Golf guide • Tunisia • Sahel

Golf in Sousse: El Kantaoui's fairways between olive groves and the sea

Golf in Sousse, on the coast of the Tunisian Sahel, means El Kantaoui, a 36-hole complex a quarter of an hour north of town: the Sea Course, opened in 1980 and host of the first Tunisian Open in 1982, and the hillier Panorama, added in the 1990s. Golfers come to play two courses carried through by the architect Ronald Fream and to explore a World Heritage medina, ideally from February to May and in October and November.

Plan this tripUpdated 7 October 2026

Port El Kantaoui was born of a state project: launched in 1971 to develop tourism in the Sahel, the marina opened in 1979 in the municipality of Hammam Sousse, north of the city, and the first golf course the following year. Around the harbour, a pedestrian village of white walls, arcades and flower-filled lanes takes its inspiration from Sidi Bou Said. That is where the golf is, a quarter of an hour from the centre of Sousse, set between the beach and the first olive-planted hills.

The two courses complement each other. The Sea Course, the older, first runs flat around residences, then reaches the shore on the back nine. The Panorama, added in the 1990s, climbs into the hills among palms, ancient olive trees and pomegranates, with raised tees looking towards the marina. Two days are enough to play each once; a third lets you replay the one you liked best.

Sousse itself deserves at least one night. Its medina, enclosed by 9th-century ramparts, shelters the Aghlabid ribat and Great Mosque, and the kasbah holds one of the country's finest collections of Roman mosaics. For a change of course, Monastir and its two layouts, Palm Links and Flamingo, are 30 to 40 minutes' drive to the south. Four to six nights make a well-balanced stay.

The courses

Fairway in a hollow between gnarled olive trees and palms, a lake and white villas, the sea on the horizon

El Kantaoui Golf, Sea Course

Architect: John Harris, Peter Thomson, Michael Wolveridge, Ronald Fream
Opened 1980
18 holes

El Kantaoui's original course, opened in 1980 to plans by a team bringing together John Harris, Peter Thomson, Michael Wolveridge and Ronald Fream, the last of whom saw the project through to completion. In 1982 it hosted the first Tunisian Open, the first European Tour event played outside Europe. The fairly flat front nine winds between residences; the back nine grows more adventurous, with a run of holes, from the 12th to the 15th, laid out along the sea. Generous fairways and easy walking make it a good course to start the stay, for every level.

Signature hole. The 14th, a par 4 laid out along the Mediterranean shore, is the moment you remember from the round.

El Kantaoui Golf, Panorama Course

Architect: Ronald Fream
18 holes
Par 72

Designed by Ronald Fream and added in the 1990s, the par 72 Panorama leaves the coast for the hills. The terrain is more rugged, the fairways narrower, lined with palms, ancient olive trees and pomegranates, and several holes play around water. The raised tees open up views of the marina and the sea. More demanding in accuracy than the Sea Course, it suits steady players who like to place the ball rather than hit it far.

Signature hole. On the 17th, a par 4, the fairway bends right around a lake to a green defended by bunkers on both sides.

Where to stay

Seabel Alhambra Beach Golf & Spa

A resort of 225 rooms and apartments on eleven hectares at Port El Kantaoui, in neo-Moorish style, with a private beach and the golf course right next door. The spa has twenty treatment rooms, a hammam and an infinity pool with a jacuzzi; add several restaurants and bars, and tennis and padel courts. The practical choice for staying beside the course.

Dar Antonia

An eleven-suite guesthouse on rue Kaabar, in the heart of the Sousse medina, decorated by Philippe Xerri, who blends restrained architecture, antique elements and local craftsmanship. On the roof, a terrace with loungers and a small pool overlooks the white rooftops of the old town, and the house has its own restaurant. A quarter of an hour from the golf, for those who prefer the medina to the seafront.

Rooftop terrace of a whitewashed house, blue doors, built-in benches, bougainvillea and a small pool

Where to dine

Restaurant du Peuple

A small address on rue des Remparts Nord, at the foot of the medina walls, open for lunch and dinner. The cooking is Tunisian and homely: chorba, mechouia salad, brik, stuffed squid and spicy fish couscous, with mint tea to finish. Simple, generous and perfect for lunch between two visits.

Eddar Darek

In the Khezama Est district, on the road to El Kantaoui, a traditionally decorated house marked by a large blue wooden door. People come for the royal couscous with lamb, the speciality that made its name, preceded by a brik and a mechouia. A good place for dinner, a few minutes from the coastal hotels.

Beyond golf

The medina and the ribat

The medina of Sousse has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1988. Its ramparts date from 859, the ribat, a fortress and lookout post, from 821, and the Great Mosque from 850–851, under the Aghlabid dynasty. Climb the ribat tower in late afternoon: the view takes in the white rooftops, the mosque and the harbour; then head back down and lose yourself in the covered souks.

The kasbah mosaics

At the top of the medina, the kasbah, whose construction dates back to 844, has housed the Sousse Archaeological Museum since 1951. Its collection of Roman mosaics, from ancient Hadrumetum, is considered the second in the country after the Bardo's in Tunis. An hour or two is enough, ideally on a rest afternoon between two rounds.

The amphitheatre of El Jem

About an hour's drive to the south, the amphitheatre of El Jem, built around 238 and listed as a World Heritage Site in 1979, could hold some 35,000 spectators. It is one of the best-preserved Roman monuments in the world. A half-day that combines well with an afternoon tee time in Monastir on the way back.

Crenellated ochre stone ramparts above a lane of white houses with blue doors, the sea beyond

When to go

Sousse has a semi-arid climate, with mild winters and hot, dry summers. The best periods for golf run from February to May and from October to November: pleasant temperatures, green courses and days long enough to fit in a round and a visit. December and January remain playable, cooler and sometimes wet. In July and August the heat means playing at dawn.

Getting there

Monastir Habib Bourguiba airport (MIR), at Skanès, is half an hour's drive from Sousse and El Kantaoui; it receives direct flights from Paris, Lyon, Marseille, Nice and Nantes. Enfidha-Hammamet airport (NBE), to the north, is about forty minutes away. Sousse is also served by the Tunis–Gabès railway, 140 km from the capital, and the Sahel Metro links it with Monastir.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best golf course in Sousse?

El Kantaoui's Panorama Course, designed by Ronald Fream, is the more demanding of the two, with its raised tees facing the sea. The Sea Course, opened in 1980, has history on its side: it hosted the first Tunisian Open in 1982.

How many golf courses are there in Sousse?

El Kantaoui golf, a quarter of an hour north of the centre, has 36 holes split into two courses, the Sea Course and the Panorama. Palm Links and Flamingo, in Monastir, are 30 to 40 minutes' drive to the south.

When is the best time to play golf in Sousse?

From February to May and in October and November, when the weather is mild and the courses at their best. Winter remains playable; in July and August the heat means teeing off at dawn.

How many days do you need for a golf trip to Sousse?

Four to six nights: the two El Kantaoui courses, a day in Monastir for Flamingo or Palm Links, and time for the medina and the amphitheatre of El Jem.

Which airport is best for a golf trip to Sousse?

Monastir airport (MIR), half an hour from Sousse and El Kantaoui, with direct flights from several French cities. Enfidha-Hammamet (NBE) is about forty minutes to the north.

Tailor-made

Your golf trip: Sousse

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Fairway and stone-edged pond, a row of date palms, low dunes and a turquoise sea in the distance

Medenine, southern Tunisia