Founded in 1926, Feldafing is one of Germany’s oldest golf clubs and it's set most spectacularly in an estate that was formerly owned by King Maximilian II of Bavaria.
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Founded in 1926, Feldafing is one of Germany’s oldest golf clubs and it's set most spectacularly in an estate that was formerly owned by King Maximilian II of Bavaria.
A few classic English parkland courses are actually set in a real park, and some of the best, such as Stoke Park, are as much a Harry Colt course as they are a Lancelot "Capability" Brown landscape. Interestingly, Colt's very first German acolyte (Bernhard von Limburger) and Capability Brown's foremost German follower (Peter Joseph Lenné) came together in Feldafing – like their forebears in different centuries. The Lenné Park in Feldafing was created in the 1850s as a Royal retreat for Bavarian King Maximilian II, who also got as far as building the foundations of a castle, which today lie buried under the 11th tee. Maximilian's son (the famous "fairytale King" Ludwig II) had other plans though, he ventured further into the mountains to build the unfathomable Castle Neuschwanstein. The only time he came back to the shores of Lake Starnberg was to either drown or be shot while boarding a boat, depending on which theory you believe.
And so the Lenné Park in Feldafing fell into disrepair until 1927, when Bernhard von Limburger stepped in to create nine golf holes, thereby putting about half of the park back in play. The other half followed in 1962, when Limmy returned for the second nine. Subsequent restoration efforts by the State of Bavaria have resulted in today's dual utilisation as a golf course and a public park. This is probably a mixed blessing for both sides – the club cannot manage the trees, which are protected by severe state laws. And the public must be careful where to step, lest some unwitting player swings away when he really shouldn't. On the other hand the golfers have become part of the park's lore and done their part to keep it open.
The seniority of Feldafing's arboreal inventory is thus undeniable, as is its effect on the golf: tightness and wet soil on one side, aesthetics fit for a King on the other. Much of the tightness appears in the first few holes, with the par three second probably taking the cake – the one redeeming factor are the views of Lake Starnberg shimmering through the foliage. So there is no period of adjustment or easing in to the peculiarities of the game played here. Feldafing is not a course to be attacked and the whole challenge is best described as tricky and strategic. As the round progresses the fairways do get a bit wider, but not necessarily any easier to negotiate as they wind up and down and across the slopes leading down to the lakeshore.
Overall, there is absolutely nothing wrong with the golf architecture: the routing is exquisite and every hole has its own character. While there are no obvious standouts, there's also no filler material – a very rare condition on tree-lined courses, where all too often one fairway looks like the next. And while longer hitters may have less of an advantage here, there are plenty of opportunities for driver play, especially on the more open back nine. Add to that a very Colt-like collection of one-shot holes requiring thought and precision and you'll end up with a course to be savoured by discerning players.
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