Exciting times for golf in the Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is the last of the four Central European nations in the Visegrád Group that we've visited in the last couple of years. We went to Hungary and Slovakia in the summer of 2017 and last year we were in the north of Poland on a fact-finding golf mission.
Some might consider another excursion to the Czech Republic as being long overdue and perhaps it was about time that we flew to Prague to find out how the golf product within the country is developing. Well, that’s exactly what we did at the end of last month.
We were initially attracted by a couple of new projects around the capital but, on closer inspection, we saw there were at least another half a dozen highly ranked layouts located less than an hour’s drive of the city centre, so it made sense to check them all out over a few days.
It also helped that big tour events on both the male and female professional circuits had just taken place on a couple of the courses, so that in itself was a prior indication of the potential that we could expect to find on our travels around the country.
While golf is stagnating or declining in many of the traditional European golfing nations, the Czech Republic is bucking that trend in a big way as indicated in KPMG’s Golf Participation Report for Europe 2018 which listed sixty thousand registered golfers at the last count, a rise of 11% on the previous year.
We started off at Albatross, the #1 ranked course in the country, where Thomas Pieters had just won the Czech Masters event on the European Tour the previous weekend, his 1-stroke advantage over his nearest challenger giving him his second victory in five years at a venue that obviously suits his game.
The golf facility is part of the prestigious European Tour Properties network and a lot has been done in the last few years to upgrade the original Keith Preston design, with the addition of four lakes, two of which come into play – beside the 1st green and in front of the 12th green – and the redesign of the par three 16th hole.
Situated less than 20 kilometres to the south of Albatrosss, Karlstejn Golf Resort was our next stop and it too had just hosted a big professional event a couple of days previously, when Carly Booth claimed the Czech Ladies Open, her third title win on the Ladies European Tour and her first victory on the women’s professional circuit in seven years.
The Red course (comprising holes 1-9 and 10-18, as you might expect) is undoubtedly the championship layout at Karlstejn but the additional nine (holes 19-27) that was built a decade ago on the southern slopes of Voskov hill is, if anything, even stronger than the old course and well worth playing on a full day’s golf outing.
The Beroun Golf Resort lies close to Karlstejn and it too is a Les Furber design. The Canadian architect must have impressed with his work on the original 18-hole layout at Karlstejn in 1993 as his Golf Design Services firm was hired by the Korean owner at Beroun fourteen years later to construct this course.
Like its near neighbour, Beroun is set out across a hilly landscape and both nines feature water-laden finishing holes close to the clubhouse, where four irrigation lakes come into the reckoning in a rather menacing manner. At 6,078 metres from the back tees, it’s a testing track but also a lot of fun to play.
Alongside Albatross and Greensgate Golf & Leisure Resort, Beroun is a partner in a project called Golf Via Carolina, offering golfers a number of different stay and play packages at a variety of hotels close to the three courses. Prices don’t include transfers but these can be arranged if required.
We then headed from the southwest reaches of Prague to the southeast, taking in another three excellent layouts, the first of which was the very private course at Casa Serena, host venue (starting in 2008) to four editions of the short-lived Casa Serena Open on what was then called the European Senior Tour.
Designed by Robin Hiseman of European Golf Design, the course at this facility – which has only three members – was commissioned by Taiwanese businessman Terry Gou (founder of Foxconn, the world’s largest manufacturer of electronics) who operates a plant ten kilometres from the property.
The Panorama Golf Resort isn’t far from Casa Serena in the small market town of Kácov and it’s a 27-hole facility that’s only in its third season. Planned by respected EIGCA members Libor Jirásek from the Czech Republic and Rainer Preißmann from Germany, the layout was built by HB Golf Ltd, a firm with experience in North Africa and elsewhere in Europe.
The Meadows and Forest loops form the 18-hole course of first choice here but don’t let the name of those nines fool you into thinking you’re in for a nice easy stroll through pastures and woodland because there are considerable elevation changes on both these nines, lending a surprising degree of extra challenge to a number of holes.
The 45-hole golf facility at Konopiste Golf & Spa Resort sits forty-five kilometres from Panorama in Tvoršovice and there are two 18-hole layouts – d’Este and Radecky – in play at this impressive complex, plus a short par-29 Public course for beginners and players without a handicap.
