Schloss Frauenthal

When Dr. Georg Breisach (a pediatrician who was also a top Austrian amateur tennis player in his youth) decided that his shoulder condition did not allow him to play competitive tennis any more, he decided to turn to golf.

As there were no golf courses in the area where he lived, south of Graz in south-eastern Austria’s Styria region, he decided to build himself one. He picked the grounds of the Frauenthal castle (built originally at the beginning of the 16th century), where a cousin of the Lichtenstein ruling family resided, and started on his project in 1988 with the help of golf architect Michael Pinner.

The first nine holes and a driving range opened a year later and the course reached its present 18-hole layout in 1999. Thirty plus years after the first breaking of ground, the club has a robust membership.

There are only around a dozen bunkers in play at Schloss Frauenthal, but water hazards appear on most of the holes between the 1st and 11th. Feature holes include the two toughest on the parkland property, the long par four 7th and the left doglegging par five 10th.

In the hillier, densely forested section of the course, the 15th is a truly spectacular hole, veering sharply right and down from tee to green. Of course, the par three 11th (with its island green) will always win the vote for “signature hole” on the card.

In recent years Schloss Frauenthal has hosted the International Austrian Couples Championship, which attracts more and more married couples from Austria and neighbouring countries for the enjoyment of playing at this location… not to mention the culinary delights of the region.