Oslo Golf Club

Top 100 Golf Courses of Continental Europe 2014 Our latest Continental European golf course rankings are unveiled 6th January 2014 We now have two hundred and forty-six golf courses on our ever-growing shortlist vying for a position within the Continental European Top 100. Once again it was a tough and time consuming job to assemble the list, as more golf courses required deeper consideration. The viability of this ranking list is under question because of the challenges faced when trying to compare golfing across a continent that includes so many different countries and languages. Our many contributors that reach across Europe are invaluable and we are continuing to fine-tune the multiple country rankings that make up the vast continent of Europe. If you are planning to visit any country and want to play the best golf courses on offer, we suggest you take a long look at our individual country rankings, which in some cases are broken down further by regions. Golf courses from nineteen Continental European countries (up three from 2012) made the list and for the first time we have a course from Estonia and Slovakia in the hundred. Andy, our Marketing Director, visited both these Eastern European countries in 2012 and 2013 and was very impressed with the Estonian Golf & Country Club and the Penati Golf Resort, both of which appear for the first time in our latest hundred. A Greek course also makes its debut, so we welcome the Dunes course at Costa Navarino. Much to the delight of Jan Nordstrom, our Norway and Sweden Correspondent, two Norwegian courses enter our European rankings. Jan has now played every 18-hole course in Norway and if you missed our feature on Jan’s achievement, click here. Miklagard returns to the list after narrowly missing out last time, while Oslo appears in the hundred for the first time following the settling in of Steve Forrest’s $10m renovation at Norway’s oldest golf club. In the Low Countries, there’s a return to the table for two Hawtree-designed Belgian courses of Limburg and Royal Waterloo. For the Netherlands, Hilversumsche reappears after the club was subjected to wanton vandalism when fools dug up four greens the night before the start of the 2011 Dutch Open. Nineteen French courses dominate the European Top 100 and there’s a return for Tom Simpson’s hybrid-links at Chiberta, while Les Aisses makes its first appearance following a recent and extensive Hawtree redevelopment that harks back to the Golden Age. The Sir Nick Faldo-designed courses in Cyprus (Elea Golf Club) and Turkey (Cornelia Resort) cement their positions in the hundred, while his course at Amendoeira in Portugal breaks into the chart for the first time, joining the high-flying Faldo design at Sporting Club Berlin. Spain and Portugal are still the primary destinations for those seeking warm climate golf. Spain is the original holiday destination for winter-weary Europeans and the southern Costas are still perennially popular. However, as we reported in 2012, those in search of the best that Spain can offer should head to Barcelona and the Costa Brava region because the Stadium course at PGA de Catalunya retains its narrow advantage over Valderrama. Finca Cortesin and Son Gual both make significant upward moves and we see a return to the list for the Negro course at Club De Campo Villa de Madrid. Portugal’s Monte Rei remains ahead of Oitavos Dunes, with both holding steady in the rankings, whereas Furnas pushes onwards and upwards. One reviewer reckons that if you play the Furnas golf course and do nothing else, it’s still worth the trip to the Azorean island of San Miguel. Five new German courses entered our 2012 table, but six German courses leave our 2014 European rankings. We have a much better understanding of German golf, thanks in no small part to our new correspondent, Ulrich Mayring. Thanks to his input, our German shortlist has now expanded to 120 courses and there's more to come. Keep an eye open for Ulrich’s German Top 30 release, which we’ll publish soon. We’ve completely overhauled our German rankings, although we still have a long way to go before completing the job. One new German re-entry for 2014 is St Dionys, which is one of Germany’s rare heathland courses and Winston (Links) debuts at a lofty 64th position. There are a few Italian changes, most notably the re-entry of Torino (Blue), which narrowly missed out last time but comfortably made the hundred this year. The Kyle Phillips-designed East and West courses at Sir Rocco Forte’s Verdura Resort switch places. There may be room for both courses in future European hundreds as each are absorbing layouts. Next time perhaps? We have already mentioned Norway, but all the Nordic countries continue to provide outstanding golfing facilities. Sweden has more golf courses than Denmark, Finland and Norway put together, so it’s no surprise to find ten Swedish tracks in the Euro hundred. Having said that, Denmark, Finland and Norway can now boast nine European Top 100 places for 2014. The New course at The Scandinavian Golf Club is our highest new entry, straight in at 57. Bulgaria’s Thracian Cliffs, located on the northern Black Sea Coast, underlines its position in the European table and there’s a return to the rankings at position 100 for Geneva Golf Club. If you have any thoughts or comments on our latest 2014 Continental European Top 100, we always welcome feedback, so please feel free to let us know what you think. If you’ve played any of our featured European courses, we’d love to read about your experiences, so why not post a course review or two? Keith Baxter Editor-in-Chief www.top100golfcourses.com Click the link to see the latest Continental European Top 100 in detail. Breakdown of courses by country: Austria 2, Belgium 4, Bulgaria 1, Cyprus 1, Denmark 5, Estonia 1, Finland 2, France 19, Germany 5, Greece 1, Italy 7, Netherlands 7, Norway 2, Portugal 11, Slovakia 1, Spain 15, Sweden 10, Switzerland 2, Turkey 4. For those interested, the twenty-one courses that made way for the new are: Royal Fagnes, Seddiner See (South), Verdura (West), The Dutch, Gut Larchenhof (Jack Nicklaus), Frankfurter, Koln (Refrath), Barbaroux, Quinta de Cima, Pevero, Zur Vahr Bremen (Garlstedter Heide), Gut Altentann, Royal Antwerp, Sporting Club Berlin (Palmer), Sueno (Pines), Schloss Schonborn, Abama, Emporda (Links), Moliets, Keilir, Kytäjä G.C. (North West).

