Espoo - Finland

The 18-hole parkland course at Espoo Golf Club, or Espoon Golfseura as it is known in Finland, lies a few miles west of the town from which it takes its name. Designed by Jan Sederholm and opened in 1982, the course is laid out over a wooded river valley with an out and back routing.

Water comes into play on several occasions (as you might imagine on a layout that closely follows the path of the river) and thankfully, the trees that bound the course on all sides are never too intrusive as most holes are actually very open. The only pity is the number of unsightly towers that transport power lines through the centre of the course.

The 425-yard par four 1st is the ideal hole to prepare you for what lies ahead at Espoo. Playing slightly downhill, the river crosses the fairway diagonally (180 yards from the tee on the left side of the fairway, 230 yards on the right side) and poses an immediate question – are you ready to play over the water or will you lay-up and play a longer approach? This question will be asked a number of times as the round progresses!

The last of the four par threes is played at the 12th hole, so be prepared for a stern examination over the closing six holes where only two are under 400 yards in length and the final hole, like the first, has the river crossing the fairway around the tee shot landing area.

Between 2006 and 2007, Lassi Pekka Tilander redesigned Espoo’s green complexes after creating an improvement plan for the course.