Balaton Golf Club

Extending to almost two thousand square miles, Lake Balaton is Central Europe’s largest lake. Laid out close to its northern shores, adjacent to the Balaton Uplands National Park, the course at Balaton Golf was constructed by Garry Ashfield of Golf East to a Hans-Georg Erhardt design, opening for play in 2008.

Six of the holes on the front nine are routed around nine acres of man-made water hazards, with the par three 9th surprisingly rated the most difficult hole on the outward half. The short par four 2nd is another terrific hole, doglegging downhill past a large bunker complex on the left and a couple of ponds on the right of the fairway.

There’s a change of mood at the start of the back nine, where both the opening par four holes are carved through dense woodland. The routing then shifts out into the open, where holes 13 to 15 are played out around an old stone quarry before the final two holes return to the forest at the par three 17th.