lines make it a thoughtful, varied round.

There is a charming, old-fashioned warmth to the place. It is the kind of club where you are made to feel welcome as a visitor, and where the view from the terrace is reason enough to stay for a drink afterwards.

Circolo Golf e Tennis Rapallo, Liguria

Just inland from Rapallo and a few minutes from Portofino, this club from 1930 brings golf to the Ligurian coast. The course is flat, green and easy to walk, framed by hills and cypresses. It is less about challenge than about rhythm: a relaxed round in the morning before the afternoon belongs to the sea.

Pair it with a stay in Santa Margherita or Portofino and you have one of the most elegant golf weekends in Italy.

Where to stay

Villa d'Este, Cernobbio

This sixteenth-century palace on the shore of Lake Como has been a hotel since 1873 and remains one of the most famous addresses in the world. Its gardens run down to the water, and its floating pool on the lake is an icon. Guests have privileged access to the golf club of the same name, which makes it the natural base for a golf stay on the lake.

Everything here moves at a graceful pace. Breakfast on the terrace, a morning round, an afternoon on a wooden Riva boat, and dinner as the lake turns silver.

Splendido, A Belmond Hotel, Portofino

Originally a sixteenth-century monastery, Splendido sits on the hillside high above the harbour of Portofino, hidden among olive trees and bougainvillea. From the terrace, the whole bay opens up beneath you. It is quiet, intimate and deeply Italian in its sense of style.

From here, Rapallo's golf club is a short drive away, and the piazzetta of Portofino is only a few minutes down the hill.

Where to dine

Il Gatto Nero, Cernobbio

High in the hills above Cernobbio, Il Gatto Nero has one of the finest terrace views over Lake Como. The cooking is classic and generous: risotto, lake fish and handmade pasta, served with the kind of relaxed hospitality that makes an evening stretch well past midnight. Reserve a table on the terrace and arrive before sunset.

Puny, Portofino

On the famous piazzetta of Portofino, Puny has been a favourite for decades. The menu is simple and Ligurian, with fresh seafood, pasta with pesto and the catch of the day. What makes it special is the setting: sitting outside as the harbour lights come on and the yachts settle in for the night is one of the great pleasures of the Riviera.

When to go and what to pack

The best months are May, June, September and October. The courses are in their finest condition, the light is soft, and the summer crowds have either not yet arrived or already left. July and August are beautiful but hot, so book early tee times and save the afternoons for the sea.

Pack light and pack well. A few breathable polos in natural tones, tailored trousers that move with you, a fine-knit layer for cool mornings in the hills, and one piece that carries you from the eighteenth green to the terrace at dinner. On the Riviera, the best-dressed golfer is never the loudest. It is the one who looks as though he belongs there.

Discover Luscaro Golf, designed for exactly these days.