Velden-Köstenberg - Austria

Velden (pronounced Felden) is a delightful and peaceful Austrian town lying to the southeast of lake Wörthersee. This is a region renowned for golf and, of course, water sports. Velden Wörthersee Golf Club is located only a few miles outside of the town and many consider it to be the most beautiful golf course in the region of Carinthia. The Alpine peaks of Petzen, Hochobir and Steiner dominate the views.

The prolific German architect Kurt Rossknecht, assisted by Hans Erhardt, laid down the course and it opened for play in 1988. Velden is laid out on three distinct levels and, consequently, it plays across undulating and sometimes hilly ground. The elevation changes are actually quite pronounced, with a difference of about 200 feet between the three levels.

There are five separate teeing areas to choose from, which stretch the course from 6,081 metres from the back tees to 4,995 metres from the front. It's great to see that the club provides two separate teeing areas for the ladies. Perhaps this was something to do with Australian Helen Hopkins, who was the club's head professional? Continuing the trend, Jennie Dunn, Germany's youngest ever female head pro, became Velden's Head Professional in 2014.

Bunker positioning is pronounced at Velden, especially around the greens, making approach play especially important. The course has a number of fine holes and the par five 11th, measuring 504 metres, will challenge the longest hitters.

Clearly, if you plan to visit Austria in the winter, you'll need to bring your skis rather than your golf clubs. But in the summer, with a gentle breeze blowing, Velden Köstenberg is a glorious place for golf.