Stiklestad

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

Further golf resorts in North, Central and Southeast Europe When we embarked on our resort golf write ups fifteen months ago, the original intent was to cover all the usual sun-kissed suspects such as Portugal and Spain then maybe France and Italy. Well, we’ve written about all of those places but we then decided to venture a little further afield to even hotter spots like Cyprus, Morocco, Tunisia and Turkey. Back in mainland Europe, we’ve also reported on resorts in the likes of the Nordic nations and Germany. Now, with the 20th edition of this resort golf feature, we’re concluding with a round-up across nine different countries in North, Central and Southeast Europe, starting off in Norway then working our way south to end up in Bulgaria. Norway – Losby Located 20 kilometres east of Oslo city centre, Losby Golfklubb lies on the edge of a densely forested area, with the Østmork 18-hole course the championship layout at an impressive 27-hole facility. Designed by Swedish architect Peter Nordwall in the late 1990s, the course hosted the third edition of the short-lived SAS Masters tournament on the Ladies European Tour in 2007, with home favourite Suzann Pederson winning by nine shots from nearest competitor Nikki Garrett. The on-site Losby Gods hotel has 70 guest rooms, comprising 45 standard rooms (30 with a double bed and 15 with two single beds), 20 deluxe rooms (with balcony views), four suites on two levels and the special Haakon Suite which is the only room in the old part of the original hotel dating back to 1850. Traditional Nordic cuisine is served in a restaurant that’s divided into four separate dining areas, each of which is decorated in a manor house style. Sweden – Barsebäck A 6-hour drive south of Oslo will bring you to Barsebäck Golf Resort on the southwest coast of Sweden, featuring two 18-hole layouts: the Ocean course (formerly called Masters) and the Pine (previously named Donald Steel). The club has hosted many top amateur and professional competitions in the modern era, with the pick of these probably the Solheim Cup matches for Team Europe against the United States in 2003, when Swede Catrin Nilsmark led the home side to a 17½-10½ victory against their transatlantic opponents. The recently renovated hotel at Barsebäck offers 18 standard double rooms on the first floor and 18 deluxe double rooms on the second floor. All of these air-conditioned rooms are furnished with a comfortable seating area for relaxation and a work area with a desk. There are also a number of 2-bedroom villas available which have a kitchen, dining room and separate living area. Denmark – HimmerLand The HimmerLand resort is positioned 470 kilometres northwest of Barsebäck, near the city of Aalborg on Denmark’s Jutland peninsula. The Old course opened in the late 1970s, with the New course arriving in the early 1990s. Redesigned by Philip Christian Spogárd and Michiel Van Der Vaart a decade ago, the New course has staged seven of the eight editions of the DP World Tour’s Made in Himmerland tournament since it was introduced on the men’s professional circuit in 2014. In 2020, the previously named Himmerland Golf & Spa Resort changed its name to HimmerLand and it expanded its activity options by opening a sports hall to offer guests tennis, football, bowling and padel facilities. A new spa area was also opened and a hotel wing was brought into operation, bringing the total number of guest rooms up to 86. Poland – Modry Las Modry Las Golf Resort is situated in northwest Poland and this 27-hole facility also now carries the prestigious PGA National Poland designation. Designed by Gary Player, the main 18-hole Modry Las course is laid out next to Raduń Lake, with the opening three holes and the 18th hole routed beside the lake shores. Be sure to also play the lovely 9-hole Orli Las short course when you visit here. The accommodation options at Modry Las include eleven double rooms in the new clubhouse (inaugurated in the summer of 2020), together with six 1-bedroom Garden Suites and three Woodland Cottages (each with two double bedrooms) which nestle in woodland between the par four 8th and par five 16th holes. Additional cottages are currently being built. Czech Republic – Panorama A 6-hour drive south from Modry Las takes you to another 27-hole complex at the Panorama Golf Resort near the small market town of Kácov in the Czech Republic, where three 9-hole circuits (Meadow, Forest and River) are set out on a rather hilly property overlooking the Sázava River. There are ten double rooms and four suites in the upper level of the clubhouse and next to this building there are bungalows which offer twelve double rooms and six suites. All rooms come with an outside terrace overlooking the course. The wellness centre has an indoor pool and whirlpool, sauna and steam bath, while the Panorama Restaurant serves Czech cuisine with a modern touch. Slovakia – Tále (Gray Bear) The 27-hole operation at Tále Ski, Golf & Hotel Resort is located in the Low Tetras National Park (a good 2½-hour drive northeast of Bratislava) with an 18-hole championship-standard course called Gray Bear and a 9-hole bi-directional layout named Little Bear. Opened for business in 2002, the golf centre was literally carved out of dense woodland in a mountain valley by American architects Bob Walton and Skip Malek. The 3-star Stupka Hotel extends to 41 guest rooms. comprising apartments, twin rooms, deluxe double rooms, suites and a presidential apartment. The spa and wellness centre includes a saltwater pool, Finnish sauna, two steam saunas and a hot tub. The Koliba Stupka restaurant sits up to 100 people and serves chicken, pork ribs and other typical Slovak dishes grilled in a traditional style on charcoal. Hungary – Old Lake Continuing south towards Budapest, the Old Lake Golf Club & Hotel sits less than an hour’s drive outside the capital, within the former hunting grounds of the noble Eszterházy family. Launched in the late 1990s, this 18-hole layout has hosted several international ladies and senior tournaments under the auspices of the European Senior Golf Association, the European Golf Association and the Ladies European Tour. The 4-star on-site hotel at Old Lake boasts thirty-four air-conditioned guest rooms (29 standard, 5 suites) and the Esterházy Restaurant serves both Hungarian and international food. The Bowling Bar is a great place for groups with a two-lane bowling alley, dart board and billiards table for relaxation. The wellness centre features a jacuzzi, Finnish sauna, steam cabin, fitness room and a couple of massage rooms. Slovenia – Grad Otočec Continue 500 kilometres southwest from Budapest and you’ll arrive at Golf Grad Otočec, which lies halfway between the Slovenian capital Ljubljana and Zagreb in neighbouring Croatia. Howard Swan was the architect behind this project, working with a local student architect, and they set out the course across a hilly, heavily forested landscape above the Krka River. Positioned on an island in the river, 1½ kilometres from the golf club, the 5-star Otočec Castle Hotel has 16 guest rooms available for visiting golfers, consisting of ten double rooms and six suites. The Castle Restaurant is a member of the renowned Chaîne des Rôtisseurs gastronomy association and guests can also enjoy the extensive spa facilities in the nearby 4-star Hotel Šport (which has another 88 rooms). Bulgaria – Pirin Our final destination lies a thousand kilometres to the southeast of Slovenia near the ski resort of Bansko in Bulgaria at Pirin Golf & Country Club. Designed by Gary Johnston of European Golf Design, in conjunction with Ian Woosnam, the main 18-hole layout is laid out around several lakes and a mountain creek which winds its way through the property. Built by the Balkanstoy construction company, it’s a sister course to Lighthouse on the Black Sea. The 5-star Pirin Golf Hotel and Spa contains 62 guest rooms and 9 suites and the apartment complex (spread out over five districts) provides many more one-, two- and three-bedroom self-catering options, along with three luxury chalets for large groups. There are eight restaurants offering a wide choice of cuisine – everything from local dishes to Asian food. The wellness centre has seven pools, thermal and therapeutic zones plus treatment and massage areas. 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