Lakeside (Pirunpelto)

The Lakeside Golf facility in western Finland boasts 36 holes comprising of two contrasting 18-hole layouts, the best of which is the new course, named Pirunpelto, Devil’s Field. That’s not to say the older Järvenranta course should be easily dismisssed as it’s a fine 18-hole layout with the front nine holes set around the shores of Lake Riippilänjärvi.

Opened in 2005, Pirunpelto was carved through the dense woodland that lies immediately to the west of the club’s original lakeside location. Apart from the more open closing holes on both the returning front and back nines, the fairways are tree-lined, with the small Sorvijärvi forest lake coming into play on the right side of the 12th, 14th and 16th.

Highlight holes include the short par four 5th (where an exposed rock formation cuts across the fairway in front of the green); the tough par four 11th (which narrows considerably as the fairway approaches the bunkerless green); and the final par five on the scorecard at the 496-metre 16th, with the very tight fairway swinging right past a small lake to the green.