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Golf guide • France • French Riviera

Golf in Cannes: four courses between the Croisette and Grasse

Within half an hour of the Croisette, Cannes brings together four eighteen-hole courses: the Old Course at Mandelieu, founded in 1891 by Grand Duke Michael of Russia; Cannes-Mougins, laid out by Harry Colt and long host to a European Tour open; Robert von Hagge's Royal Mougins; and Robert Trent Jones Jr.'s Saint Donat, on the outskirts of Grasse. Golfers come to play all year round beneath the umbrella pines and to dine on the Croisette; spring and autumn are the best seasons.

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Golf reached the French Riviera with the winter visitors of the Belle Époque. In 1891 Grand Duke Michael of Russia, living in exile in Cannes, had holes laid out under the pines along the Siagne at Mandelieu; he later helped to finance the Carlton. Some thirty years afterwards, the Riviera's aristocracy founded the Country Club de Cannes in the Valmasque forest. These two historic courses remain the heart of golf in Cannes.

In the 1990s, two more modern designs added to the choice in the hills behind the coast: Royal Mougins, in a valley of terraces and olive trees, and Saint Donat, on the road to Grasse. None is more than twenty-five minutes from the centre of Cannes, so you can play in the morning and lunch at the Marché Forville or on a beach along the Croisette.

Three to five nights are enough to play all four courses without rushing. The stay divides between the grand hotels of the Croisette and the quieter hinterland, where Mougins and Grasse offer serious restaurants and the memory of the perfumers. Outside the congress season and the Festival, the town returns to the pace of a seaside resort, and the courses stay open all winter.

The courses

Green surrounded by white sand bunkers beside a pond, umbrella pines, cypresses and a dry-stone wall

Golf Old Course Cannes-Mandelieu

  • Opened 1891
  • 18 holes
  • Par 71

Founded in 1891 by Grand Duke Michael of Russia, the Old Course is the oldest on the French Riviera. It spreads across 74 hectares planted with some four thousand umbrella pines on both banks of the Siagne, and Harry Colt later reworked it. The layout is short but demanding: tree-lined fairways, doglegs and subtly sloping greens defended by bunkers. The Normandy-style clubhouse, the pines and the view of the Esterel give it the charm of another century, and it is accessible to every level.

Signature hole. After the 2nd hole, you cross the Siagne by ferry to play ten holes on the far bank, before returning the same way to finish the round.

Official website

Golf de Cannes-Mougins

  • Architect: Harry Colt; Peter Alliss & Dave Thomas (1978)
  • Opened 1927
  • 18 holes
  • Par 72

Conceived in 1923 and opened a few years later by members such as Prince Pierre of Monaco and the Aga Khan, the Country Club de Cannes owes its original layout to Harry Colt. Peter Alliss and Dave Thomas redesigned it completely, reopening it in 1978, and Tom Mackenzie modernised it in 2015. In the Valmasque forest, this hilly par 72 is crossed by a river and dotted with ponds; its fast greens have a fearsome reputation. The Cannes Open was played here from 1979 to 1994, with Greg Norman and Seve Ballesteros among the winners. A private club, it welcomes visitors by reservation.

Official website

Royal Mougins Golf Club

  • Architect: Robert von Hagge
  • Opened 1993
  • 18 holes
  • Par 71

Designed by Robert von Hagge and opened in 1993, Royal Mougins lies mostly in the Vallon de l'Œuf, a secluded valley where old stone terraces and olive trees recall the estate's farming past. This par 71 of 6,004 metres, with pronounced changes in elevation, puts a premium on accuracy from the tee: stray shots are punished on the slopes and in the water. The course is open to members and visitors alike, with a hotel and restaurant on site.

Signature hole. The 4th, La Presqu'île, is a par 5 of 458 metres: you lay up your second just short of the lake, and the approach then decides between birdie and double bogey.

Official website

Golf de Saint Donat

  • Architect: Robert Trent Jones Jr.
  • Opened 1993
  • 18 holes
  • Par 71

Opened in 1993 to a design by Robert Trent Jones Jr., Saint Donat occupies a former estate on the Cannes road, on the outskirts of Grasse. This par 71 of 6,031 metres unfolds over hilly, wooded ground, with natural rather than artificial hazards, between the sea and the first mountains. The club is open all year and adds a nine-hole compact course, a twenty-four-bay driving range and a restaurant, La Closerie. The most accessible of the four, ideal for a first round or an afternoon of practice after visiting Grasse.

Official website

Where to stay

Carlton Cannes

Opened in 1911 and recognisable by its two corner cupolas, the Carlton was a setting for Alfred Hitchcock's To Catch a Thief. It reopened in 2023 under the Regent flag after a complete renovation: two new wings, a garden, a large pool and 332 rooms, only 72 of which face the sea. Specify a sea view when you book. The Old Course at Mandelieu is about twenty minutes away.

