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Golf guide • France • Brittany

Golf in Rennes: wooded fairways by the Vilaine, a half-timbered city

Rennes brings together three eighteen-hole courses a quarter of an hour from the centre: the Domaine de Cicé-Blossac at Bruz, designed by Macauley & Quenouille among lakes and the Vilaine, La Freslonnière at Le Rheu, a woodland layout in the grounds of a château, and the Armor at Bluegreen Rennes Saint-Jacques, the largest golf complex in Brittany. Golfers come for a short break that mixes parkland golf, an old town and Michelin-starred tables, from April to October.

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Rennes has no sea, but it has water: the Ille and the Vilaine meet here, and the Vilaine then runs south along the lakes of Bruz. The Breton capital lends itself to a golf break without long journeys: you sleep in the historic centre, among the half-timbered houses and the Parlement de Bretagne, and every first tee is a quarter of an hour away. The TGV puts it 1 hr 25 from Paris, and the airport is ten kilometres away.

Golf in Rennes is parkland golf, flat and wooded, where water and trees count for more than contours. The Domaine de Cicé-Blossac, opened in 1992, plays on width and lakes; La Freslonnière, opened in 1989 in the grounds of a château, threads its way beneath oaks and rhododendrons; Bluegreen Rennes Saint-Jacques, next to the airport, lines up a championship eighteen, a nine-hole course and a pitch and putt. These are courses of precision rather than power.

Two to four nights are enough: one course a day, the Lices market on Saturday morning, a guided tour of the Parlement, a Michelin-starred dinner at Saint-Grégoire. Those who want to stay longer will find the forest of Paimpont, the Brocéliande of Arthurian legend, some thirty kilometres to the south-west. In the evening, the city belongs to the students and the crêperies; you walk back to the hotel through the cobbled streets of old Rennes.

The courses

Woodland tee leading to a sunlit green, oaks on the left and banks of pink and mauve rhododendrons on the right

UGOLF Domaine de Cicé-Blossac

  • Architect: Macauley & Quenouille
  • Opened 1992
  • 18 holes
  • Par 72

At Bruz, south of Rennes, the course spreads over 72 hectares beside the Vilaine, among lakes and woods. Designed by the Macauley & Quenouille practice and opened in 1992, it is a par 72 of 6,117 metres from the white tees, with wide fairways and large greens, rather American in inspiration. The flat terrain makes it an easy walk, and the abundant water forces you to choose your lines. The estate combines a hotel, a spa and a 30-bay driving range, 12 of them covered: the most practical base for anyone who wants to play without getting back in the car.

Signature hole. The 18th heads back towards the estate, and the restaurant terrace overlooks its green: it is stroke index 2 on the card, so keep something in reserve for the finish.

Official website

Golf de la Freslonnière

  • Opened 1989
  • 18 holes
  • Par 72

At Le Rheu, west of the city, La Freslonnière occupies 60 hectares of the grounds of a château that has belonged to the same family for more than eight centuries. Opened in June 1989, the course is played beneath century-old trees preserved during its construction, among banks of rhododendrons and discreet ponds. A short par 72 of 5,650 metres, it does not impress through length but asks you to place the ball and think through every shot. Well sheltered from the wind, it suits players of every level, and the estate offers some accommodation on site.

Official website

Golf Bluegreen Rennes Saint-Jacques, parcours l'Armor

  • Architect: Robert Berthet
  • 18 holes
  • Par 72

At Saint-Jacques-de-la-Lande, right by the airport, Bluegreen Rennes Saint-Jacques bills itself as the largest golf complex in Brittany. The work was entrusted in 1989 to the architect Robert Berthet for an eighteen-hole course, the Armor, a par 72, complemented by the Argoat, a par-32 nine-hole course, and a pitch and putt. The courses are flat and wooded, the greens fast and all defended by mounds or bunkers, and some narrow fairways demand a tactical approach. The driving range is equipped with Toptracer technology.

Official website

Where to stay

Balthazar Hotel & Spa

A five-star MGallery hotel spread across two buildings in the historic centre, on Rue du Maréchal-Joffre, near the Parlement de Bretagne. Ask for one of the two top-floor junior suites, each with its own 25 m² tree-lined terrace over the city. After a damp day on the fairways, the Nuxe spa offers a counter-current pool at 30 °C and a hammam with a crystal-studded ceiling; La Table de Balthazar is on the ground floor.

Domaine de Cicé-Blossac

A four-star hotel set on the golf course at Bruz, a dozen kilometres from Rennes, with 66 rooms and suites, 24 apartments and a restaurant opening onto the course. There is a spa with hammam, sauna and a counter-current swimming pool, and an airport shuttle on request. The obvious choice for a golf-focused stay, with the first tee a few steps from your room.

