Alastaro

Drive an hour north of Turku and you’ll reach the Alastaro Circuit, where a number of European Truck Racing Championships were held during the 1990s and early 2000s. Nowadays, it’s better known for hosting events in the European Drag Racing Championship. Immediately west of the 2.72-kilometre race track lies the 18-hole layout at Alastaro Golf which opened in 2006.

It’s a long course, measuring 6,685 metres from the back markers, with holes arranged as two returning nines. Playing corridors were literally hewn from the forested landscape, with golfers playing in splendid isolation at almost every hole during the round. Water only comes into play at two holes – the par four 10th and par five 18th – which are separated by a couple of big lakes.

Feature holes include the slightly right doglegged 3rd (the longest par five on the card) playing into the southernmost part of the property; the par three 12th (where the fairway opens out a bit near to the clubhouse); and the long closing hole (with trees all the way down the right) which snakes around a couple of large water obstacles on the left as it heads to the home green.