After World War II, the chateau at the centre of the property was nationalized and used as a retirement home but the castle was returned to the Bartoň-Dobenín family in 1989. By the end of the following decade, this magnificent building was being used as a hotel, with a restaurant also serving golfers on the ground floor.
Before concluding our golf course tour around Prague’s periphery, we broke away for a day to venture westward and play a couple of courses in the historical western Bohemian region of the Czech Republic. There were quite a few long stretches of roadworks to negotiate along the way but that particular inconvenience was well worth enduring in order to sample golf in this part of the country.
While we were there, we stayed in two rather grand lodgings: at the Imperial Hotel in Karlovy Vary on arrival and then at the Falkensteiner Hotel in Mariánské Lázně before departing again for Prague.
Royal Marianske Lazne, known by its German name of Marienbad, was formed in 1905 when King Edward VII cut the inaugural ribbon on the first 9-hole layout at the club and it’s said that this course was partly paid for by local hotel owners who recognised the value of an additional summer attraction.
A second nine was added in 1923 and, apart from two holes replaced forty years ago, this is the 18-hole course that’s played on today. The Czech Open was held here for three years starting in 1994 and, in more recent times, the club hosted matches in both the St Andrews Trophy and the Jacques Léglise Trophy in 2006.
The Gary Player-designed layout at Cihelny Golf & Spa Resort is positioned thirty-five kilometres further north and it’s one of only a handful of designs that bear the Black Knight’s name in Central or Eastern Europe.
Set within the Slavkosvsky forest, close to Karlovy Vary, most of the fairways lie alongside the River Teplá, with a single track train line also running through the course in a very picturesque setting.
Because Karlovy Vary Golf Resort was co-hosting the Czechone Open on the Pro Golf Tour, we were unable to play the course but we looked in at the clubhouse to get something of a flavor of what the club was about. Founded in 1904, the club moved to its current site in 1933 but the clubhouse and course were only completed after World War II in 1949.
Fairways have been hewn from thick forest and those that could be viewed from the clubhouse were neither flat nor wide so accuracy is a must when playing in such tight and undulating conditions. Hopefully, we’ll get a chance to actually play here when we return the year after next.
The West Bohemia Golf Pass can be used to gain discounted green fees at Royal Marianske Lazne, Cihelny, Karlovy Vary and three other clubs in the region. Golfers can choose either a 4-green fee or 5-green fee pass, with the price dependent on the courses selected.
Returning to Prague, we had time to have a look at three other golf facilities before flying back home.
The course at Loreta Golf Club in Pyšely is a Keith Preston production that is quite unlike his other work at Albatross and Ypsilon. As the designer says himself: “If you didn’t know you would probably never guess that it was the same architect at work. Variation is the spice of life and of golf.”
Loreta fits beautifully into the Posázaví countryside, incorporating wetland areas, hedgerows, and mature trees into the design. There’s also a spacious driving range and a large short game area for practice. Additionally, there are eight double rooms and two apartments available for stay and play on the second floor of a well-appointed clubhouse.
Twin Chapels
Twin Chapels has taken more than ten years to reach the position it’s now in, with the clubhouse almost ready and the course growing in. The remains of two small historic chapels on site – Nezamyslická kaple and Nicovská kaple – were the inspiration for the name of this development which is located only 15 minutes from the Old Town Square in Prague.
The chapels are on what used to be the Saint Wenceslaus pilgrim route (the Via Sancta), built in the 17th century in honour of Wenceslaus I, Duke of Bohemia and Patron Saint of the Czech state, who was assassinated by his younger brother in 935.
Regarding his involvement at Twin Chapels, architect Jonathan Gaunt told us: “It’s been a long journey since first getting involved in 2004” but at last the project is almost nearing completion. All twenty-seven holes, a large practice area and a children’s “golf zone” have now been shaped and seeded but finishing touches like access roads have still to be built.
We had a peek inside the 2-storey clubhouse which is basically still a shell and about to be fitted out and we also had a look around parts of the property where low-lying wetland areas have been established and exposed rock formations unearthed.
