Get Your Golf Green Card in Marrakech — 5-Day Course at Riad Vendome

What is the Golf Green Card?

The Green Card is the official certificate from the French Golf Federation (FFG) attesting that a player has the necessary autonomy to play alone on an 18-hole course without disturbing other golfers. Officially renamed PASS Carte Verte in 2016, it is the equivalent of a driving licence for golfers: without it, most courses in France refuse access to standard courses (only compact and pitch-and-putt remain open to all). With it, you access the entire French course network, and it is generally recognised internationally.

The Green Card certifies two distinct competencies: course etiquette (knowledge of essential rules, respect for golf etiquette, safety, pace of play, behaviour in three-ball formats) and minimal technical mastery (ability to produce correct trajectories at tee shots, approaches, around and on the green, with proper grip and posture). Once obtained, the Green Card is permanent: you do not need to retake it, even after a long break. The certification appears on your FFG licence and your MyFFGolf attestation.

Why pass your Green Card in Marrakech rather than at home?

In the UK, France, Germany or Ireland, classic Green Card learning is spread over several months: weekly lessons, occasional rounds, unpredictable weather, schedules constrained by professional life. Many beginners lose motivation or drop out before validation. The Marrakech option radically changes the equation:

• Total immersion in 5 days. Rather than spreading your learning over 6 months, you concentrate 13 hours of effective tuition (PT13H) in one week. The brain and body assimilate fundamentals much faster when practice is continuous. You arrive a complete beginner and leave with your Green Card.
• Exceptional climate. Marrakech offers more than 300 sunny days per year. From September to May, temperatures are ideal for play (18 to 28 degrees Celsius). No rain cancelling lessons, no cold wind limiting progress, no mornings too dark to start early.
• Competitive cost. Our 5-day Green Card course starts at 800 EUR / £688 per person (tuition only), with riad accommodation from £69 per night. Comparable to UK academy formulas where fragmented lessons, green fees, equipment and travel often add up to an equivalent or higher budget — without the sun or the experience.
• Total change of scenery. 3 to 3.5 hours direct flight from London Gatwick, Stansted, Luton, Heathrow, Birmingham or Manchester. Learning golf in Marrakech is more than a certification — it is a journey. Patio with fountain, ochre medina, hammam after the round, oriental dinners on the rooftop: your Green Card becomes an unforgettable memory.
• An experience rather than a chore. For partners or friends who do not play, Riad Vendome offers spa, hammam, Moroccan cooking class with Chef Naima, Agafay desert excursions, guided medina tours. Nobody is bored while the future golfer progresses on the fairways.

Prerequisites before your course

To pass your Green Card at Riad Vendome, you need to prepare two administrative documents and require no previous golf knowledge:

• The current year FFG licence. Required for your Green Card to be officially registered by the French Golf Federation. Cost: approximately 56 EUR for the 2026 adult licence. Subscription in a few minutes on ffgolf.org, via your MyFFGolf area, or through any affiliated club.
• A medical certificate of non-contraindication. Your doctor confirms that you are fit to practise golf (ability to walk several kilometres, perform a swing motion). Document to scan and upload to your MyFFGolf area after obtaining the licence.

No prior golf experience required. Our course is designed for complete beginners. If you have never touched a golf club, that is perfect. The pro adapts the programme to your starting point. Equipment is loaned throughout the entire course.

Recommended but not required: comfortable sportswear (polo, soft trousers or Bermuda shorts), flat closed shoes for the first lessons (golf shoes loaned on the course), a cap and sunscreen (Marrakech sun is powerful even in winter).

The 5-day Green Card programme

Our 5-day Green Card course is structured to take you from complete beginner to official validation, methodically alternating technical work and on-course application. Here is the day-by-day programme:

The validation tests

Obtaining the PASS Carte Verte rests on two complementary tests, in accordance with official FFG criteria:

• Theoretical test — approximately 20 minutes. Multiple choice questionnaire (MCQ) on essential golf rules and course etiquette. Questions cover the behaviour expected of an autonomous player: pace of play, safety, ball marking, common situations (water hazard, bunker, lost ball), respect for other players. The pro corrects with you immediately afterwards to explain the right answers.
• Practical test — approximately 1 to 2 hours. You play 9 holes in three-ball format, with trolley, within imposed time (typically 2 hours, sometimes different depending on course format). At least 3 holes are observed directly by the pro. You must not commit more than 7 behaviour faults, including a maximum of 1 safety-related fault.

What is evaluated in the practical test: respect for pace of play, safety (calling "fore" if necessary, not playing if someone is in the danger zone), minimal technical mastery in putting / short game / long game compartments, rule application (ball marking, drop, penalties, lost or unplayable balls), courteous behaviour (letting a faster group through, raking the bunker, replacing divots, repairing pitch marks on the green).

The test does not evaluate raw performance but rather know-how. A player can shoot bogeys and obtain the Green Card without difficulty as long as they respect the rules and etiquette.

What does your Green Card package include?

