Pitch and Putt

It started more as a recreational activity than a serious game. At that time, golf was considered a man’s sport and many of the golf courses were open only to men. In an effort to attract tourists to resorts smaller courses began appearing. Even some of the larger estates in Florida and on the west coast were building pitch and putt courses for personal use. The game focused more on accuracy than force and because of this, it became popular with women and children as well as seasoned golfers wishing to improve their skills on the short strokes.

Since then, and especially over the past few years pitch and putt has gained great popularity. In March, 2006 the FIPPA (Federation of International Pitch and Putt Associations) was formed consisting of representatives from 17 European regions who signed an agreement delegating the FIPPA as the international governing body. An official set of rules was drafted (maximum distance 100 yards, maximum 3 clubs) and the sport became official.

Pitch and putt is the fastest growing area of golf in the world. In the few short years since 2006 hundreds of courses have opened around the world and international competitions are organized by three governing bodies, the EPPA (European Pitch and Putt Association), the FIPPA (Federation of International Pitch and Putt Associations), and the IPPA (International Pitch and Putt Association). Today, more people are enjoying golf than ever before and children are starting to learn the game at a much younger age.

World Wide Pitch and Putt

What follows is the most detailed data on world wide pitch and putt available on the internet. It took many hours to build and it takes many hours to maintain. Feel free to link to it or print it out but do not copy it for reproduction elsewhere on the internet. It requires continuous monitoring and updating and we do not wish the contact information provided here to be spread around the internet.

The world map at the top shows the countries/regions around the world involved in pitch and putt and the international body/bodies under which they are governed. The green regions show countries that founded the EPPA which later became the FIPPA, so most of these countries are members of both and these are the countries that got the ball rolling (so to speak).

The table below the map shows the details for each pitch and putt association around the world. It shows the association name, their acronym, when they were founded, their official language, and any associations they belong to. It also provides a link to their web site (if one exists) and contact information (including eMail links) for them. The notes are remarks on anything outstanding about these pitch and putt groups.