The Oaks
Another big new project outside Prague in Nebřenice has also been a long time in the making. The Oaks, recently appointed as the country’s flagship PGA National golf facility, has just opened nine holes (#1 to #3 then #13 to #18) for preview play, with a temporary pavilion in use until the other holes are ready next year.
We were lucky enough to speak to the architect’s main construction man Dave Smith (who was temporarily on site between jobs and who we last met during the building of Bernardus in The Netherlands two years ago) and he told us work on the remaining nine was cracking on at a fair pace.
The opening three holes are routed around the old chateau which is being refurbished to become part of the future golf infrastructure then the closing six holes are arranged in a big loop which ends with the 17th and 18th laid out in parallel alongside the 1st hole. Fairways are wide, greens are huge and the ragged edged bunkers are simply sensational.
Managed by Troon Privé, the course is a Kyle Phillips design that will certainly raise the bar of golfing excellence when all eighteen holes are finally made available sometime next year.
Thanks
Sincere thanks are extended to the following who made the trip happen:
Martin Šlajchrt at Czech Tourism and publisher/journalist Antonin J. Grimm. Monika Bažantová at Twin Chapels, Paul Dennis at The Oaks, Mirko Grossmann at Karlstejn, Tereza Klečková at Royal Marianske Lazne, Michaela Kučerová at Cihelny, Lucie Krýslová at Karlovy Vary, Stanislav Lisner at Albatross, Tomáš Malec at Panorama, Dominik Maršík at Casa Serena, Vojtěch Matějček at Beroun, Jiří Novosad at Loreta and Zaneta Patova at Konopiste – quite a cast but each and every one of these people played a part in making the visit such a memorable success.
Jim McCann
Editor
Top 100 Golf Courses
Our Czech Republic panel has been extended for this chart release, allowing us to gather more opinions (and local knowledge) which has led to the introduction of ten new chart entries in an expanded Top 30 national listing. Only five courses make modest upward moves in the table and each of them are mentioned below. Twelve courses drop down the chart and three remain in the same position but we start first of all with the big news of a new national #1. PGA National The Kyle Phillips-designed PGA National Czech Republic course on the Oaks Prague residential estate outside the capital is the first of our ten newcomers, crashing straight into the chart at number one. The 18-hole layout was constructed in two phases over a four-year period, with the official launch – which we attended – taking place in August 2020. We first saw the course when it was half built the year before and even at that early stage we knew it was destined for the very top… Ypsilon The 18-hole layout at Golf Resort Ypsilon (up one place to #6) is located outside the city of Liberec in the north of the country, close to the border with Germany and Poland. First opened for play in 2006, the course is a Keith Preston production with holes set out as two returning nines across a hilly landscape, providing a rather entertaining walk in a wonderful parkland environment. Uniquely, the club offers ten boathouses as stay and play options on the lake next to the 9th hole. Panorama The small market town of Kácov is famed for its Hubertus brewery which uses water from the Sázava River as it flows past the premises. Less than a 5-minute drive away you’ll find the Libor Jirásek and Rainer Pressmann-designed Panorama Golf Resort (up two places to #13), where three contrasting nines opened for business in 2017, complemented by a boutique hotel above the clubhouse, along with adjacent bungalows as further accommodation possibilities. Loreta Half an hour’s drive from Panorama lies another Keith Preston design at Loreta Golf Club outside Pyšely (up one place to #15). Unveiled in the summer of 2013, the course is draped across a beautiful landscape, incorporating hedgerows, mature trees and wetland areas into the fields of play. For visiting golfers looking for an early tee time, there are twenty-four beds available in eight double rooms and two suites on the second floor of the clubhouse. Kunětická Hora The East Bohemian course at Golf & Spa Kunětická Hora (up three to #16) is situated 125 kilometres east of Prague, between the towns of Hradec Kralove and Pardubice. It’s a rare European layout from Graham Marsh (characterised by large clover-shaped bunkers) that first opened its doors in 2007 with several holes routed around a large central lake. The on-site hotel offers 142 beds in fifty-seven rooms, apartments and suites. Kaskáda Two hundred and fifty kilometres south of Kunětická Hora in South Moravia lies the 27-hole Kaskáda