PGA of Sweden National (Links) - Sweden

I have had the "pleasure" of playing both courses twice over the past 5 years. In 2015 and in 2017 - both times with business partners from Denmark. Both times we were severely disappointed............ After the round in 2017; quick beers inside the clubhouse and goodbye.

We simply couldnt remember or recall 12-15 holes from the 18 we played on each occassion. Somehow, they managed to escape our memories - thats quite scary, when you think of it.

I cannot understand how anybody could rate this course to be inside the TOP 25 in Sweden.

Just a few kilometres down the road, you will find another golf club (no name mentioned here) with 2 excellent and charming golfcourses - much more our style in the future.

I didn’t get the chance to play the Lakes course at PGA Sweden National when I visited recently because it was closed for maintenance. No disrespect to the other layout, but I believe I managed to play the better of the two courses, even if current national ranking positions would suggest otherwise, and this layout proved to be the biggest surprise of a recent 9-course visit to the south of Sweden.

I don’t like the term inland links because there’s no such physical entity so to name this course “Links” when it lies more than ten miles from the sea might be regarded as something of a misnomer. Then again, when tees, fairways and greens are designed in a links style and grassed throughout in fescue to recreate the type of ground conditions found along the coast, then you’re onto a winner in my book.

There’s obviously been a fair amount of earth moved to shape the holes (and presumably the fairways were sand capped to help promote the firm and fast playing conditions) but the result is a remarkably natural looking layout that reminded me in places of Gullane No 1, such were the climbs and the drops in elevation between some of the holes.

Both the par three holes on the front nine are stunning: the 5th, a reverse Redan, plays to a shallow green that’s protected by bunkers to the front of the left to right tilting green whilst the 7th plunges sharply downhill to an outrageous Biarritz green – the architect’s favourite on the course – which is largely responsible for its strong stroke index 4 rating.

A creek crossing the fairways at the 8th, 9th, 11th, 13th and 18th affects either the drive, the second shot or the approach on these five holes. This type of hazard is often only used in a rather one dimensional manner to hamper the golfer immediately in front of the green so credit Kyle Phillips for incorporating this feature in such a creative fashion across several holes.

One small gripe about the conditioning in relation to the bunkers: I could be wrong, but they looked as though they were maintained by machine, which detracted from their presentation (and their playability) in my opinion. I always prefer to play from sand that has been tooth raked by hand, as opposed to being flat raked or machine smoothed. It’s a small detail, I know, but one that seems to matter more once you’ve been in a few traps – and still not reached the turn…

PGA Sweden National has a very corporate feel to it around the clubhouse and it’s a very contemporary facility that will not appeal to everybody, especially golfers who value older clubs with traditional clubhouses and long-established courses. If you can overcome such an aversion to golfing modernity then you’ll love this course as it’s as near to the real deal as you could hope for, without the seaside location, of course.

Jim McCann

We played both courses on one day, in a windy and rainy surrounding, but it was still a day well spend. nice range with proper balls, beatifull clubhouse with lots of old pictures. The links has some decent hills and in windy conditions this can make clubselection a challenge. The rough is not really tough yet so you can get away with some offline shots. The Lakes starts very similar but gradually more waters enters the picture, and you need to think more strategy. Nice finishing holes.

Played the Links first time last year and returned this year with some clients and stayed overnight at the club. On both occasions, I have been thoroughly impressed, not by the immaculate condition or the occasional signature hole; there are other places which score higher in those categories, both in Sweden and elsewhere. Instead, I see consistency and commitment to serious golf down to every detail. The course is a great attempt at creating an inland links: the grass is exclusively red fescue, which makes the tall, wispy rough very kind on the eye and the errant drive (mostly) easy to find, but still creates the classic half-shot penalty. The greens are true, if not always lightning fast, for which you are grateful when you try to stop the ball on the short par three hole no 5. Otherwise, I have two favourite holes, both par fives: the second, which seems to continue all the way up into the sky and the fifteenth, towards the clubhouse, which in calmer or helping wind conditions is reachable in two, but with a daunting dip just in front of the green, which makes sure the approach has to be perfectly judged. We were also allowed out on the nine holes of the Lakes Course that were open, and they were absolutely stunning. Do not try to play it from back in a wind, like we did! Finally, if you are open to some new ideas on your short game, try a lesson with John Grant, the Scottish expat pro, he really makes you sit up and listen.