⛳ The French cities with the most golfers

Per inhabitant, the town with the most licensed golfers in France is Arcachon, with 58.7 / 1,000 inhab., ahead of Biarritz (56.4 / 1,000 inhab.) and Neuilly-sur-Seine (52.8 / 1,000 inhab.).

What are the 10 French cities with the most golfers per inhabitant?
In order: Arcachon, Biarritz, Neuilly-sur-Seine, Divonne-les-Bains, Garches, La Baule-Escoublac, Mouvaux, Saint-Raphaël, Anglet and Saint-Jean-de-Luz.
What is the top 5 of French cities with the most golfers per inhabitant?
Arcachon (58.7 / 1,000 inhab.), Biarritz (56.4 / 1,000 inhab.), Neuilly-sur-Seine (52.8 / 1,000 inhab.), Divonne-les-Bains (47.2 / 1,000 inhab.) and Garches (45.6 / 1,000 inhab.).
Which city is 2nd in the ranking of French cities with the most golfers per inhabitant?
Biarritz, at 56.4 / 1,000 inhab., just behind Arcachon (58.7 / 1,000 inhab.).
Is Arcachon really the French city with the most golfers per inhabitant?
Yes, at 58.7 / 1,000 inhab., ahead of Biarritz (56.4 / 1,000 inhab.) and Neuilly-sur-Seine (52.8 / 1,000 inhab.).
In which département is Arcachon?
Arcachon is in département 33, in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region.
What is the difference between Arcachon and Biarritz?
Arcachon is at 58.7 / 1,000 inhab., Biarritz at 56.4 / 1,000 inhab. The table gives the same figure for all 100 places, so any two of them can be compared the same way.
Which city is 10th in the ranking of French cities with the most golfers per inhabitant?
Saint-Jean-de-Luz, at 38.8 / 1,000 inhab.
How many French cities does this ranking compare?
1,034, with the top 100 listed in full in the table below.
What are the French cities with the most golfers per inhabitant in 2026?
This ranking uses the most recent official figures published as of 2026: Arcachon leads with 58.7 / 1,000 inhab.
Is there a complete ranking of French cities with the most golfers per inhabitant?
Yes, the table below: the top 100 of 1,034, each with its département and its region, and the exact method and scope stated underneath it.
Which French towns have the highest golf licence rate?
Arcachon (58.7 / 1,000 inhab.), Biarritz (56.4 / 1,000 inhab.), Neuilly-sur-Seine (52.8 / 1,000 inhab.), Divonne-les-Bains (47.2 / 1,000 inhab.) and Garches (45.6 / 1,000 inhab.). Coastal resorts and affluent western suburbs of Paris dominate, which says as much about who lives there as about the courses.

The table below ranks the top 100 of the 1,034 cities in the dataset, each with its département, its region and the figure it is ranked on (golfers per 1,000 inhabitants), so you can see not just the order but how far apart the places are. The numbers are official public data: INSEE legal populations and the IGN commune registry, with the exact method and the exact scope stated under the table rather than left to be guessed at.

The same data answers neighbouring questions too: see The French cities with the most hikers and The French cities with the most chess players, or all rankings for the full list. All of it comes from Le Bon Rang, a free daily game that gives you five French cities and one of these statistics and asks you for the order.

