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Golf guide • France • Corsica

Golf in Borgo: Corsica's oldest course, between lagoon and mountains

Borgo, on the Marana plain twenty minutes south of Bastia, is home to Borgo Golf Club, the oldest course in Corsica: nine flat, tree-lined holes, opened in 1987 ten minutes from the airport. Golfers come for relaxed holiday golf, Cap Corse and the Biguglia lagoon, keeping two nights for Spérone, the island's great 18-hole course, nearly three hours to the south near Bonifacio. April to June and September to October are the best months.

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Between the Étang de Biguglia and the first slopes of the Castagniccia, the commune of Borgo sits at the heart of the Marana, a coastal plain long given over to vines and orchards. It was here, on a family vineyard, that Pierre Pancrazi dug the island's first three golf holes in 1987. The course has had nine holes since 1991 and remains a neighbourhood club, popular with the people of Bastia, where golf is played without ceremony between swims at the Lido de la Marana.

To be frank, north-east Corsica is not a destination for intensive golf. Borgo is the only course within three-quarters of an hour; the Reginu, in the Balagne, takes a little over an hour by road, and Spérone, the island's only 18-hole course, lies at the far southern tip. Golf accompanies the journey here rather than dictating it, and that is precisely its charm.

The right itinerary comes in two parts. Three or four nights in the north, between the Marana and Cap Corse, to play Borgo and discover Bastia, its markets and the village of Erbalunga. Then the east-coast road down to Bonifacio, for two nights facing the limestone cliffs and a round or two at Spérone, where the seaside holes alone justify the journey.

The courses

Flat green guarded by a bunker and a small reed-fringed pond, oaks, cypresses and pines in late-afternoon light

Borgo Golf Club

  • Architect: Pierre Pancrazi
  • Opened 1987
  • 9 holes
  • Par 33

Laid out by its founder Pierre Pancrazi on a former flat vineyard, Borgo Golf Club opened its first three holes in 1987 before reaching nine officially rated holes in 1991. Six par 4s and three par 3s, a little over two kilometres, trees planted over the years, water hazards and bunkers guarding the greens: this is a course of precision with the irons rather than length. It suits beginners and seasoned players who want to keep their hand in on holiday, and the clubhouse serves unexpected Thai food.

Signature hole. The 9th, the longest of the three par 3s, is played with an iron to a green guarded by a front bunker; if you cannot reach it, the club pro advises staying short and saving par with your approach.

Official website

Golf du Reginu

  • Architect: Pierre Lanzalavi
  • Opened 1994
  • 9 holes
  • Par 31

In the Balagne, in the Reginu valley below Speloncato, this nine-hole course designed by Pierre Lanzalavi and opened in 1994 winds between olive trees and the river, beneath the mountain's hilltop villages. Short, hilly and unpretentious, it is played with family or friends and counts above all for its setting. Allow about an hour and a quarter by road from Borgo via Ponte-Leccia: a morning round pairs well with lunch in a Balagne village or an afternoon in L'Île-Rousse.

Official website

Golf de Spérone

  • Architect: Robert Trent Jones Sr.
  • Opened 1990
  • 18 holes
  • Par 72

Opened in 1990 at the island's southern tip, ten minutes from Bonifacio, Spérone is attributed to Robert Trent Jones Sr. and remains the only 18-hole course in Corsica. The front nine is played through the maquis, among rocky outcrops and a few ponds; the back nine reaches the coast, where the white limestone of the cliffs gives way to ochre granite and the view runs from the Lavezzi Islands to Sardinia. The architect compared holes 12 to 16 with the seaside holes at Pebble Beach. The wind is a constant opponent: a course for regular players.

Signature hole. The 16th, a par 5, runs along the cliffs: you drive from above the sea, and the dog-leg asks you to decide how much water to carry.

Official website

Where to stay

Hôtel Demeure Castel Brando

This 1853 mansion stands in Erbalunga, an old Cap Corse fishing village half an hour from the course, in a park of palms and exotic trees brought back by its first owners. Its 37 rooms are spread between the house, the orangery and a few villas; ask for a Signature room in the original house, with period floors and a library sitting room. The restaurant, Les Américains, serves Cap Corse cooking and closes on Wednesdays.

Hôtel La Lagune

On the Lido de la Marana, between the sea and the Biguglia lagoon, this four-star hotel of some forty rooms and three suites opens straight onto the beach, about five kilometres from the airport and a few minutes from Borgo golf course. Specify a sea-side room when booking: the standard rooms look onto the courtyard. Heated pool, a rooftop for guests only and a Sunday buffet in the restaurant.

