Europe's Best-Kept Golf Secret
Tunisia is what the Costa del Sol felt like forty years ago — world-class design work, value-priced green fees, uncrowded tee sheets, and year-round sun. The country's first course opened in Carthage in the 1920s, but the modern Tunisian golf story really starts in the 1970s when American architect Ron Fream arrived and laid out a series of pioneering courses along the Mediterranean coast from Tabarka in the north down to Monastir. It was at Tunisia's El Kantaoui in 1982 that the European Tour ventured outside Europe for the first time, hosting the Tunisian Open.
Today Tunisia has more than ten championship courses, most concentrated in four distinct coastal clusters. Hammamet anchors the north-central coast with Yasmine Valley (ranked #1 in Tunisia) and the 45-hole Citrus Golf Club (La Forêt & Les Oliviers). The Sousse region — just to the south — brings El Kantaoui (Panorama & Sea courses) and Flamingo Monastir. Farther afield, Tabarka in the north-west delivers Ron Fream's most dramatic layout, routed through dunes and mountains, and the island of Djerba offers 27 holes on the country's sunniest coastline.
Beyond golf, Tunisia is a country of extraordinary variety — the ruins of ancient Carthage, the medina of Tunis (UNESCO), the Roman colosseum of El Jem, the Sahara at Douz, and the famous Star Wars filming locations in the south. Add a Mediterranean climate with 320+ sunny days a year and an easy, affordable flight from most of Europe, and it's the most underpriced golf holiday on the Mediterranean.
Tunisia Itineraries
Our starter Tunisia itineraries — each a distinct way to experience Tunisian golf and culture. Custom journeys are our specialty.
Tunisia's Greatest Courses
From Ron Fream's original pioneering layouts to the 45 holes at Citrus Golf Club — these are the Tunisian courses that put the country on the map.
Four Distinct Regions
Each Tunisian golf region has its own character, courses, and cultural treasures. Explore them below.
Hammamet — Tunisia's Golf Capital
Tunisia's golf gravitational centre. The coastal town of Hammamet, an hour south of Tunis, is home to three of the country's best courses: Yasmine Valley (ranked #1 in Tunisia), and the 45-hole Citrus Golf Club with its two signature layouts La Forêt (voted best course in Tunisia by the World Golf Awards in 2017 and 2018) and Les Oliviers. All three sit on sandy soil planted with pines, palms, olives, and eucalyptus — the feel is Mediterranean parkland, the price is a third of comparable Costa del Sol.
Between rounds: the walled medina and kasbah of Hammamet dating to the 15th century, long seafood lunches at Fowles Marina, the perfumed beach crescent, and day trips to Nabeul's pottery workshops. Hammamet is the easy 4-7 night golf base we recommend for 80% of first-time Tunisia visitors.
Top Attractions
- Hammamet Medina & Kasbah
- Yasmine Hammamet Marina
- Dar Sebastian (Villa George Sebastian)
- Nabeul Pottery Market
- Hammamet Beach
- Carthageland Theme Park
- International Cultural Center
- Day trip to Zaghouan Roman Aqueduct
Sousse & Monastir — The Sahel Coast
Tunisia's central coast runs from Sousse (a UNESCO-listed medieval medina and a Mediterranean resort town in one) down to Monastir. The resort village of Port El Kantaoui — purpose-built in the 1970s — hosts El Kantaoui's two courses: the Sea course hosted the Tunisian Open in 1982 (the first time the European Tour played in Africa), and the newer Panorama course uses hilltop terrain for spectacular marina views.
Further south, Flamingo Monastir sits between lakes and the sea on an undulating plateau — "a garden suspended between the water" as one reviewer memorably put it. Off the course: the great Ribat fortress of Monastir, the UNESCO-listed old town of Sousse, and the stunning Roman amphitheater at El Jem — the third-largest colosseum on Earth.
Top Attractions
- Sousse Medina (UNESCO)
- El Jem Roman Amphitheater
- Ribat of Monastir
- Sousse Archaeological Museum
- Port El Kantaoui marina
- Bourguiba Mausoleum, Monastir
- Mahdia fishing port
- Kairouan (Islamic holy city)
Tunis & Carthage — The Capital & the Ancient World
The Tunisian capital pairs the UNESCO-listed Medina of Tunis with the ruins of ancient Carthage — once the Mediterranean's superpower, rival to Rome, and home to Hannibal. Golf-wise, the region offers Golf Carthage (established 1927, renovated by Yves Bureau in the 1990s) and the resort course at Residence Tunis in the upmarket seaside suburb of Gammarth.
Pair rounds with a walk through the Carthage Roman ruins, the astonishing Roman mosaics at the Bardo Museum (among the best-preserved collection in the world), a lunch in the picturesque blue-and-white village of Sidi Bou Saïd, and dinner on the Gammarth corniche. Best as the start or end of a longer country-wide Tunisia itinerary.
Top Attractions
- Medina of Tunis (UNESCO)
- Carthage Archaeological Site
- Bardo National Museum
- Sidi Bou Saïd village
- Antonine Baths, Carthage
- Zitouna Mosque
- La Marsa Beach
- Gammarth Corniche
Tabarka & Djerba — Beyond the Main Circuit
Two destinations at opposite ends of the country, for golfers wanting something unusual. Tabarka, on the wooded north-western coast near the Algerian border, has one of Ron Fream's most dramatic designs — the front nine winds through shoreline sand dunes while the back nine climbs into pine-forested hills. It's routinely ranked in Tunisia's top five and remains delightfully under the radar.
At the opposite end of the country, the sunny island of Djerba in the Gulf of Gabes hosts a 27-hole complex that's walkable to a strip of Mediterranean beach resorts. Djerba is the gateway to the Sahara — a day from here gets you to the troglodyte homes of Matmata (a famous Star Wars filming location), the salt flats of Chott el Jerid, and camel treks at Douz. Golf plus the desert is our most adventurous Tunisia combination.
Top Attractions
- Tabarka Genoese Fort
- Les Aiguilles (needle rocks)
- Djerba Houmt Souk
- El Ghriba Synagogue
- Matmata troglodyte homes
- Chott el Jerid salt lake
- Douz Sahara gateway
- Star Wars filming locations
Featured Accommodations
From the Four Seasons on the Gammarth coast to beachfront golf resorts in Hammamet — Tunisian hospitality at prices well below its Mediterranean neighbours.
Best Time to Play Tunisia
Peak Season: March – June, September – November
Tunisia's golf sweet spot — 70-82°F, low rainfall, gentle Mediterranean breezes. Courses are in peak condition, and tee times are easy to secure 2-3 months out for everything except Yasmine Valley and Citrus.
Winter Warmth: December – February
Tunisia's coast plays year-round. Winter lows sit around 50°F overnight but days hit 60-65°F — warmer than anywhere in mainland Europe except the Canaries. Djerba is the warmest in winter. Peak European tourist numbers vanish after October, leaving very quiet resorts.
Summer: Be Careful
July and August are hot — 90-100°F on the coast, higher inland. Golf is best played at sunrise; the midday sun is brutal. Resort prices peak with European summer holidays. Our strong recommendation is spring or autumn.
Ramadan & Cultural Notes
During Ramadan (dates shift annually), some restaurants close during daylight hours and resort dining schedules may shift. Golf courses remain open. Tunisia is a Muslim country with European-friendly customs — modest dress is appreciated in medinas and religious sites but not required at resorts.