Our 5-day Green Card course at 800 EUR / £688 per person (tuition only) includes everything necessary for your training and official validation:

• 7 hours of technical lessons with a PGA France State-diploma certified pro
• 6 hours of on-course play accompanied by the pro
• 3 green fees on partner courses (9-hole format)
• Complete equipment loan throughout the course (clubs, bag, trolley)
• All practice balls needed
• Theoretical MCQ test and practical examination
• Official Green Card registration on the FFG federal extranet

To add for a complete stay:

• Riad Vendome accommodation (double room from £69 per night, breakfast optional)
• Return private vehicle transfers to the courses
• Caddy on the courses (£9 to £13 per round, tip on top)
• Lunches at the club-house or back at the riad
• Spa sessions (hammam from £22, 1-hour massage from £30)

Book your Golf Green Card course

Eric replies personally to every quote request within 24 hours. To save time, please specify your preferred dates, number of participants, whether your partner or friend is accompanying you without playing, and any useful information (physical limitations, previous golf experience if any). You can also reach us directly on WhatsApp at +212 600 608 608.

All-inclusive Green Card packages

To simplify your organisation, we offer three all-inclusive packages combining the Green Card course, riad accommodation, golf transfers and wellness services. All prices per person in double room.

Every package includes:

• Personal welcome by Eric on arrival
• End-to-end logistical organisation (one single point of contact)
• Complete golf equipment loan during the 5-day course
• Return private vehicle transfers to the courses
• Free spa access at the riad (pool, jacuzzi at 36 degrees Celsius, hammam subject to availability)
• Official Green Card registration on the FFG federal extranet
• Fibre wifi and satellite TV in every room

Your Green Card coach

Our Green Card course is supervised by a PGA France certified pro with State Diploma, principal partner of Riad Vendome for beginner pedagogy. A State-diploma instructor for 20 years and PGA France member, he runs his own golf academy in Marrakech since 2018.

His pedagogical approach is specifically designed for beginners: gentle progression, simple explanations, kind correction, focus on essential fundamentals. He accompanies you from the very first swing to official validation, with the patience and listening required for immersion learning. Used to European trainees coming to Morocco for their certification, he masters FFG requirements perfectly and adapts the pace to your profile. Whether you are sporty and at ease with movement or a complete novice, he leads you to the goal.

If you obtain your Green Card and wish to extend your progression, we also offer technical perfectionnement courses through our dedicated PGA-led golf academy in Marrakech with a second PGA France pro based at Golf Amelkis.

After the Green Card — the courses that open up to you

Once your Green Card is obtained, you can access all Marrakech courses — one of the largest golf concentrations in North Africa, with 11 international-class courses within a 30-minute radius.

Courses accessible from Riad Vendome: Royal Golf de Marrakech (the oldest, 1927), Golf Amelkis (27 holes), Palmeraie Golf Palace (27 holes), Samanah Golf (Jack Nicklaus), Al Maaden, Fairmont Royal Palm, Montgomerie Marrakech, Assoufid Club, Palm Golf Ourika, Golf de la Noria, Rotana Palmeraie. Many of our clients return after their Green Card for golf perfectionnement stays. Detailed course information and our complete Riad + Golf packages are on the Golf Stay Marrakech page.

Your accommodation during the Green Card course

For the full duration of your Green Card week, you stay at Riad Vendome & Spa, a charming riad classified by the Moroccan Ministry of Tourism, located at 217 Derb El Halfaoui in the Dar El Bacha quarter of the medina. The riad has 12 rooms and junior suites, a patio with cooling pool (5m by 3m), an oriental hammam, two massage rooms, and a heated rooftop jacuzzi at 36 degrees Celsius with panoramic views over the Koutoubia minaret and the Atlas mountains.

This setup has been designed for golfer recovery: after a day on the course, the hammam and the argan-oil massage regenerate the muscles. Chef Naima prepares authentic Moroccan cuisine — tagines, couscous, Moroccan salads — served in the dining room, the patio, or on the rooftop. The licensed bar offers champagne and Moroccan wines (Guerouane, Volubilia) for an evening to extend the day in convivial company.

International Green Card recognition (UK / Ireland / WHS)

Our PGA France certified pro validates your Green Card according to the official criteria of the French Golf Federation (FFG). Registration is done directly on the federal extranet on the day of validation. The certification is permanent and recognised in all French courses and the majority of foreign courses.

For UK and Irish golfers: the FFG Green Card supports your handicap submission to England Golf, Golf Ireland, Scottish Golf or Golf Union of Wales under the WHS (World Handicap System) framework. It serves as proof of competence equivalent to Course Handicap 54 / Beginner level. Many UK clubs accept it as the prerequisite for full membership applications.

For golfers from Germany, Austria, Switzerland: the FFG Green Card is internationally equivalent to the Platzreife. For Spain: equivalent to Tarjeta Verde RFEG / Hándicap 36. For Italy: equivalent to Green Card FIG. For Portugal: equivalent to Cartão Verde FPG. For USA / Canada / Australia: while these countries operate under USGA / Golf Australia handicap systems rather than a "Green Card" certification, the FFG validation serves as proof of basic competence accepted by most clubs for course access.

Detailed pricing (tuition only + à la carte options)

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Le Riad Vendome is classified by the Moroccan Ministry of Tourism.