Prunevelle, a place worth visiting twice

Situated on the outskirts of the Pays de Montbéliard, the Prunevelle Golf Course has long struck a delicate balance between sporting challenge and a friendly atmosphere. This is a legacy that Mervin Rocchi knows inside out. He has been the golf course manager since March but has been teaching there for many seasons; he has also grown up here ‘for as long as he can remember’. ’ ‘I started at Prunevelle in 1997, when I was just a little boy,’ he adds. This rare loyalty enables him today to view the course with both passion and clarity, knowing it down to the smallest detail. When asked what awaits players discovering it for the first time, the answer is immediate: a course that never fully reveals itself at first glance. Set amongst vast natural roughs and gently undulating terrain, Prunevelle is one of those courses that takes on two very different faces depending on the season. In winter and spring, the roughs – ‘the hay’, as he explains – are left long and perfectly frame the course’s fairways. ‘That’s when it looks its best,’ he says. But this beauty demands greater wisdom and precision with the clubs, as it is so difficult to escape the dense undergrowth.​
Conversely, from summer through to late autumn, the mown grass provides an ideal playing surface for the most aggressive golfers. “The layout is less authentic then,” explains Mervin Rocchi, referring to architect Martial Cavalo’s signature style. “But it isn’t necessarily any easier, because at this time of year the greens are faster. As they aren’t very large and are undulating, they become the main obstacle to a good score.” This ability to offer different challenges throughout the year adds to the course’s charm. Some holes seem accessible but punish the slightest inaccuracy; others are more intimidating than they actually are in terms of difficulty.

This sporting dimension is no coincidence. For several decades, golf has had strong links with top-level competition. At the end of the 20th century, the course hosted some of Europe’s finest amateurs during the prestigious Peugeot Classic – an event that saw the likes of Thomas Bjørn, Henrik Stenson and Raphaël Jacquelin take to the course. “I wanted to revive a major event that would bring amateurs and professionals together on the course,” explains Marvin Rocchi. The Prunevelle Open, launched three years ago, fulfils this ambition perfectly. But the club’s spirit is not limited to these events alone. Its status as a registered association has fostered a particularly strong sense of community. The highlight of this vibrant atmosphere is the famous Grande Semaine, held every summer around 15 August, which brings together more than 1,500 competitors and visitors. For several days, the golf club comes alive with tournaments, themed evenings, prize-giving ceremonies and moments of camaraderie that remind us that a golf club is, above all, a place for people to come together.

This collective energy is also reflected in the projects carried out by the golf club. While Prunevelle does not have the investment capacity of large private organizations, its objective is clear: to improve the club year after year. “The idea is for members and visitors to see that the club is constantly moving forward,” summarizes Mervin Rocchi.

The next steps include the modernization of the locker rooms and the planned introduction of robotic mowers starting in 2027. This innovation will allow the groundskeeping team to devote more time to the qualitative maintenance of the course.

The facilities already demonstrate this commitment to continuous improvement. In addition to the 18-hole course, players benefit from a fully covered and connected driving range, a short practice course, and a particularly comprehensive performance center. Simulators, 3D analysis, force plates, indoor putting facilities—everything has been designed to help golfers improve regardless of weather conditions.

This modern approach perfectly complements the club’s historic identity. At Prunevelle, golf is ultimately experienced across several dimensions of time: the past, through a course that has witnessed some of the finest moments in European amateur golf; the present, driven by a particularly dynamic club community; and the future, built step by step through a constant commitment to enhancing the player experience.

This formula undoubtedly explains why so many golfers return year after year to walk its fairways.

Golf de Prunevelle
Les Petits Bans
25420 Dampierre-sur-le-Doubs
contact@golf-prunevelle.com
+33 3 81 98 11 77
www.golf-prunevelle.com