Le Magic Hall

On Rue de la Quintaine, seven minutes' walk from the Place des Lices, nineteen rooms each decorated around one of the performing arts: dance, music, theatre or cinema. The detail worth knowing: a soundproofed rehearsal studio, with drum kit, guitar and amplifier, free for guests. A reception open day and night and family rooms for four make it the ideal base for a group of golfing friends who prefer character to formality.

Where to dine

Maison Ronan Kervarrec

At Saint-Grégoire, on the northern edge of Rennes, Ronan Kervarrec runs a table awarded two stars by the Michelin Guide. Modern cooking rooted in Breton produce, with jus and sauces of great depth, in tribute to his father, a saucier at the George V; front of house is led by Els Kervarrec. The dining rooms open onto a garden, and a few guest rooms let you stay the night.

La Table de Balthazar

The restaurant of the Hotel Balthazar, selected by the Michelin Guide, serves modern cooking based on Breton produce under Benjamin Jourdren, simpler at lunch and more ambitious in the evening. The dining room has the feel of a smart brasserie, with a glazed patio. The ideal address for your first evening.

Breizh Café Rennes

On the Place de la Trinité, a stone's throw from the Lices market, this is the crêperie of Bertrand Larcher, who made the Breton galette famous in Japan before returning to Brittany. Buckwheat flour from Vitré, organic eggs, an open kitchen and a few Japanese-inspired galettes. Recommended by the Michelin Guide, it is the galette you come to Brittany for.

Langoustine on a bed of seaweed, a glass of white wine and a candle on a white tablecloth before a glazed veranda

Beyond golf

The Parlement de Bretagne

Designed in the 17th century by Salomon de Brosse, the Parliament of Brittany escaped the great fire of 1720 before burning in February 1994; it has been restored and the court of appeal has sat there again since 1999. Coffered ceilings, gilded panelling and allegorical paintings culminate in the Grand'Chambre. It can only be visited on a guided tour, booked through the tourist office.

The Lices market

Every Saturday morning, from 7.30 am to 1.30 pm, nearly three hundred growers, craftspeople and traders set up on the Place des Lices, around the two market halls built by Jean-Baptiste Martenot between 1868 and 1871. Oysters, cider, butter, cheeses and galette-saucisse: it is the best summary of Upper Brittany, and the liveliest, with some ten thousand visitors each week.

The forest of Brocéliande

Some thirty kilometres to the south-west, the forest of Paimpont, identified with the Brocéliande of the Arthurian romances, covers around 9,000 hectares. You follow the red schist of the Val sans Retour, seek out the Barenton spring and visit the Château de Comper, home to the Centre de l'Imaginaire Arthurien. A fine rest day between two rounds.

Cobbled street lined with colourful half-timbered houses and slate roofs, café tables outside

When to go

The climate is oceanic: mild winters, temperate summers and rain spread throughout the year. The best season runs from April to October; the rhododendrons at La Freslonnière flower in spring, and September often brings mild days and quieter courses. Winter remains playable on these flat, sheltered courses, but the fairways are heavier and the days short. Always pack a rain jacket.

Getting there

Rennes Bretagne airport (RNS), at Saint-Jacques-de-la-Lande, is about ten kilometres from the centre, twenty minutes by car; it has flights from Lyon, Nice, Marseille, Amsterdam and Paris-CDG among others. From Paris-Montparnasse, the TGV reaches Rennes in about 1 hr 25. The three courses are a quarter of an hour from the centre, but a car is still essential to reach them.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best golf course in Rennes?

The Domaine de Cicé-Blossac at Bruz is the most complete for a golf break: an eighteen-hole par 72 designed by Macauley & Quenouille, with a four-star hotel and spa on site. The Armor at Bluegreen Rennes Saint-Jacques is the most demanding, with its narrow fairways and fast greens.

How many golf courses are there around Rennes?

Three eighteen-hole courses lie a quarter of an hour from the centre: Cicé-Blossac at Bruz, La Freslonnière at Le Rheu and Bluegreen Rennes Saint-Jacques, which adds a nine-hole course and a pitch and putt.

When is the best time to play golf in Rennes?

From April to October, when the courses are dry and the days long. The oceanic climate allows play all year round, but winter is wetter.

How many days do I need for a golf trip to Rennes?

Two to four nights: three courses, a visit to the historic centre and the Parlement de Bretagne, and perhaps a day in the forest of Brocéliande.

How do I get to Rennes for a golf trip?

By TGV from Paris-Montparnasse in about 1 hr 25, or by air to Rennes Bretagne airport (RNS), twenty minutes from the centre.

Tailor-made

Your golf trip: Rennes

Tee times, suites, transfers and tables: your concierge replies within 24 hours with a proposal shaped around you.

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