Cihelny

Golf Resort Cihelny (formerly known as Astoria Golf Resort) is one of a new wave of Czech Republic golf facilities that opened for business at the start of the new millennium. In addition to its 5,782-metre, par 70, 18-hole golf course, the resort also boasts a golf academy, short game course, driving range and practice putting green, in addition to a 64-bed hotel (the Royal Golf Hotel) located a pitching wedge distance from the 1st tee.

The Gary Player Design company was responsible for the layout at Cihelny and, despite having over one hundred course designs to its credit worldwide, this is one of only five courses that it's worked on in Central or Eastern Europe – the others being located in Poland and Bulgaria.

Set in western Bohemia, in the beautiful Slavkovsky forest, near Karlovy Vary, the Cihelny course is laid out on the flood plain of the River Teplá with holes 1 to 5 plus the 18th located higher up the side of the valley and the remaining holes routed along the banks of the meandering river.

The pick of the front nine is the second of the three short holes on the outward half, the drop shot 106-metre 5th hole ("Gary's Signature"). Three of the remaining par fours after this are good, old-fashioned short holes – each less than 300 metres in length – and at two of them, the doglegged 9th ("Eagle Challenge") and 12th ("Water Hazard"), bogies are as likely to be made as birdies.