Hôtel Le Cavendish

Built in 1897 on Boulevard Carnot, this Belle Époque house with a listed façade is named after an English lord who lived there for many years. Christine and Guy Welter reopened it in 2001: thirty-four rooms, a Carrara marble staircase and a lift from 1920. There is no restaurant, but an aperitif is offered every evening from 6.30 to 8.30 pm, local wines included. Cannes-Mougins is about twenty minutes away.

Le Mas Candille

An old Provençal farmhouse among olive trees, just below the old village of Mougins, Le Mas Candille was taken over in 2021 by the hotelier Jean-Philippe Cartier, founder of H8 Collection, and the Courtin-Clarins family, hence its Clarins spa. The designer Hugo Toro has reworked its 46 rooms; ask for one looking towards Grasse and the hinterland. The house opens only from March to November. Royal Mougins, Cannes-Mougins and Saint Donat are all under a quarter of an hour away.

White façade of a grand Belle Époque hotel with cupolas, palm trees and sun loungers on the beach under a stormy sky

Where to dine

La Palme d'Or

The Hôtel Martinez's restaurant reopened in 2024 under Jean Imbert and won a Michelin star in 2025. A wood-panelled room with the air of a film set, a menu written like a screenplay, and Provençal, sea-focused cooking executed by Christophe Nannoni. Dinner only, Tuesday to Saturday. Smart dress is required: change after your round, and save room for the vanilla palmier made to order.

La Table du Chef

A small bistro on Rue Jean-Daumas, a few steps from Rue d'Antibes, open in the evening: an open kitchen and a four-course blind menu, starter, fish, meat and dessert, built from the Forville and Gambetta markets. The dishes are revealed only at the table, so mention any allergies when you book. Selected by the Michelin Guide. Book ahead, as the dining room is small; a few terrace tables in fine weather.

Aux Bons Enfants

A family institution founded in 1935 on Rue Meynadier, fifty metres from the Marché Forville, now run by the fourth generation. Straightforward Provençal and Niçois cooking: order the petits farcis or the Niçoise beef-cheek daube, and save room for the rum baba. Cards are not accepted, so bring cash, and book by telephone: there is no online booking.

Beyond golf

The Lérins Islands

About fifteen minutes by boat from the port of Cannes, Sainte-Marguerite keeps its forests of Aleppo pine and eucalyptus and the Fort Royal, where the Man in the Iron Mask was imprisoned. Its neighbour, Saint-Honorat, belongs to the monks of Lérins Abbey, who tend vines there and make their own wine. Half a day is enough for either island.

Le Suquet and the Marché Forville

Old Cannes climbs the hill of Le Suquet, around the church of Notre-Dame-d'Espérance and the medieval tower, with views across the bay and the Esterel. At the foot of the hill, the covered Marché Forville brings together the region's growers and fishermen every morning except Monday, which is given over to a flea market.

Grasse, capital of perfume

Half an hour from Cannes, Grasse has grown centifolia roses and jasmine for perfumers since the 17th century. The perfume-related skills of the Pays de Grasse have been on UNESCO's list of intangible cultural heritage since 2018. The International Perfume Museum and visits to perfume houses round off a round at Saint Donat.

Sloping cobbled lane between ochre and yellow façades with green shutters, potted plants and a stone bell tower

When to go

The climate allows golf all year round. March to June and September to November are ideal: around twenty degrees, green courses and soft light. July and August are hot and very busy; play early and keep the afternoon for the beach. Winter stays mild and sunny, with greens in good condition and lower green fees. In May, the Festival makes the town expensive and crowded.

Getting there

Nice Côte d'Azur airport (NCE) is 35 to 45 minutes from Cannes by motorway, depending on traffic. The TGV links Paris with Cannes station in a little over five hours. Cannes-Mandelieu airport, next to the Old Course, handles business aviation. Once there, a car with driver avoids the traffic jams on the Croisette between courses.

Frequently asked questions

What is the oldest golf course on the French Riviera?

The Old Course at Cannes-Mandelieu, founded in 1891 by Grand Duke Michael of Russia. Players still cross the Siagne by ferry to reach the holes on the far bank.

What are the best golf courses near Cannes?

The Old Course at Mandelieu, Cannes-Mougins, Royal Mougins and Saint Donat, all within twenty-five minutes of the Croisette. Cannes-Mougins, redesigned in 1978, hosted the Cannes Open until 1994.

Can non-members play Cannes-Mougins?

Yes. The club is private but welcomes visitors by reservation, by telephone or email. It is best to request a weekday tee time, several weeks in advance.

Which airport is best for a golf trip to Cannes?

Nice Côte d'Azur, 35 to 45 minutes away by road. Cannes-Mandelieu airport handles private flights, a stone's throw from the Old Course.

When is the best time to play golf in Cannes?

All year round, but spring and autumn offer the best balance of weather, course condition and crowds. Avoid the Festival period in May if you are looking for peace and quiet.

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