An increasing number of travel agents are offering holidays in hot-spring or thalassotherapy spas that include a fitness or wellness programme, as well as golf. This original mixture delights golfers seeking a sporty yet relaxing break. Get active, and then unwind!
A perfect combination
Numerous wellness centres have made arrangements with nearby golf courses in order to offer shared packages that combine golf with relaxation. Whether you’re a beginner, experienced player or even an expert golfer, various packages are available so that you’ll be sure to find exactly what you want.
Imagine after a morning of athletic activity, being able to relax and unwind with a massage, a wrap, or a hydrotherapy shower… or perhaps just a straightforward session in a spa with a view of the sea or mountains. Conversely, golfers who want to be in top shape for confronting the course will relax in the morning.
Combining a health cure with a golf holiday is a concept that is now all the rage among budding golfers as well as lords of the green.
France, a perfect destination
By the sea, in the country, or in the mountains – the variety of French landscapes offers endless possibilities for holidays combining golf and wellness.
On the Atlantic coast, the thalassotherapy spa in La Baule (Pays de la Loire) enjoys a wonderful location that faces the ocean, overlooking a long beach of fine sand. Meanwhile, just three miles from the sea, La Baule’s international golf centre is spread across 500 acres on the edge of the Parc Régional de Brière. It is the leading golf site in the region, and boasts three courses (one 9-hole and two 18-hole).
Right in the heart of Deauville (Normandy) there is the Algotherm thalassotherapy centre with two nearby golf courses nestling between the English Channel and the Normandy landscape – an opportunity not to be missed. The Golf Barrière de Deauville boasts two courses in an outstanding natural environment, offering an appropriate technical challenge whatever your handicap. The Golf Barrière de Saint-Julien, nine miles from the sea resort, also offers two courses highly appreciated by the locals on a listed site of 220 acres.
Lovers of vast spaces and pure air might prefer an escapade to the Alps, at the Evian Royal Resort with its internationally recognised spa facilities. The Evian Masters Golf Club, where the best female players gather every year, offers a truly great course in a wonderful setting between Lake Geneva and the mountains.
Finally, people in search of rural peace and quiet will be drawn to the Relais de Margaux set in the famous Bordeaux vineyards. The baths at the spa are surrounded by a magnificent 18-hole golf course on a beautiful 110-acre site at the edge of the Gironde River. You’re spoilt for choice!