White Beach

Occupying a coastal property that extends to around 190 acres, the course at White Beach Golf is an early millennial design from Finnish architect Kosti Kuronen. With the golden sands of Valgeranna Beach less than half a kilometre away, you might think this layout would offer a golf game akin to an authentic links golf experience but you’d be wrong – more than half the holes on the card bring water into play.

Measuring 6,280 metres from the back tees, White Beach certainly packs a punch for those who choose to play here from the tips. But with relatively narrow fairways and water hazards lurking both off the tee and on the approach at many of the holes, the smart play is to maybe keep your driver in the bag and plot your way around the layout.

Holes are arranged as two returning nines and each circuit finishes on either side of a lake, with the greens for the 9th and 18th located next to each other close to the clubhouse. Some might call it a little predictable and unimaginative, but it’s a formula that’s worked all over the world for architects with bigger reputations (and budgets) so why reinvent the wheel?

Highlight holes include short par fours at the 3rd and 12th, along with the shortest of the four par threes at the 130-metre 13th in the northernmost corner of the property. The severely right doglegging 2nd is an interesting hole, as is the tough par four 17th, where most approach shots will be forced to carry water on their way to a peninsula green.