Tee, Lunch & Spa at Terre Blanche, Tourrettes

The Terre Blanche Hotel Spa Golf Resort is big. Two 18-hole golf courses, four restaurants, an extensive spa with 14 treatment rooms and 115 suites and villas spread over 300 acres of stunning Provencal landscape. Put it another way the Terre Blanche is bigger than Monaco.

Sean Connery originally acquired the land and thinking big, had ambitions to transform the land into a golf resort. It was only when the domain was sold to German entrepreneur, Dietmar Hopp, in 1999 that the transformation took shape. 

Arriving via a picturesque road that passes through a series of "perched villages" we find ourselves at the entrance gates to be welcomed with a map of the domain. We head straight to the club house to pick up a caddy for a round on the Chateau course.
Golf architect, Dave Thomas has created a perfect course which sits discreetly in the existing landscape. It was pleasure to do the rounds and it is apparent why the French Riviera Masters comes here every year.
After a morning swinging and strolling we finish in the Caroubiers restaurant for lunch.
The resort is home to four restaurants, with award winning chefs and sommeliers, and the Caroubiers has the advantage of overlooking the golf course.
We follow the wise words of our waiter and savor the 'suggestions du moment', a fish trio a la Bouillabaisse and a skate with chorizo risotto. 
Finishing off with a bite-sized 'cafe gourmand', three fine patisseries served with a rich espresso.

Now that the hard part of the day is over, it's time to relax. Fortunately the Terre Blanche have a perfectly positioned infinity pool to enjoy the pays de Fayence scenery before a well earned signature massage in the spa.

The Terre Blanche excels as a golf course, as a restaurant and as a spa - we'll be back to stay next time...