Tawast

The 18-hole woodland course at Tawast Golf & Country Club is set about an hour’s drive to the north of Helsinki and was designed by architect Reijo Hillberg, who also fashioned the Seaside course at Pickala.

Situated within a 140-acre property on the northeast shores of Lake Katumajärvi, the course extends to 6,134 metres from the back tees with par set at 72 and holes are arranged as returning nines.

The lake never comes into play as such but several greens are located close to the water’s edge: at the par three 7th and par four 8th on the front nine then both par fours at the 15th and 17th on the back nine.

The 346-metre 17th is undoubtedly the “signature hole” on the scorecard – unusually, there’s an Iron Age burial mound on the fairway from which golf balls must be lifted and played from the nearest point of relief.

Tee shots are played through a chute of trees at this hole to a fairway that turns right, with water on the inside of the dogleg. There’s a little island of fairway in front of the green with more water lurking to the left of this second landing area – no wonder the hole’s rated stroke index 1.