Golf Resort (up one to #17) which is positioned outside the city of Brno. Designed by Jonathan Gaunt and debuting in 2007, the complex boasts three 9-hole circuits, two of which (Wooden and Stone) we cite as the 18-hole layout of first choice. There are also fifty rooms and suites available for visitors, together with a wellness and spa centre. Šilheřovice The Park Golf Club Ostrava course at Šilheřovice is the highest placed of the remaining chart newcomers at number 21. The 18-hole layout is set in an exquisitely landscaped park, the dominant feature of which is a lovely old chateau that was the property of the Rothschild family from 1844 to 1945. The course was built during the Communist era in 1968 to a Jan Cieslar design, when it became only the third 18-hole layout in the old Czechoslovakian nation, after Royal Mariánské Lázně and Karlovy Vary. To view the entire detailed list of our latest Top 30 Golf Courses of the Czech Republic click the link. View list here. If you have any comment to make on the above article then please use the “WRITE A RESPONSE” link at the bottom of this page. Jim McCann Editor Top 100 Golf Courses
Outstanding Golf Resorts in Central Europe We began our look at resort golf twelve months ago in Portugal’s Algarve region. We’ve since been round the Mediterranean to a variety of places on the Spanish Costas, Belek in Turkey and the island of Mallorca. Venturing further south, we’ve looked at courses in Tunisia, Marrakech in Morocco and the Canary Islands in the Atlantic. Only France and Italy from the more “mainstream” European nations have appeared in this series so it’s now time to cast the spotlight on a few other central European countries with great resort offerings. The weather window for playing here is shorter but the golf product is often as good as you’ll find in the hotspots that we’ve previously written about. Czech Republic – Beroun Host venue for the last three editions of the Czech Ladies Open, Royal Beroun Golf Club is situated 30 kilometres southwest of Prague city centre, with an entertaining Les Furber-designed parkland golf course which is complemented by a fabulous, multi-function clubhouse. The club’s website calls this an “ambitiously dimensioned” building and that’s exactly what it is, featuring a restaurant, private clubroom, wellness and fitness centre with an outdoor pool, and a large conference room. The boutique hotel occupies the upper floor of the clubhouse, with seven double rooms and two deluxe rooms. Slovakia – Black Stork Positioned close to Poprad in the southern foothills of the High Tatra Mountains, the Black Stork Golf Resort at Vel’ká Lomnica operates a 27-hole facility which has evolved from the original 9-hole setup unveiled at the start of the new millennium. The course lies within the Tatra National Park in an unspoilt landscape with sensational mountain views in a clean, fresh air environment. The on-site Hotel International offers accommodation in twenty-eight double rooms (one of which is specially adapted for less mobile visitors) and one suite. The wellness centre includes indoor and outdoor pools, a whirlpool, steam room and sauna, along with a fully equipped gymnasium. Austria – Diamond Austria’s only European Tour Destination venue, Diamond Country Club has staged the Austrian Open since 2010 on its Jeremy Pern-designed Diamond course. There are actually thirty-nine holes in play at this facility, with the main 18-hole layout complemented by the 9-hole Park and 12-hole Country courses. The club’s 42-room onsite Aparthotel affords spacious accommodation and easy access to the golf courses and the twinned 4-star Diamond City Hotel on the south bank of the Danube in nearby Tulln provides guests with another city stay alternative. Hungary – Zala Springs Located close to the small spa town of Hévíz, which is famous for its large thermal lake, the Zala Springs Golf Resort boasts an 18-hole golf course designed by Robert Trent Jones Junior as its sporting focal point. Opened for play in 2016, the complex now includes a boutique spa with swimming pool, classic steam cabin and authentic Finnish sauna. Accommodation options close to the clubhouse include Junior Suites and Golf Studio Suites with Terrace. For larger groups, there are Grand Premium Family Suites comprising two bedrooms, a large living room, modern kitchen and dining room. An artisan breakfast and use of the spa is included for every stay. Slovenia – Royal Bled Dating back to 1937, when the Yugoslav King Aleksander Karađorđević chose Bled as his summer residence, the golf course at Golf Resort Royal Bled has attracted players from far and wide. Donald Harradine re-designed the layout in the early 1970s then another 9-hole course was