Top 100 of 1,034 cities
#CityRegionGolfers / 1,000Population
133ArcachonNouvelle-Aquitaine58.7 / 1,000 inhab.11,092
264BiarritzNouvelle-Aquitaine56.4 / 1,000 inhab.26,206
392Neuilly-sur-SeineÎle-de-France52.8 / 1,000 inhab.59,538
401Divonne-les-BainsAuvergne-Rhône-Alpes47.2 / 1,000 inhab.10,464
592GarchesÎle-de-France45.6 / 1,000 inhab.17,743
644La Baule-EscoublacPays de la Loire45.6 / 1,000 inhab.16,912
759MouvauxHauts-de-France45 / 1,000 inhab.13,369
883Saint-RaphaëlProvence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur41.4 / 1,000 inhab.37,113
964AngletNouvelle-Aquitaine39 / 1,000 inhab.43,271
1064Saint-Jean-de-LuzNouvelle-Aquitaine38.8 / 1,000 inhab.14,857
1192Saint-CloudÎle-de-France38.4 / 1,000 inhab.29,855
1278Le VésinetÎle-de-France37.8 / 1,000 inhab.15,554
1359Marcq-en-BarœulHauts-de-France36.8 / 1,000 inhab.40,184
1483Sainte-MaximeProvence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur36.6 / 1,000 inhab.14,118
1535DinardBretagne34.8 / 1,000 inhab.10,772
1606Mandelieu-la-NapouleProvence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur33 / 1,000 inhab.21,640
1706MouginsProvence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur32.9 / 1,000 inhab.19,782
1876Bois-GuillaumeNormandie32.5 / 1,000 inhab.14,539
1978Croissy-sur-SeineÎle-de-France31.4 / 1,000 inhab.11,013
2078Maisons-LaffitteÎle-de-France30.7 / 1,000 inhab.23,093
2183Roquebrune-sur-ArgensProvence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur30.4 / 1,000 inhab.15,442
2233La Teste-de-BuchNouvelle-Aquitaine29.8 / 1,000 inhab.27,566
2344PornicPays de la Loire29.1 / 1,000 inhab.18,745
2492Ville-d'AvrayÎle-de-France28.7 / 1,000 inhab.11,089
2506ValbonneProvence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur28.6 / 1,000 inhab.11,939
2683Saint-Cyr-sur-MerProvence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur27.7 / 1,000 inhab.11,658
2740BiscarrosseNouvelle-Aquitaine27.3 / 1,000 inhab.15,836
2806BiotProvence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur27.2 / 1,000 inhab.10,511
2978Voisins-le-BretonneuxÎle-de-France27 / 1,000 inhab.10,624
3063ChamalièresAuvergne-Rhône-Alpes26.4 / 1,000 inhab.17,509
3178Saint-Germain-en-LayeÎle-de-France25 / 1,000 inhab.45,931
3278Le Chesnay-RocquencourtÎle-de-France25 / 1,000 inhab.30,689
3391Verrières-le-BuissonÎle-de-France25 / 1,000 inhab.15,057
3469ÉcullyAuvergne-Rhône-Alpes24.8 / 1,000 inhab.17,944
3578La Celle-Saint-CloudÎle-de-France24.7 / 1,000 inhab.20,460
3692Boulogne-BillancourtÎle-de-France24.4 / 1,000 inhab.119,019
3733Le BouscatNouvelle-Aquitaine23.7 / 1,000 inhab.25,081
3833Andernos-les-BainsNouvelle-Aquitaine23.4 / 1,000 inhab.12,710
3930Villeneuve-lès-AvignonOccitanie23.1 / 1,000 inhab.13,148
4064UrrugneNouvelle-Aquitaine22.8 / 1,000 inhab.10,661
4177FontainebleauÎle-de-France22.5 / 1,000 inhab.15,583
4276Mont-Saint-AignanNormandie22.2 / 1,000 inhab.20,165
4391Gif-sur-YvetteÎle-de-France21.8 / 1,000 inhab.22,544
4417RoyanNouvelle-Aquitaine21.6 / 1,000 inhab.19,425
4559WasquehalHauts-de-France21.4 / 1,000 inhab.20,726
4606Mouans-SartouxProvence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur21.4 / 1,000 inhab.11,015
4760SenlisHauts-de-France21.3 / 1,000 inhab.15,157
4883La Londe-les-MauresProvence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur21.3 / 1,000 inhab.10,584
4944GuérandePays de la Loire21.2 / 1,000 inhab.16,804
5033Gujan-MestrasNouvelle-Aquitaine21 / 1,000 inhab.22,153
512APorto-VecchioCorse20.7 / 1,000 inhab.11,198
5234Saint-Gély-du-FescOccitanie20.6 / 1,000 inhab.10,472
5344PornichetPays de la Loire20.5 / 1,000 inhab.12,800
5492Rueil-MalmaisonÎle-de-France20.2 / 1,000 inhab.82,874
5578VersaillesÎle-de-France19.9 / 1,000 inhab.84,095
5631BalmaOccitanie19.8 / 1,000 inhab.17,772
5713CabrièsProvence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur19.8 / 1,000 inhab.10,240
5835BruzBretagne19.5 / 1,000 inhab.19,683
5987PanazolNouvelle-Aquitaine19.4 / 1,000 inhab.11,342
6078GuyancourtÎle-de-France19.1 / 1,000 inhab.29,778
6160ChantillyHauts-de-France19.1 / 1,000 inhab.10,591
6292SèvresÎle-de-France18.8 / 1,000 inhab.22,303
6392Levallois-PerretÎle-de-France18.7 / 1,000 inhab.68,092
6478ChatouÎle-de-France18.5 / 1,000 inhab.30,598
6531TournefeuilleOccitanie18.3 / 1,000 inhab.30,168
6637Saint-Cyr-sur-LoireCentre-Val de Loire17.9 / 1,000 inhab.17,029
6769Sainte-Foy-lès-LyonAuvergne-Rhône-Alpes17.8 / 1,000 inhab.21,692
6895L'Isle-AdamÎle-de-France17.8 / 1,000 inhab.12,493
6906Villeneuve-LoubetProvence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur17.7 / 1,000 inhab.17,548
7066Saint-CyprienOccitanie17.7 / 1,000 inhab.12,068
7159WambrechiesHauts-de-France17.6 / 1,000 inhab.11,012
7259CroixHauts-de-France17.1 / 1,000 inhab.20,566
7329FouesnantBretagne16.8 / 1,000 inhab.10,436
7478MontessonÎle-de-France16.7 / 1,000 inhab.14,549
7535Cesson-SévignéBretagne16.6 / 1,000 inhab.18,761
7695Enghien-les-BainsÎle-de-France16.6 / 1,000 inhab.11,432
77974L'Étang-SaléLa Réunion16.4 / 1,000 inhab.14,464
7869Tassin-la-Demi-LuneAuvergne-Rhône-Alpes16.3 / 1,000 inhab.23,200
7983Sanary-sur-MerProvence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur16.2 / 1,000 inhab.18,538
8085Les Sables-d'OlonnePays de la Loire15.9 / 1,000 inhab.49,603
8191IgnyÎle-de-France15.9 / 1,000 inhab.10,833
8292SceauxÎle-de-France15.7 / 1,000 inhab.20,884
8306CannesProvence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur15.6 / 1,000 inhab.74,350
8449AvrilléPays de la Loire15.6 / 1,000 inhab.15,251
8594Saint-Maur-des-FossésÎle-de-France15.5 / 1,000 inhab.76,572
8692SuresnesÎle-de-France15.5 / 1,000 inhab.48,956
8795MontmorencyÎle-de-France15.5 / 1,000 inhab.21,763
8892PuteauxÎle-de-France15.4 / 1,000 inhab.44,002
89971Saint-FrançoisGuadeloupe15.1 / 1,000 inhab.13,942
9050GranvilleNormandie15.1 / 1,000 inhab.12,510
9157Marly (57)Grand Est15.1 / 1,000 inhab.10,286
9278Le PecqÎle-de-France15 / 1,000 inhab.16,059
9331Saint-JeanOccitanie15 / 1,000 inhab.11,261
9477Bussy-Saint-GeorgesÎle-de-France14.8 / 1,000 inhab.27,498
9513Aix-en-ProvenceProvence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur14.6 / 1,000 inhab.149,695
9633BordeauxNouvelle-Aquitaine14.4 / 1,000 inhab.267,991
9769Caluire-et-CuireAuvergne-Rhône-Alpes14.4 / 1,000 inhab.43,597
9878Montigny-le-BretonneuxÎle-de-France14.4 / 1,000 inhab.32,465
9992La Garenne-ColombesÎle-de-France14.3 / 1,000 inhab.30,197
10003VichyAuvergne-Rhône-Alpes14.3 / 1,000 inhab.25,115

