Esbjerg (Marbæk)

On the edge of the Marbaek Forest, amongst stands of pine, spruce and larch lies the 42-hole Esbjerg Golf Club and one of Scandinavia’s best courses is the Marbaek. The North Sea port of Esbjerg isn't a natural tourist spot, serving mainly the offshore oil and gas industry, but if you love your golf then you really should make the effort to play at Esbjerg Golfklub, where the fairways are sympathetically laid out within a national park.

Frederik Dreyer designed the Marbaek in 1975 and the same architect returned to fashion another nine in 1993. A further nine was appended fourteen years later to form the 18-hole Myrtue layout. There's also a charming little 6-hole par three course to help hone your short game. From the tips, the Marbaek is a formidable challenge, stretching out over 6,357 metres, and with par set at 71 you will need to hit a long and straight ball to score well from these tees.

There's only one small water hazard to fear at Esbjerg, situated in front of the green on the par five 4th, but when the wind blows from the direction of the North Sea, hold on to your hat and keep a look out for the clever bunkering that waits to catch the errant shot. Esbjerg is a largely flat but memorable course that despite its topography is reminiscent of the Scottish Highlands in many ways.

The club has hosted a number of big professional and amateur golf tournaments in the new millennium, including European Challenge Tour events in 2004/5, the European Girls' Team Championship in 2006 and the European Amateur Championship in 2008. Architect Philip Spogard has consulted at Esbjerg in recent years, with a view to the Marbaek course being upgraded in preparation for the hosting of an event on the ECCO Tour, Denmark's professional circuit, in 2018.