Garmisch Partenkirchen

Despite its Oberland location and close proximity to the Alpspitze, Zugspitze and Waxenstein mountains, the 18-hole course at Golfclub Garmisch-Partenkirchen is a mildly undulating, surprisingly walkable Alpine layout extending to 6,156 metres from the tips.

The club is one of the oldest in Germany, dating back to the 1920s and its original course was a Bernhard von Limburger design. Sadly, World War II intervened and the club eventually moved to its current location in the early 1970s, with Donald Harradine setting out an initial 9-hole course that was subsequently expanded to eighteen holes in 1990.

Occupying a compact 115-acre site close to the Oberau ski resort, the course is laid out as two returning nines, with only one par three and one par five on the front nine and a back nine consisting of three par threes, three par fours and three par fives. Water hazards feature at two holes: a stream crosses the fairway twice on the par five 13th and a pond protects the front right of the green on the par three 16th.

Other holes of note include the right doglegging par four 4th (rated stroke index 1); the par three 8th (with the green protected by three front bunkers); the par four 14th (with fairway bunkers to the left and greenside bunkers on the right); and the par three closing hole which has a large, hourglass-shaped bunker guarding the front left of the home green.