Golf de Royat-Charade

Few courses in France occupy a setting quite like this one. Golf de Royat-Charade sits on the volcanic plateau above the spa town of Royat, in the shadow of the Chaîne des Puys — a UNESCO World Heritage landscape of dormant volcanoes that defines the skyline of the Auvergne. The course winds through the forested slopes of the Parc Naturel Régional des Volcans d'Auvergne, meaning rounds here feel less like a round in the conventional sense and more like a walk through ancient geology. The terrain is naturally uneven, shaped by lava flows and woodland rather than earthmoving machinery.

Royat itself is a small, elegant thermal resort town just west of Clermont-Ferrand, drawing visitors for its mineral springs since the Roman era. The local golf scene is quiet and unhurried, very much in keeping with the region's character — this is not a destination built around golf, but one where golf happens to exist beautifully.

Expect a course that rewards local knowledge: uneven lies, elevation shifts, and tree-lined corridors that demand shape and imagination rather than raw power. It is the kind of place that improves significantly on a second visit.