Amber Baltic (Championship)

The French company, MS International, under the stewardship of Pierre R. Delacour, undertook the original construction of the Amber Baltic golf courses and the impressive clubhouse. The first nine holes were opened for play in 1991, but a destructive storm in 1992 destroyed large parts of the course. This resulted in an insurance disagreement that culminated in a commission for H.G Erhardt to reinstate the course, make revisions and create a few new holes.

German-born architect Hans Georg Erhardt is probably best known for his Austrian design work with Kurt Rossknecht at the likes of Colony Club Gutenhof and Neusiedlersee-Donnerskirchen and with Doug Carrick at Fontana but Erhardt has worked extensively throughout central Europe, including Hungary, the Czech Republic and here at Amber Baltic Golf Club in Poland.

This 18-hole Championship course sits on a 165-acre site that also features a short beginners course. All the golf holes at Amber Baltic Golf Club lie within the Woliñski National Park on the Baltic island of Wolin, way up in the extreme north west of Poland, close to the German border.

The main Amber Baltic Championship course measures in at a modest 5,500 metres and it’s routed in two circuits that each return to the clubhouse. The front nine concludes with a very short par four and the back nine finishes with a 480-yard par five so golfers have a decent chance to end both the outward and inward halves with a birdie.

Since the club was officially formed in 1993, it has hosted a number of national tournaments: the very first Polish Open, the Amateur and Junior Opens, PGA Championship and PGA Team Matchplay Championship. Unfortunately, with a growing number of excellent courses springing up around the country, it may be some time before a top event returns to this charming Baltic outpost.