Bro Hof Slott (Stadium) - Sweden

Well if you look at past reviews on this site of Bro Hof Slott I can't agree when some state that this is a RTJ course that you can find anywhere. First this is Swedens best golf course! And yes it is Americanised but whenever you play this course it is always top notch. I have played in excess of 200 rounds on the course and I am a member. And when the course is open it is always impeccably maintained. The greens, fairways and tee boxes are a pleasure to play on and as far as fairways come in Sweden there is only one course that can match the stadium course and that is the castle course. And the setting of this course is as good as it can get. Wind is a factor blowing from lake mälaren at times but it just enhances the experience. The clubhouse is by far the nicest in Sweden and the spa and locker room is what you would aspect. One of the coolest things is actually the drive in past the gate up to the castle.

As the course offers free range balls and an excellent driving range I can only recommend going there before your round. There is a good putting green located by the first set of tee boxes so try that out if you aren't used to a stimp of 11 or faster.

This is a course that is worth a visit. If you go to Stockholm and plan to play golf this is a must. If you go here I can also recommend the Castle course.

Just another championship course

This review is written during the 2015 Solheim Cup. Bro Hof is one of two front-runners for the 2019 event. For this, the founder has floated the idea of including the 17th and 18th on the Castle Course as the two final holes in a layout that would enable a big on-course audience - much larger than in Germany - to see play live at all the last five holes, which would be three par 3s and two short par 4s, all including significant water in the line of play. For all the merits of Gleneagles, the other frontrunner, I think this proposal looks fantastic!

Now, you might be forgiven for thinking that this bears the same relation to your own enjoyment of golf as haute couture does to normal prêt-a-porter, i.e. great to watch, but no fun to try yourself. In fact, with the absence of the 17th, which is a straight imitation of the famous short hole at TPC Sawgrass, all the other finishing holes from 14 onwards are crackers which allow you to be as aggressive or as conservative as you like to be.

Statistics show that members of Bro Hof have an average handicap (12) way below that of the average Swedish golfer who is at 22. Why is this? Well, that is the drawback of this place. Few but the most accomplished golfers probably enjoy the long slog that is the first 13 holes. Even from the yellow tees there is not a single par 4 under 400 yards and only the 12th of the par 5s is remotely reachable in two for a normal hitter playing from yellow. The scratch player can actually try the 8000 yard black tees at Bro Hof’s Stadium Course to get the experience most ladies have from the red tees every day at their home course! So, does this mean you should not play the Stadium Course at Bro Hof unless you are a single-figure handicapper? No, just, for once, take the opportunity to play tees further forward that you normally do, and make sure your playing buddies do as well.

Another piece of advice, look carefully at the starting sheet before booking your time. If it looks busy, choose the Castle Course instead or pick another day. Not even this course will be enjoyable for over five hours!

Played both courses a few times on a long golf weekend mid august, as a single figure handicapper i thought it was very good but spoiled by having to play the forward tees (6500yds) to placate the rest of my group (15-22 handicappers). Problem with not playing it off the 'normal' tees (at 7100yds) is that you take out much of the challenge of half the holes, ie. you have a tighter tee shot, which opens out, so it is much less intimidating. However it is still a great course that if you keep it straight will be very rewarding, you must play it twice to really apprecaite the lines and landing areas, it is very beautiful. The greens were quick but not too hilly, the condition was excellent all round, and the place itself is lovely. Some negatives however... firstly maybe it was the time of year, but wasps were a problem around the clubhouse, and halfway houses, making it almost impossible to eat or drink outside. With the damp weather flys were also very irritating on the course, so take some repellent! Second, they have 'halfway houses' that are located at the crossing points of 2-3 holes, and locals seem to stop and have a full course meal... meaning you get random stacks on some tee boxes as they resume the round... As people play of different tees, and there can be 100yds difference it can be slow, allow 5hrs minimum for a round if you are planning to get 36holes in a day, no matter how quick you play yourself.

Residing in Stocholm I have had the pleasure of playing Bro Hof 10-15 times per year since 2008 and it is without a doubt the best course in Sweden. Having played many top ranked courses in the US and continental Europe I can also say that it stacks up ro the best there as well. Of course, this is merely my opinion.

From the moment you arrive at Bro Hof Slott you know you are somewhere special. From the glistening lake Mälaren behind the Stadium course fairways to the white hilltop castle, the surroundings will take your breath away every time. The Stadium Course is a long and challenging lakeside course. From yellow tees the course sets up nicely for most golfers as long as the wind is not blowing too hard. The thick ruffs and elevated greens with runoffs will, however, punish errant drives and approach shots. Water comes in to play on most of the holes but the general open layout of the course still makes it quite friendly for the average golfer. But tee up from white (or black tees) and you are suddenly faced with a whole new set of challenges.

