We have recently returned from a fantastic trip to France where we stayed 3 nights at Chateau des Sept Tours in the heart of The Loire Valley. It proved an ideal stop off on our family driving holiday to the South of France, however with Tours Airport just 25 minutes away it would make the perfect weekend break (apparently according to the very helpful girl at reception, Ryanair fly from Stansted and it only takes an hour!!).
The chateau itself is stunning, and our room was located in one of the turrets with different views from 3 windows. The room was very well appointed although quite small for golf clubs and our luggage, however I believe you can leave your clubs in the clubhouse, and we did have 3 weeks worth of kit for a family of four! Also there are rooms in The Orangerie which are much bigger, but lack a little of the ‘chateau charm’
The golf course at Sept Tours is very British in style, a combination of Woodland and Parkland, with a few water hazards thrown in on the back nine. It’s very flat though and perfect for walking which my husband and I prefer to do. It reminded us a little of Penina in the Algarve however few courses we have played can boast a finishing hole like the one at Sept Tours, which plays back to the imposing chateau directly behind the green.
We ate at both restaurants at Sept Tours, and whilst the brasserie is perfect for lunches and informal dinner, the gourmet restaurant located in the conservatory is heaven for foodies. We opted for the ‘carte blanche’ which served up 9 courses, all designed to show off the chef’s full repertoire. He certainly didn’t disappoint and with a glass of wine from the sommelier’s choice at each stage of the meal, there were a couple of fuzzy heads in the morning!!
There is a lovely pool and sun terrace to relax at, and on our final day the concierge reserved a wine tasting visit at a vineyard in the heart of The Touraine. Sadly I was doing the driving but we managed to pack a few bottles into the boot.
We’ll definitely go back next year, and in the meantime we may escape for a weekend for our wedding anniversary.
French golf holidays are available to Chateau des Sept Tours starting from just £195 per person including three night’s and two rounds of golf, golfers can take advantage of this great offer until the end of October by calling 0800 043 6644.