In this episode of 'Top100 Clubhouse' James is joined by Frode Hov, the driving force behind the sensational Lofoten Links in Norway. They discuss what makes Lofoten such a special place, and why it's a must visit for any golf course lover! Next, James chats to Swedish pro golfer Per G. Nyman about his time competing on the European Tour and Challenge Tour, and and how he then made the move from pro golf to golf course management, he's currenting managing Växjö Golf Club in Sweden. Previous Episode - Don't Miss Out! In the previous episode of 'The Clubhouse' James is joined by a Scottish golf architecture legend; David McLay Kidd. The Glasgow-born Kidd founded DMK Golf Design in 2000, and ultimately went on to design incredible (but sometimes divisive) courses such as Bandon Dunes, St. Andrews (Castle) & Gamble Sands in Washington State. In this interview James talks to him about his life in golf, and how he approaches/thinks about course design. What Are The Top 100 Clubhouse Podcasts About? Top 100 Clubhouse is the ultimate podcast for golf enthusiasts! Join us as we delve deep into the minds of fascinating individuals from every corner of the golfing world. From players to course designers, caddies to golf historians, we'll leave no stone unturned in our quest to share unique insights and experiences with the Top100 Community. Together we'll explore the stunning courses and breathtaking landscapes, enjoying the unforgettable stories that bring the game of golf to life. How Do I Listen To The Latest Top 100 Clubhouse Podcast? You can download and listen on the following links. Listen now, wherever you download your podcast! Apple Podcasts Spotify Google Podcast  Podtail We Need Your Feedback? The Next Podcast Interview? Top 100 members can share their views on who should join the next Top 100 Clubhouse podcast show? If you have an idea who you would like to hear, why not drop our Top 100 Clubhouse host James Henderson an email on james@top100golfcourses.com Happy Listening!

Producing a Top 100 chart for Europe isn’t easy as there aren’t many golfers with a broad enough range of playing experience across all the countries. Still, we’ve managed to find a select group of well-travelled panellists who have assisted with this chart and we’re grateful for their input. Normally, we produce these continental listings at the start of a ranking cycle then work our way through the constituent countries. This time, we began with the Nordic countries last year then – after something of a hiatus in the second half of 2022 – we eventually worked through the remaining nations until all were refreshed. Doing things that way made it a good bit trickier to assemble the top-level chart now (as recently revised country positions must remain intact within the pan-national framework) but we think we’ve produced a cohesive ranking list that stands up well against those that have gone before in previous iterations. So, in our new-look European Top 100, twelve courses remain in the same position, twenty-nine move up, forty-two drop down and seventeen make their first appearance in the standings. We’ll now concentrate our overview on most of the big upward movers, along with our highest new entry which arrives comfortably inside the Top 10. Morfontaine But first, we introduce the course which has held the coveted European #1 slot since 2012, the Grand Parcours 18-hole layout at Golf de Morfontaine in France. Golf was first played here in 1913 but it was Tom Simpson’s late 1920s remodelling of the layout that brought the course to prominence. Relatively recent Kyle Phillips improvements have ensured the course keeps pace with modern technology, at the same time retaining much of the original design intent. This 5.5-ball review was posted a few months ago: “Played this course last year around September. Amazing course. Every hole is beautiful. We were all alone with our 4-ball and a caddy. They were blowing away the leaves in front of us, just as if it was just for us. Perfect conditions. We played the championship course in the morning and the [9-hole] Vallière in the afternoon. An amazing experience.” Lofoten Links The remote course at Lofoten Links in Norway was listed just inside the top half of the table last time around in 2020 but it now makes a prodigious 43-place leap up the listings to the #4 position – which is not that surprising when you consider it was a new entry in our World Top 100 when it was refreshed last year. Designed by Jeremy Turner, this 18-hole layout in the Arctic Circle enjoys one of the most stunning locations imaginable. Les Bordes Entering the standings for the first time, the New course at Les Bordes Golf Club in France is our highest new entry at #6. Laid out by Gil Hanse on the site of a former 36-hole set-up close to Robert von Hagge’s Old course, the New is a heathland-style track featuring expansive waste areas, formidable bunkers and captivating green complexes, with great emphasis placed on the ground game in a firm and fast playing environment. Visby A few folk probably raised an eyebrow when we published our Swedish Top 100 last year as the 18-hole layout (called “The One”) at Visby Golfklubb on