RIOM Pitch and Putt course, France
Situated on the outskirts of the historic town of Riom, fifteen kilometres north of the regional capital, Clermont-Ferrand, and close to the volcanic Auvergne mountain range, the Riom Pitch and Putt Course is part of a golfing complex comprising a driving range and a compact Par 3 golf course. The driving range has also a lighting system allowing for night time practice. Riom is the birthplace of Pitch and Putt in France as AFPP was founded here in 1999.
The course was established in 1992 and was extended from nine to eighteen holes in 2008. There are at present seven hundred members of the club and about 10% of these play Pitch and Putt competitively. Golf and Pitch and Putt competitions are held all year round as the climate is temperate. Access to the club could not be easier as it is located a few hundred metres from the Paris – Montpellier motorway.
The golf course is just over 2 000 metres in length with relatively small greens and the Pitch and Putt configuration, which has permanent teeing areas and which can be played at all times, is 1 200 metres long. The front nine, which includes a few uphill and downhill holes, has only one water hazard but water comes into play on all but two holes on the flat back nine. Almost all holes have at least one well-placed sand bunker. When the wind is blowing, which is about 300 days a year, it’s best to make sure you have a good supply of balls.

Men, women and children are equal members of the Club and all competitions are mixed events. The Golf School is attended by almost 100 children and some of the finest players in the region started playing here. Christian Rouvident, the club manager, and Paul Bonnichon, the club pro, provide tuition of the highest quality; under their expert guidance, the club can look forward to a promising future. Riom is a living example of the possibility for golf and Pitch and Putt to co-exist for the pleasure of all its members. Riom won the 2009 edition of LIPP, the French national interclub monthly Pitch and Putt medal event.

The club president, Jean-Louis Oleksiak, a prominent member of the AFPP international squad, holds the course record with a 51 which is an indication of the difficulty of the course. Now that it has 18 holes, Riom hopes to host major national and international events in 2010, so this record may not last for long.

Address: Golf de Riom, ZAC Portes de Riom, avenue George Gershwin, 63200 RIOM
Telephone: + 334 38 38 88
G.P.S. co-ordinates: Lat. 45:53:38N (45.89381); Lon. 3:08:15E (3.13742)
The Riom website can be found here…