Family golf holidays in the Charente are one of those things that work far better than you might expect. Think about it. You want to play golf. Your partner wants a pool and a good book. The kids want to run about and not sit in a car. And everyone, without exception, wants good food and sunshine.
The Charente delivers all of it.
This corner of south-west France sits on the border of the Dordogne, tucked into some of the most quietly beautiful countryside in Europe. It has the weather, the courses, the villages, the rivers, and the kind of unhurried pace that makes a holiday actually feel like one. And for families where not everyone shares the same passion for a five-iron, it is genuinely one of the best places on the continent to find something that works for the whole group.
Why the Charente Works So Well for Families
There is a particular challenge to planning a golf holiday when you have children in tow, or a partner who would rather not spend a week watching you hunt for your ball in the rough. The destination has to earn its keep for everyone, not just the person who packed the clubs.
The Charente does this effortlessly.
The region enjoys long, warm summers with very little rain, which means children can be outside from morning to evening without anyone worrying about the weather. The pace of life is relaxed. There are rivers to swim in, markets to wander through, medieval villages around every corner, and restaurants where nobody minds if it takes the kids twenty minutes to decide what they want. It is, in other words, a proper family holiday destination that happens to also have excellent golf.
Add in the fact that green fees across the region are considerably more affordable than comparable courses in the UK or in parts of Spain and Portugal, and the family budget starts looking a lot more comfortable too.
The Golf Across the Region
The Charente and its neighbouring departments offer a remarkable spread of courses, ranging from full 18-hole layouts that will test any handicap through to relaxed nine-hole courses that suit beginners and younger players perfectly.
To the north and west, the Cognac country is home to parkland courses set among vineyards and ancient woodland along the River Charente. These are proper courses with good facilities, and the settings, old farmhouse clubhouses, long views across the vines, that particular quality of late-afternoon light, make them as enjoyable to be in as they are to play.
To the east, the Dordogne and Périgueux areas open up château-estate courses where the countryside does half the work. Rounds here feel like an event in themselves. Many offer both 18-hole and 9-hole options, which is useful when you are fitting golf around the schedule of a family holiday rather than building the day around it.
The nine-hole courses scattered throughout the Dordogne Valley are particularly well suited to family groups. Accessible layouts, manageable walking distances, and a pace of play that does not demand the entire day. Ideal for introducing younger family members to the game, or for a sociable round between players of very different abilities.
What the Kids Actually Think
Here is the honest truth about family golf holidays: the children are not interested in the golf. At least not until they try it.
What they are interested in is the pool. The freedom to roam. The games rooms. The fact that dinner is at a table outside and the evening is warm enough to sit there for two hours. The novelty of a foreign language, a different bread, a different sky.
The Charente gives them all of that. And more than a few children have come back from a holiday in this region having hit their first golf ball, discovered they quite like it, and promptly demanded lessons.
That is the thing about introducing the game in a place like this. There is no pressure. Nobody is watching. The courses are beautiful and unhurried. It turns out that golf, in the right setting, is something children actually want to try.
Beyond the Course: What to Do With the Family
One of the great pleasures of basing a family golf holiday in the Charente is the sheer variety of things to do when you are not on the course.
The medieval village of Aubeterre-sur-Dronne, just minutes from Pillac, is one of the most beautiful villages in France and a genuine must-see. Its extraordinary monolithic church, carved directly into the rock face, is unlike almost anything else in Europe. Children and adults alike tend to be properly stopped in their tracks by it. The village has a lovely market square, good cafés, and the kind of atmosphere that makes you want to sit down and stay for a while.
Brantôme, often called the Venice of the Dordogne, offers river trips, cave tours, and beautiful abbey gardens. Ribérac hosts one of the best weekly markets in the region, a proper French market with local produce, olives, cheese, and more charcuterie than you know what to do with. St Aulaye, on the banks of the Dronne, is perfect for a slow afternoon by the water.
Further afield, the wider Périgord opens up prehistoric cave art, boat trips on the Dordogne, and castles that children can actually get excited about. There is enough here to fill a fortnight without repeating yourself.
Getting Here From the UK
This is one of the practical things that makes the Charente such a popular choice for British families. Bergerac Airport is around 45 minutes from Pillac and has direct flights from a wide range of UK airports throughout spring and summer. Short flight, straightforward drive, and you are there.
Bordeaux-Mérignac is around 90 minutes away for those who want more flight options or are travelling from further north. And for families who prefer to drive and bring everything with them, the Channel ports route is perfectly manageable, with good motorway connections once you are in France.
Summary
For families where golf is a passion but the holiday has to work for everyone, Manoir de Longeveau in Pillac, Charente, is about as good as it gets.
Set around a historic cognac manor house on the Charente-Dordogne border, Longeveau is a little corner of paradise that has been welcoming families for many years. Our collection of more than 30 lovingly converted gîtes ranges from cosy cottages for two right up to large family properties sleeping ten or more. Stone walls, oak beams, your own terrace, and that immediate feeling of being somewhere special.
For the golfers in the group, our Golf d’Aubeterre is a nine-hole course set right here within the grounds of the estate. Nestled in the Dronne valley with the Charente countryside as your backdrop, it is a genuinely rewarding challenge for players of all abilities and the perfect base for exploring the wider region’s courses by day. Our Aubeterre Golf Association runs regular competitions throughout the year, including a weekly Wednesday Stableford and Friday evening nine-hole competitions in summer. Visitors are always welcome to join in.
For the rest of the family, the facilities are everything you need. Heated swimming pools, tennis courts, a bar, a restaurant with a terrace, and plenty for children of all ages to do from morning to evening. We have seen it many times: the golfers head out after breakfast, the children spend the morning in the pool, and by lunchtime everyone is gathered on the terrace in the sunshine, happy.
That is the thing about Longeveau. It does not ask anyone to compromise. The golfer gets their golf. The family gets their holiday. And everyone goes home talking about coming back.
We cannot wait to welcome you.