Version Maquis Citadelle

On the heights of Bonifacio, facing the old town, this five-star hotel of 22 rooms spreads its villas through the maquis around an infinity pool, with a spa and a terrace restaurant. Book a Citadel-view category: the garden-view rooms look out over the maquis. A hotel shuttle runs to the harbour until 10.30 pm for dinner in town. Sperone golf course is some fifteen minutes away.

Stone fishing hamlet with slate roofs around a small cove, a ruined round tower on the rocks at dusk

Where to dine

ADN

In a vaulted dining room in the heart of Bastia, on Rue de l'Ancienne-Poste, chef Quentin Sanchez works with organic vegetables, farm-raised veal, the local catch and Corsican olive oil, along with a few ingredients from further afield. Precise, honest cooking, selected by the Michelin Guide. Service centres on lunch and the restaurant closes two days a week: book ahead.

U Sperun

The Spérone restaurant occupies the upper floor of the clubhouse, above the driving range, facing the sea and the Lavezzi Islands. Chef Anthony Marmottan serves a seasonal Mediterranean menu, from locally caught fish to Corsican charcuterie. Lunch service only, smart dress required, reservations by telephone.

Chez Huguette

On Bastia's Old Port since 1969, below the church of Saint-Jean-Baptiste, Chez Huguette is a local institution for fish, its menu set by the day's catch. Order oysters from the Étang de Diane, Cap Corse spiny lobster or spaghetti with clams, and for meat eaters the Corsican veal escalope with lemon. Allow half an hour's drive from Borgo golf course; book in high season.

Beyond golf

The Étang de Biguglia

Corsica's largest lagoon stretches for eleven kilometres between Bastia and Borgo, separated from the sea by the sand bar of the Lido de la Marana. A nature reserve and Ramsar site, it hosts herons, egrets and ducks in winter. A trail sets out from the San Damiano peninsula, and the ecomuseum in the Biguglia fort tells the story of traditional fishing on the lagoon.

La Canonica and Mariana

A few minutes from the airport, at Lucciana, the former cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta, known as La Canonica, has raised its Romanesque nave of pale stone among the fields since the early 12th century. It has been a listed historic monument since 1886. Around it lie the remains of Mariana, a Roman colony founded by Marius at the mouth of the Golo.

Cap Corse and Bonifacio

North of Bastia, the Cap Corse road runs past Genoese towers, little harbours and schist villages; Erbalunga, a quarter of an hour from the town, is the first stop. At the other end of the island, Bonifacio clings to the top of limestone cliffs: walk along the citadel, then take a boat out to the Lavezzi Islands.

White limestone cliffs plunging into a turquoise sea, stone houses lined along the top and small boats below

When to go

April, May and June bring green courses, temperatures around twenty degrees and few crowds. July and August are hot, dry and very busy, with greens turning yellow and green fees at their highest at Spérone: play early in the morning. September and October are often the finest months, with the sea still warm and golden light. Winter stays mild on the coast, but wind and rain are more frequent.

Getting there

Bastia-Poretta airport (BIA) is ten minutes from the Borgo course, with flights from Paris, Marseille, Nice and several other French and European cities. Ferries link Bastia with Marseille, Toulon, Nice, Livorno and Savona. For Spérone, Figari (FSC) is about forty minutes away: arriving via Bastia and leaving from Figari saves the return drive of nearly three hours.

Frequently asked questions

How many golf courses are there in Corsica?

Only a handful: Spérone, near Bonifacio, is the island's only 18-hole course. The others are nine-hole or short courses, such as Borgo near Bastia, the Reginu in the Balagne and Lezza near Porto-Vecchio, plus the twelve holes at the Murtoli estate.

What is the oldest golf course in Corsica?

Borgo Golf Club, south of Bastia: its first three holes were created in 1987 by Pierre Pancrazi, before it grew to nine holes in 1991.

Can visitors play golf at Borgo?

Yes. The club welcomes visiting players every day, with equipment and buggy hire, and a PGA professional gives individual and group lessons.

How long does it take to drive from Bastia to Spérone?

Allow nearly three hours by road along the east coast. It is better to spend two nights in Bonifacio, or to arrive via Bastia and leave from Figari airport, about forty minutes from Spérone.

When is the best time to play golf in Corsica?

April to June and September to October: mild temperatures, courses in good condition and fewer crowds than in July and August.

Tailor-made

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