Ry Silkeborg - Denmark

Silkeborg Golf Club was founded in 1966 with an 18-hole golf course. In 2007, an additional nine holes were added but this extended layout wasn’t enough to satisfy demand so the club took over the operation of another 27-hole setup in 2014 outside the small town of Ry, 16 kilometres from the original club.

The club has since developed the course to a high standard with a layout that is fair and enjoyable for golfers of all abilities. Fairways and semi-rough areas have been significantly widened and the rough thinned out to make the course more playable. In addition, entrances to several greens were made bigger to allow easier access to the putting surfaces.

Don’t expect a friendly “handshake” opener though, as the 1st hole is a mighty 523-metre par five, rated stroke index 1. Beware the strong par four 5th also, with a pond in play on the inside of the dogleg as the fairway turns right towards the green – and there are similar water hazards to steer clear of on each of the following two holes.

The back nine also starts with a stout par five, measuring all of 521 metres from the back tees and rated stroke index 2. The short par four 15th hole offers a reasonable birdie opportunity, provided the sea of sand surrounding the green is avoided. Unusually, a round on the main 18 holes at Ry concludes with a long par three which plays to a large, lightly contoured home green.

The European Challenge Tour’s Made in Denmark tournament was hosted here in 2019, when Austria’s Bernd Weisberger held off a strong final round challenge from Scotland’s Robert McIntyre to win the event by a single shot.