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).
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Jim McCann
Editor
Top 100 Golf Courses
