Superior

Kharkov is Ukraine’s second-largest city, situated 300 miles east of Kiev in the north east corner of the country. With a population of around one and a half million people, it’s a major industrial powerhouse that promotes a wide range of economic enterprises, including machine-building, electro-technology and instrument-making.

Supporting these industries, a number of educational establishments have sprung up around the city centre and one of these is the Kharkov Institute of Physics and Technologies, located immediately next door to where the Superior Golf & Spa Resort has now been constructed.

The golf and leisure facility opened with an initial 9-hole layout in 2007, fashioned by American shaper Brian Smith and Russian Alexander Stepanov. Australian Course Superintendent Andrew Glen then joined the team and he oversaw the creation of the second nine, which opened for play in 2012.

A year later, the newly expanded 18-hole layout – which features an island green at the par three 2nd hole – played host to the Karkhov Superior Cup on the European Challenge Tour and Dutchman Daan Huizing won this inaugural event by a two stroke winning margin after posting an aggregate total of fifteen under par.

Amassing such a score on this tough track is quite an incredible feat when you consider the slope rating over 6,303 metres from the black back markers is 153. Non professional golfers, even low handicap players, are advised to choose their tee position very carefully as even the second shortest blue tees at 5,289 metres attract a slope rating of 142!