Thorlakshofn - Iceland

Located a mere 30 minutes from the capital Reykjavík, Þorlákshöfn Golf Club (or Thorlakshofn for those who struggle with Icelandic characters) was founded in 1997, designed first as a 9-hole course by Hannes Thorsteinsson and then extended to 18 holes during the summer 2005, following plans drawn up by the same Icelandic architect.

The course lies along the shore on black sandy terrain and represents the best example of a links course in Iceland. The scenery is also breathtaking and the famous volcano Hekla is not far away.

At about 6,400 metres from the back tees, Þorlákshöfn represents a real challenge, especially when the wind is up which is quite common in this neck of the woods! Two of the par fives measure 600 metres and are true three shotters for everybody! The rough is deadly, made of sand, lava and gorse. Indeed, if you miss the fairway you’ll card an extra shot.

A two-phase renovation took place between 2004 and 2010, with Edwin Roald introducing four new holes to replace problematic coastal holes which were constantly being covered in sand from the beach. The new routing plays some 200 metres shorter than before, with the scorecard now featuring six par threes, two very short par fours and five par fives.