Eichenheim

When Kyle Phillips is involved in the design of a course, everyone expects something special. After all, this is the man who created the mighty Kingsbarns in Scotland. What could he do in the delightful picturesque Austrian surrounds between Kitzbühel and Aurach? Well, the answer is simple: he's designed yet another amazing course, where each hole is a unique and often breathtaking experience.

Eichenheim is the newest course in the state of Tirol. It opened for play in 2000. The area around the renowned mountain village of Kitzbühel has become as popular for golf in the summer as it is for skiing in the winter. The layout wends its way though the most incredible Alpine terrain with the Wilde Kaiser mountain range providing a dominant background and deep canyons and lush deciduous forests providing focus for the foreground. It's quite a scene.

The course blends seamlessly into this overwhelming panorama, totally in keeping with Kyle Phillips' design philosophy, which stems from the belief that golf courses should have their own character and personality derived from the site's existing natural features. The only drawback in this big landscape here at Eichenheim, is that distances are hard to judge, so we recommend a course planner for first time players.

Many of the tee shots are played from elevated tees, which provide a clear view of the daunting prospect at hand. This is particularly noticeable on the par threes, where many of the tee shots must be struck high in the air to find the green sited far below. A notable exception is the 6th hole where a towering shot is required to find the blind green that's set high above the tee.

Eichenheim is not a long course, measuring 6,057 metres from the tips, but it's certainly challenging and was well received by the pros when they hosted the Austrian Masters here in 2001.