I would definately recommend a round on the Castle Course if you are visiting the club. It is very different in character but offers several spectacular holes and an overall experience which is perhaps better suited for the average golfer. The condition of both courses are superb, by any standards. Even in early May the fairways are in pristine condition. The greens often need another month to recover from the winter, but are generally also in very good condition already at the start of the season (typically first week in May). The clubhouse (castle from late 1800's) offers all the amenities one expects in a world-class facility: restaurant, club room, bar, large veranda, elegant dressing rooms, sauna, whirlpool, gym, etc. Everything built to highest standards. The Half-way house on the Stadium course also serves up exquisite "snacks" such as waffles with roe, as well as more traditional fare.

Now to the negatives. The course is a good 30-40 minute drive from the center of Stockholm so don't expect to get any business meetings in on the same day as you golf, unless you play a late afternoon round in the summer months. Play can be rather slow but several improvements have been made in 2011 to speed up play, but still expect 4:30-5 hour rounds at peak times as golfers seem to want to take their time enjoying the course. I have on several occassions had issues with the course workers as well (as others have commented below) but this has dissipated in the last few years, perhaps due to the maturing of the course but also probably as a result of new course management. Nonetheless, you are still likely to see a few groundskeepers around the course at certain times. Playing the Castle Course on a busy day you will also want to purchase drinks and snacks at the clubhouse as there is no on-course facility yet. There is a trolley that drives around but you are more likely to make a hole-in-one than to see it more than once on a busy day. Overall Bro Hof Slott GC is a fantastic golf destination and gives Sweden its first truly international golf facility. Hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

I feel sorry for the guy that commented on this article prior to me. I have never during the couple of times I´ve played there faced anywhere near that same problem and I´ve played there several times. Bro Hof Slott GC has become one of the reasons why I´ve been returning to Sweden during these couple of years. Bro Hof is most certainly one of the Best if not the Best course, in Sweden most definitely, if not in Europe as well! Bro Hof Slott, The Stadium Course has everything which I perceive as what a perfect golf experience consist of. I just know that the layout, condition, and environment surrounding the course is far more than brilliant. I would simply rate this golf course as a Hole-in-one if that would have been possible. The price for playing there is comparable to any top golf course in Europe, and with all premium and superior aspects surrounding the Bro Hof Slott Golf Course I can´t put a price on such an experience. If I could I would like to spend more hours on the course just to be able to grasp the extraordinary atmosphere surrounding Bro Hof Slott.

This course is fun and challenging and indeed created at a huge expense. I'm concerned with how things are managed there after my experience. We played mid-day on a beautiful Friday in July. It was a painfully slow round of about 5.5 hours much in part due to the fact that the course was full of maintenance people and greenkeepers everywhere that didn't seem to want to pay any attention to the golfers. On several greens we were waved on to hit our approach shots inbetween 3, 4 even 5 people that just kept standing there. Which is frankly ridiculous, especially at the cost of a round of golf there. Now I've played all over the world and have to say outside of the golf course this was the by far the worst golf experience you could possibly have. All of our foursome completely agrees with that and one was a member there. Very disappointing and I'd argue it's not worth the trip or the price. Wrote a letter to make them aware of this and the response was so ludicrous it would be worth publishing. It's unfortunately that a great course in the wrong hands can end up to be such a drama. I'm certain on a good day this would of been great but you can argue a course is only as good as it is at it's worst moment and the same goes for service. I certainly won't return.

Bro Hof has got to be one of the finest golf destinations on the planet. They have thrown so much money at the place and the result are excellent. From the clubhouse to the halfway hut, no expense has been spared. The most important part is ofcourse the golf, and this is truly magnificant. The course has been set up to hold large tournaments (it is rumoured that they want Ryder Cup 2018 there) and it shows. The greens are fast, and if you just miss them you will be rolling down the banking. The course is also very long, and you need to be accurate with all that water around (unless you have 4 buckets of balls in your bag). The only downside is the expense, as this place is not cheap to play. If your wallet can stretch to it though, it is definitely worth a visit. The other option is to practice alot and get into the Ryder Cup team for 2018, because with all the great Swedish golfers around at the moment, it is only a matter of time before the Cup goes there.

Topclass golf course. the first world class golf club in sweden. condition is outstanding and the clubhouse is top class. the restaurant is also run by one of stockholms best restaurants.worth every penny

A truly fantastic course! If you are to play any course in Stockholm this should be your first choice as there really is no other course to compete. The greens and fairways are in amazing condition, comparable to the best courses in Europe. The course is very well kept and the overall finish is excellent. You won’t be disappointed!