Terre Blanche (Le Riou) - South East France - France
3100 Route de Bagnols en Foret,
83440 Tourrettes,
Provence Côte d'Azur,
France
+33 4 94 39 36 93
20km W of Cannes
Members and hotel guests only
Rene Beauchamp
Dave Thomas
Jean-Marie Casella
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The Terre Blanche Hotel Spa & Golf Resort is located in the Provence region of France, a mere half an hour’s drive away from Cannes on the fashionable Côte d’Azur. Sean Connery, whose wife is from the area, originally owned the 800-acre property – the Scottish actor is said to have won the estate in a game of cards – but he sold the land to a firm with big plans to develop it into a luxury resort. In 1999, when that company found itself unable to realise the full potential of the site, Dietmar Hopp, the German billionaire software entrepreneur, who obviously had the funds required to turn the dream of a luxury resort into reality, acquired the site. Dave Thomas was called in to design two championship golf courses to complement the other on-site amenities and so, to great critical acclaim, the Château and Le Riou 18-hole layouts opened for play at the start of the new millennium. Both courses were originally intended for private use, though casual visitors are now welcome to tackle the 18 holes on the Château layout which means the Riou is exclusively available to members and resort guests only. Measuring 6,005 metres from the back tees, the Riou course is considerably shorter than its sibling, but no less challenging, with tree-lined fairways laid out in the higher reaches of the hilly landscape. Each of the returning nines conclude with rather similar holes, as the par four 9th and par five 18th both dogleg downhill to the right, past sizeable water hazards on their way to the green. The Riou has also been used as a venue on the Ladies European Tour Access Series, hosting the Terre Blanche Ladies Open between 2010 and 2013. Terre Blanche Hotel Spa & Golf Resort is one of our Top 100 Golf Resorts of the World |
Reviews for Terre Blanche (Le Riou)
The second course at Terre Blanche Resort is also a really nice golf course. Regularly it is just open for hotel guests or club members. As a hotel guest I was able to play the course and it is also a beautiful layout even if not that long as the Chateau course.
Especially beautiful hole 9 down the hill along a water hazard and a green infornt of the club house. Really nice design.
A lot of elevation on almost each hole, so best to play with buggy which is regularly included in golf packages of the hotel.
We played three rounds on this course. Early in the golfing season but you would not know it - greens , fairways, rough and bunkers superb. Not 
overly long at 6000m, but as most holes are up hill it plays longer. The first hole, is a down hill dog leg left , the 2nd and 3rd are fairly flat, and give no indication the slope ahead. The 3rd (SI 1) is a lovely par 5 with narrow drive and elevated green. From this hole it's up hill - a good walk for us - (most players took the holiday voiturette); a brief respite with the 7th a short down hill par 4 with an acute dogleg left , but from 9 to 15 it's up hill all the way before diving back down hill for 16-18. The course is a lovely layout and fun to play. It could easily be rated higher in the rankings.
large tree in the way to the green, a green that also has brilliant bunkering just short; tough start. I like the par-4 5th hole a lot; uphill, dog-legging right and deep bold bunkering on the left, around 70 yards short of the green. Visually, the par-4 9th hole is the best on the front nine; elevated tee, water on the right all the way to the hole that turns to the right – you have got to be happy playing the 9th. The 14th is probably my favourite par-3; mid- range length, a little uphill, more strong bunkers short and to the right and a very undulating green. The 16th tee gives great views to the left and this short par-4 may tempt some to go for the green but with even more severe bunkering on the approach to the green, it is not really the smart play. My choice for best hole on the course comes at the last, similar to the 9th but this is a par-5 – another water featured hole that deserves plenty of strategic respect and the tip here is not be tempted to try and play your absolute world best shots – a semi-island green at the end gives such a dramatic finale too.
