Elsa Honecker's golf blog
Cannes can do it!
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In addition to the International Film Festival, the famous La Croisette promenade, the many beach clubs on sandy beaches, the harbor with jet-set yachts and the luxury hotels on the famous promenade, the city on the Côte d'Azur has now also discovered its heart for golf. This is because the annual International Golf Travel Market (IGTM) took place at the Palais des Festivals et des Congrès at the end of October - the world's leading B2B event for golf travel and tourism.
Golfing, meetings, strolling and the Cuisine Soleil
A program during 4 days of trade fairs and warm autumn days on the Côte d'Azur couldn't sound better, because they started with brilliant rounds of golf on the courses of Golf d'Opio-Valbonne, Golf de la Grande Bastide and Le Château & Le Riou in Terre Blanche. The latter are located in the middle of the 5-star "Terre Blanche Hotel Spa Golf Resort", which is one of the best in Provence. There are two 18-hole courses here for a relaxed game: "Le Riou" and "le Chateau" as well as the golf academy, which enjoys worldwide recognition. The head of the biomechanics center, Jean-Jaques Rivet, looks after the French national golf team here, which has its permanent training center in Terre Blanche, as well as international golfing greats such as Justin Rose. We are delighted with the exceptionally good state of maintenance, the old trees and the wonderful view of the surrounding villages. What do the water and blind holes, which occasionally bring a little challenge into play, matter? On the other hand, you can enjoy the peace and quiet, especially on the Riou course, which is only available to hotel guests. www.terre-blanche.com
Place to be for all golf enthusiasts
The annual IGTM, which took place for the first time after Lisbon at the Palais des Festivals et des Congrès in Cannes, brought together around 300 exhibitors from 36 countries over 4 days. They were joined by just as many buyers from 51 countries, including the USA and Canada, as well as from the core European markets for golf - from Ireland and Spain to the Czech Republic. Japan and South Korea were also represented, as were Thailand, Indonesia and Mexico with Los Cabos and its multi-million dollar golf courses with luxury hotels. But what would the IGTM be without its perennial favorites, such as Portugal, Italy, Egypt and Morocco? The offers for winter golf in the Algarve in Egypt's Soma Bay or in Morocco's imperial cities whetted the appetite. However, completely new golf destinations with no less attractive courses were interesting - such as in Mucat/Oman or on the Red Sea, where Saudi Arabia's first golf course, the Shura Links Course, was opened - on an incredibly large area where around 12 luxury hotels and other golf courses are to be built in the future - as competition to Dubai, one wonders? I didn't realize that there is also golf in Patagonia on my last cruise through Tierra del Fuego, but the temperatures would have been too cold for me. A golf cruise on the Mekong to Siem Rep would be better, but that's a story in itself. All in all, the trade fair is like a meeting of good friends with the aim of promoting the most beautiful places in the world. A separate networking day and roundtable discussions are ideal for this.
What else Cannes can do
The Okko Hotel near the train station is the ideal place to stay when visiting the trade fair: as a boutique hotel with a stylish lobby and bar, it offers a phenomenal panoramic view from the rooftop bar, especially in the evening, but also invites you to chill out during the day. It takes just 7 minutes to walk from here to the Croisette, past the red carpet of the Festival Palais and then you are right in the middle of the action. You can see famous fashion labels in the narrow alleyways, sip an aperitif on the terrace of the Majestic Hotel or find a typical Mediterranean bistro for the evening. Yes, that's Cannes too: especially in the historic district of Le Suquet, the city shows its Provencal, original side, with markets such as the Marché Forville and small restaurants - a much more down-to-earth, southern French lifestyle alongside the glamorous appearance on the coast. Nevertheless, there are still public beaches here, such as the Plage Macé right next to the Palais des Festivals on the Croisette. During the film festival, films are also shown here on a big screen in the evenings. In October, oversized photos on screens along the promenade commemorate the many stars of the festival. As a long, public sandy beach to the west of the old port, the Plage du Midi is ideal for families and those who prefer a quieter pace. For the culinary part, you have two options: Either fine dining, because you are, after all, in the realm of the French kitchen god Auguste Escoffier, who revolutionized his upscale cuisine on the Côte d'Azur, or to indulge in the typical Provençal dishes. We opted for the latter, such as bouillabaisse, daube provençale, pissaladière, grilled lamb, fresh fish and, of course, oysters straight from the counter. All accompanied by the best rosé wines from Provence. I think that's reason enough to visit the next IGTM in Cannes from October 19 - 22, 2026 .
www.igtmarket.com www.cotedazurfrance.de www.okkohotels.com
