There is exactly one course on the French Riviera where the round is interrupted twice by a literal ferry — a small pontoon that carries golfers and their bags across the La Siagne river, first after the 2nd hole and again after the 12th. It’s not a gimmick built for photographs; it’s the direct consequence of how the course grew. Grand Duke Michael Mikhailovich of Russia, exiled from his homeland and having discovered golf on a trip to St Andrews, founded the original nine holes here in 1891 — the fourth golf course built in France and the first on the Riviera.
Twice in the round, a small ferry carries you and your bag across the river. It sounds like a gimmick until you understand it’s simply how the course has always worked, since 1891.
The course: what you are actually playing
A par-71 at roughly 5,520–5,750 metres. Harry Colt, one of the era’s most significant architects, designed the original nine, known today as “Le Grand Duc,” and the course was later extended north across the Siagne to create the full 18-hole Old Course — wide fairways beneath centuries-old umbrella pines, subtly sloping Colt-signature greens.
The hole worth knowing
The ferry crossings themselves are the story here more than any single hole — Bernard Darwin, writing for The Times in 1913, praised the course’s variety of loveliness even while wishing for slightly more sea view, a complaint that still holds more than a century later.
The village: what families actually need
No on-site hotel, but the Norman-style clubhouse, sheltered under an enormous century-old umbrella pine, is as much a part of the appeal as the round itself — worth building time into the day for.
Where to stay: no resort, and that’s fine
Pullman Cannes Mandelieu is the practical and thematically appropriate choice — an upscale hotel directly facing the Cannes-Mandelieu golf course with Cannes Bay views, private beach access, and a genuinely short drive to the Old Course itself.
Best time to go
April–June and September–October, avoiding the May Film Festival period when Cannes-area accommodation prices spike sharply.
Getting there: the logistics reality
Nice Côte d’Azur Airport (NCE) is roughly 30–40 minutes; Cannes-Mandelieu also has a small local airport (CEQ) primarily serving private aviation.
What to wear: the Inesea style edit
Pale blue, soft cream, terracotta — colours that echo both the river crossing and the umbrella-pine clubhouse setting.
Three pieces worth packing
A Lacoste polo in pale blue — the French heritage brand feels correct on the country’s oldest Riviera course.
A Fair Liar top in soft cream — practical for the ferry crossings and the temperature shift over the river.
Malbon Golf accessories in terracotta — a playful note appropriate for a course with this much genuine eccentricity built in.
The honest family verdict
Who should book it
Anyone who wants Riviera golf’s actual origin story rather than its modern resort version. History-minded golfers who’ll appreciate the Colt design pedigree.
Who might look elsewhere
Families prioritising sea-view drama over historical character should look to Monte-Carlo or Frégate.
Official site
About the author
Diana Suke
Diana Suke is the founder of Inesea and Europe's leading editorial voice on women's golf fashion and culture. A business transformation director by profession, she coordinates junior golf programmes across Malta and travels the Mediterranean circuit with two competitive junior golfers. She came to golf in her mid-thirties and hasn't looked back.
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