Trysil

Trysil is one of Norway’s major ski resorts and the Trysil Mountain rises to 1,100 metres with 66 exciting ski runs to choose from. In the summer you can go trekking on the mountain, do some fishing in the Trysil River, or play golf at the splendid course located at the foot of the mountain.

The course at Trysil Golf Club opened in 2003 and was designed by Jeremy Turner, who has a number of excellent courses to his name in the Nordic countries, including the top ranked tracks at Nøttery and Moss & Rygge. The club refers to their course as a mountain/forest layout, but it’s not too hilly, in fact it's actually a pleasant walk with a few ups and downs to make life interesting. The course consists of two loops and the front nine is longer, more open and the back shorter and tighter but each nine has a sequence of particularly strong holes.

On the front the 2nd through to the 7th should challenge any player. The 2nd being a medium par four at 350 metres from the club tees, however the uphill tee shot makes the hole feel longer and there is a small brook crossing the fairway at 220 metres to challenge the longer hitters. The approach shot is to a long and subtle green with the putting surface guarded to the right by a few majestic firs. The 4th is a scenic, downhill par three, so take a breather and enjoy the view while contemplating your club selection. The short, downhill par four 6th looks easy on the card at only 290 metres, but the fairway is sloping and well bunkered and the approach is uphill to a semi-blind green. The 7th the longest par five on the course that becomes more and more difficult as you progress. The tee shot is elevated to a fairly wide fairway and the second shot is a challenge as there is a slight double-dogleg to the hole. The approach is to an elevated, small, sloping green surrounded by trouble.

The back nine starts with an ingenious short par four with a slight dogleg left and a split fairway at 200 metres where the hole drops down towards the green. The 12th is another of those tricky short par fours, this time a downhill teeshot to a slight dogleg right. Avoid the central water feature directly at 210 metres and you’ll be left with an uphill approach to keep you guessing. Now it's time to loosen up a bit before the challenge of the 13th. If you’ve perused the scorecard you’ll have noted a short par five at only 430 metres and also it’s severely downhill. However, try too hard and you will discover that this is indeed a well-defended hole. Again there’s a brook, this time at 260 metres and the fairway is particularly narrow. With a well-positioned tee shot you will be challenged by a blind, downhill second shot to the still narrow and very lumpy fairway. The approach is also downhill, so you don’t want to be long. The 17th is a fine par three that can make or break the match. The hole is medium long with a small pond to the left of the line of play. The pond is not really in play, but few golfers will remain unaffected by the watery threat. Aim left of the deep greenside bunker and go for a safe par.

Trysil is way off the beaten track, but it’s certainly worth the trip if you fancy playing a course that challenges your creativity. Jan Nordstrom