added in the 1990s. Only five years ago, Swan Golf Designs upgraded the main 18-hole King’s course when the firm carried out an extensive renovation to completely revitalize the course’s fortunes. Like both Diamond Country Club and Zala Springs, Royal Bled is a member of the IMG Prestige global network. The accommodation extends to ten elegantly furnished rooms upstairs in the King’s House clubhouse, along with four double rooms in the adjacent Lake’s House which can be configured for families or groups hiring out the entire building. Switzerland – Bad Ragaz Golf Club Bad Ragaz was founded in 1905 and down the years the club’s golfing ground has been worked on by three generations of the Harradine family: Donald Harradine’s stepfather improved the original 9-hole course in 1925, Donald himself constructed the existing 18-hole layout in the mid-1950s then his son Peter Harradine subsequently added the 9-hole executive track. The golf facility lies on the floodplain of the River Rhein so the wooded landscape’s a bit flat but the towering mountain surroundings make this one of the most picturesque places for the older professionals to tee it up when they compete in the annual Swiss Seniors Open on the Legends Tour. The adjoining Grand Resort Bad Ragaz contains three high-end establishments: the Grand Hotel Quellenhof & Spa Suites; Grand Hotel Hof Ragaz; and the Palais Bad Ragaz. In total, there are 247 rooms and suites allocated across these three hotels. In addition to the associated thermal pools, saunas and fitness equipment in the wellness centre, the resort operates a medical centre staffed by an Interdisciplinary team of more than seventy doctors and therapists. Germany – Bad Griesbach Quellness & Golf Resort Bad Giresbach (renamed in recent years from its original Hartl Resort title) in Bavaria is the largest golf complex in Europe, with ten different golfing layouts and a massive circular Golfodrom training centre. Two of Bad Griesbach’s five 18-hole layouts – the Brunnwies and Beckenbauer – were designed by Bernard Langer and both are listed in our German standings. Three 9-hole courses, a 6-hole “hacker’s” track and a 6-hole children’s short course completes the golfing line-up at this impressive operation. There are a total of 105 rooms available for stay and play on the Brunnwies, Penning and Uttlau estates in addition to three superior hotels at the resort: the 5-star Maximilian (205 bedrooms); the 4-star Fuerstenhof (145 bedrooms); and Das Ludwig (168 bedrooms). If you have any comment to make on the above article then please use the “WRITE A RESPONSE” link at the bottom of this page. Jim McCann Editor Top 100 Golf Courses
Top 100 Golf Courses revises its Central Europe rankings 2020 There are almost two hundred courses located across the five Central European countries of the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia. We feature thirty-eight of these golfing layouts in five national ranking lists and we’re pretty confident these courses are the best you’ll find in this region as we’ve recently visited each country. Only six months ago we were in the Czech Republic to have a look at a couple of new build projects near Prague but we also made time to check out another ten golf facilities around the country. To read the article, entitled Exciting times for golf in the Czech Republic, click the link. We’re fortunate to have a tight network of correspondents to keep us fully briefed on golf developments in this part of continental Europe so we think we have the region well covered. If you think we could do better, by all means get in touch and let us know where we could improve our coverage. Czech Republic We have a new #1 for the Czech Republic, with Casa Serena Golf regaining the top spot it had held for two ranking editions, between 2014 and 2017. Laid out by Robin Hiseman of European Golf Design, this 18-hole layout hosted four editions of the Casa Serena Open on the European Senior Tour, starting in 2008, but it’s largely flown under the golfing radar since then. In fairness, with only three members attached to the club, this very private facility doesn’t get much play, therefore it remains largely in the shadows. Casa Serena The Red course at Karlsteijn Golf Resort climbs three places to No. 4 in the new standings. Routed over a hilly, forested landscape punctuated by limestone outcrops, ravines and a couple of lakes, the course is an early 1990s Les Furber design which successfully hosted a Ladies European Tour event last year. The Canadian architect returned to fashion another nine for the club in 2006 and this newer South course is well worth considering for a game when time is tight or the Red course is busy. Karlsteijn The Radecký course at