Sarfvik (New)

The golf course architect Jan Sederholm has designed many fine Scandinavian courses, including Himmerland in Denmark, Larvik in Norway and Haninge in his native Sweden. He’s also responsible for two fine Helsinki golf complexes – Espoo and Sarfvik – that sit very close to each other on the southeast perimeter of the Finnish capital city.

Espoo is an 18-hole course laid out in 1977 and Sarfvik is an exclusive 36-hole facility where the Old course opened in 1984 and the New was completed seven years later in 1991. The Old course at Sarfvik is a relatively flat, open track extending to 6,260 yards off the back tees and it’s a good test for golfers of all abilities.

Sarfvik (New) is slightly longer, hillier and tighter than its older sibling though the greens are of an equally high quality. Fairways are flanked by mature trees which lend a tranquil ambience to the round and afford the golfer a feeling of complete isolation from the outside world.

Water features at several holes on the New course, the best of which are par threes on the front and back nine. The 150-yard 5th is played across a small pond to a green surrounded by bunkers and the 191-yard 18th is a real fun way to end a round with the green sited over a hundred feet below the level of the tee. A bunker guards the putting surface front left and a pond protects the right flank so no easy short hole here to end the round!