the island of Gotland took over the #1 position from the Stadium course at Bro Hof Slott. It now rises twenty-nine places to #17 in our continental standings, improving on the #25 position it held in 2014. Pierre Fulke and Adam Mednick deserve great credit for the remodelling work caried out at the club. Royal Antwerp The Tom Simpson course at Royal Antwerp Golf Club in Belgium climbs nineteen spots to #22 in the new chart. It’s hard to imagine this place fell from our European Top 100 in 2014 and only reappeared when we last reappraised the standings three years ago – all credit to the club for its willingness to restore the layout to its original design objectives, removing a vast number of trees to greatly improve the overall agronomy on the property. Palmares The Praia and Lagos nines at Palmares Ocean Living & Golf Resort in Portugal found favour with our Portuguese panel a few months back (rising two to #3 in the national chart) and it now makes substantial progress in the continental listings, moving up eleven places to #27. Situated on the Atlantic coast in the eastern half of The Algarve, the original 18-hole course was revamped into a 27-hole complex in 2010 by Robert Trent Jr. and the club has never looked back since.  Les Aisses The 18-hole Les Aisses course at Les Aisses Golf in the Sologne region of France jumps twenty-five places up to #31 in the chart. Hawtree Limited was engaged in 2010 to reimagine the original Olivier Brizon design, recreating an old-style layout in the spirit of the heathland tracks found in England around London. Woodland management, heather regeneration and remodelling of bunkers have all contributed to the new look here. Real Moraleja Real Club La Moraleja in Madrid owns the largest private golf facility in Europe, with four Jack Nicklaus-designed 18-hole golf courses operating across three locations around the Spanish capital. The club’s #3 course now advances fourteen places to #40 in our chart, with sand-capped fairways routed around four large lakes on a rather flat site where a fair amount of soil was shifted to create contouring during construction. Royal Limburg The course at Royal Limburg is another Belgian track that has dramatically turned its ranking fortunes around. Positioned at #33 in 2018, it plummeted inexplicably to #88 in 2020 but it’s now back with a bang, soaring 47 places up to #41. Designed by Fred Hawtree in the mid-1960s then subsequently altered by his son Martin, the course underwent a complete bunker renovation by architect (and club member) Bruno Steensels in 2018 – so it’s taken a full five-year period for that work to be fully appreciated now! Real Puerta de Hierro The Abajo course at Real Club de la Puerto de Hierro in Madrid (up fifteen to #48) has benefitted from the design talents of several top architects since 1912, starting out with Harry Colt and Tom Simpson in its formative years, followed by John Harris and Kyle Phillips in more modern times. Frank Pont consults currently as the club continues to revise and refine both the Abajo and its sister layout, the Arriba, at a wonderful 36-hole facility close to the city centre. Pärnu Bay The 18-hole layout at Pärnu Bay Golf Links in Estonia (up twenty-three to #52) is a Lassi Pekka Tilander design, shaped by Mick McShane, that first opened for play in 2015. Situated on a sandy coastal strip of land where the forest meets the sea at Pärnu Bay, the raised fairways weave around expansive sandy waste areas and small lagoons, leading to multi-tiered, sand-protected greens. Drought-tolerant fescue ensures firm and fast playing conditions all-year-round. Linna The top track in Finland is the course at Linna Golf (up fourteen to #65) which Tim Lobb designed when he worked with European Golf Design in the early years of the new millennium. Located halfway between Tampere and Helsinki, the course is routed through a pine and birch forest next to the famous Vanajan Linna Hotel, with views across Lake Katuma to the west of the property. Royal Bled The 18-hole King’s course at Royal Bled in Slovenia (up sixteen to #79) dates back to the late 1930s but it was largely abandoned until Donald Harradine redesigned the layout in 1972. Fast forward almost forty-five years and the club commissioned Swan Golf Designs to reconstruct tees, green and bunkers, install new irrigation and introduce new water features on the back nine. It’s pleasing now to see this extensive upgrade receive the recognition it fully deserves. Olgiata Located half an hour’s drive northwest of Rome city centre, the 18-hole West course at Olgiata Golf Club in Italy (up eleven to #87) is a 1960s Cotton & Pennink parkland track that Jim Fazio renovated in 2010. The club has hosted the World Cup twice (in 1968 and 1984) and staged three Italian Opens, the last of which was in 2019 when Austrian Bernd Wiesberger won the event by one stroke from Matt Fitzpatrick. To view the entire detailed list of our latest Top 100 Golf Courses of Continental Europe click the link. View list here. If you have any comment to make on the above article then please use the “WRITE A RESPONSE” link at the bottom of this page. Jim McCann Editor Top 100 Golf Courses