Golf & Spa Resort Konopiště (up five to #11) comprises eighteen holes at a 45-hole golf facility that lies an hour’s drive southeast of the Václav Havel Airport outside Prague. Anchored by a beautiful château that now functions as an hotel and restaurant at the heart of the golf operation, this parkland complex offers members, guests and general visitors a really entertaining experience in a lovely rustic setting. Advancing six slots to No. 12, the course at Beroun Golf Resort is another Les Furber production which followed on from his earlier work at nearby Karlstejn. Built for Korean owners a decade ago, the layout occupies 160 acres of land that was once used for military purposes, with fairways routed around four large irrigation lakes. The only new entry in our Czech Republic Top 20 is the Meadows and Forest nines at the Panorama Golf Resort, entering at No. 15. The resort only opened for business in 2017 but it’s quickly gaining a reputation as one of the “must play” golf facilities in the country. With twenty-seven holes set out across an undulating, 350-acre property, this is a serious new player on the Czech golf scene and all three 9-hole circuits return to a very stylish, modern clubhouse. Panorama The new courses at the PGA National (designed by Kyle Phillips) and Twin Chapels (where Jonathan Gaunt is the architect) are still under construction and we expect them both to make a very big impact when we revise our Czech Republic listings in 2022. Of course, there may be one or two other chart contenders vying to make the cut next time around but these two will definitely come under the spotlight. Rank/ To view the complete detailed list of the Top 20 Golf Courses of the Czech Republic click the link. Hungary The course at Zala Springs Golf Resort retains its #1 status in Hungary. Designed by Robert Trent Jones Jr. and opened for play in 2016, the layout is situated near the spa town of Héviz and its famous thermal lake, with the fairways forming the sporting centrepiece of a low density residential development. Due to its favourable location, the course is within easy access to discerning golfers in Austria, Croatia, Slovakia and Slovenia and its reputation grows with every passing season. Zala Springs To view the complete detailed list of the Top 5 Golf Courses of Hungary click the link. Poland The course at Sand Valley Golf Resort remains the #1 course in Poland. It’s been operating for over a decade now under Finnish ownership and most of the golfers who play here are from the Nordic countries, arriving through nearby Gdansk airport. The club prides itself on its four pillars for a golf holiday – “golf, accommodation, catering and service.” Year on year, increasing numbers of visitors certainly indicates the club is delivering on its pledge of providing a leading golfing retreat. Sand Valley The only course to make an upward move in the Poland Top 10 is Postolowo Golf Club, rising two places to the runner-up position at No. 2. Jeremy Tuner designed this terrific track and it can be stretched to an incredible 7,000 metres, with water figuring prominently at more than half a dozen holes. It’s a beast when played from the back markers but sensible golfers who choose their tees carefully will really enjoy their round here. Postolowo To view the complete detailed list of the Top 10 Golf Courses of Poland click the link. Slovakia The Heritage course at the Penati Golf Resort fends off a strong challenge from the Legend layout at the same 36-hole facility to hold onto the No.1 position in our Slovakian rankings. As a reviewer posted just a few months ago after playing at Penati: “there is little to choose between the different courses… both are well designed, well-conditioned and easy to walk… Play both. Travel out of your way to play them.” There you have it; play Jonathan Davison’s Heritage layout and the Jack Nicklaus-designed Legend course then make your own mind up as to which is the premier 18-hole track at a very impressive golf complex. Penati - Heritage course To view the complete detailed list of the Top 8 Golf Courses of Slovakia click the link. Slovenia The King’s course at Royal Bled Golf Club is still the #1 layout in Slovenia. Originally laid out in the late 1930s, it was re-designed by Donald Harradine in the early 1970s before a recent two-year renovation by Swan Golf Designs saw the course lengthened, greens and bunkers rebuilt, and several new water hazards introduced on the back nine – all of which resulted in the King’s course entering our Continental European Top 100 standings two years ago. Royal Bled - King's course To view the complete detailed list of the Top 5 Golf Courses of Slovenia click the link. Jim McCann Editor Top 100 Golf Courses