Scope: France, metropolitan and overseas, Corsica and the DROM included. This dataset holds every commune of 10,000 inhabitants or more, plus smaller communes famous enough to be household names, 1,131 in all. It is not the full list of 35,000 French communes, so a village can sit outside a ranking whose extreme it would otherwise hold. This particular ranking is a rate per inhabitant, so it covers towns of 10,000 people or more only: in a village of a hundred, three licence holders would read as thirty per thousand and outrank a town with a professional club, so no rate is published below that size rather than a meaningless one.

Method and sources: populations are the INSEE legal populations, boundaries and coordinates come from the IGN commune registry, both served by geo.api.gouv.fr. Density is the population divided by the commune's area; distances are measured as the crow flies from the commune's centre. Data read on August 11, 2026.

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FAQ

Which French city plays the most golf?

Per inhabitant, the town with the most licensed golfers in France is Arcachon, with 58.7 / 1,000 inhab., ahead of Biarritz (56.4 / 1,000 inhab.) and Neuilly-sur-Seine (52.8 / 1,000 inhab.).

What are the top 10?

In order: Arcachon (58.7 / 1,000 inhab.), Biarritz (56.4 / 1,000 inhab.), Neuilly-sur-Seine (52.8 / 1,000 inhab.), Divonne-les-Bains (47.2 / 1,000 inhab.), Garches (45.6 / 1,000 inhab.), La Baule-Escoublac (45.6 / 1,000 inhab.), Mouvaux (45 / 1,000 inhab.), Saint-Raphaël (41.4 / 1,000 inhab.), Anglet (39 / 1,000 inhab.), Saint-Jean-de-Luz (38.8 / 1,000 inhab.).

How can a town with no course rank so high?

Because a licence is counted where its holder LIVES, not where they play. The ministry is explicit that this is a census at the place of residence and not the place of practice, which is why wealthy suburbs with no fairway of their own sit near the top: their residents are members of clubs elsewhere. It also means the ranking measures who plays golf rather than where the courses are.

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