The largest golf facility in Europe

Great German golf resorts  So far in this series of resort articles we’ve profiled only one German golf facility – albeit it was the largest in Europe at the Quellness & Golf Resort Bad Griesbach, which has an incredible 129 holes in play – so we thought it was time to take a look at some of the other top golf establishments in a nation ranked #6 in the world by the R&A for the number of courses (811) that are open to golfers. We’ll start in the north of the country near the Danish border then gradually meander our way almost two thousand kilometres southwards through several German states to end up in Bavaria, close to the border with Austria. Some of the resorts rank highly in our German national chart, others are listed in our regional listings – all of them offer stay and play options that are as good as you’ll find anywhere on the continent. Budersand First stop on our resort roundup is Golf Club Budersand Sylt, located on the North Frisian island of Sylt, the most northerly German island in the North Sea, which connects to the mainland by the Hindenburg Dam, a railway causeway that links the long sandy stretch of land to the rest of the country. First opened for business fifteen years ago, the course is set out in what was formerly an old military base, with holes routed as two returning nines across dune-strewn linksland, bringing pot bunkers, meandering burns and creative contouring into focus. The club’s 5-star hotel offers 77 rooms and suites which are characterized by the thoughtful use of fine natural materials and each of the five guest room categories comes with its own balcony or suite roof terrace. Room furnishings are high quality, from Perlino Bianco marble in the bathroom to walls adorned with works of art. The restaurant serves “Nordic Fusion" cuisine – featuring ingredients from selected producers in Northern Germany and Scandinavia – and the spa comprises a large pool, saunas, steam bath and several treatment rooms. Gut Apeldör Halfway between Sylt and Hamburg lies the 27-hole golf facility at Golf Club Gut Apeldör in the Dithmarschen district of Schleswig-Holstein. David Krause laid out the “Big Apple” and “Big 9” courses in the mid-1990s and holes on both layouts are set out on a sandy heathland landscape with free-draining soil properties. Water and sand hazards come into play at many holes, most memorably at the par four 18th, with a long beach bunker positioned between the home green and a lake on the right. The Golfhotel Gut Apeldör has 42 guest rooms available for visitors, divided into four different categories (standard, business, comfort, junior suites) and varying in size from 27 to 80 square metres. The Gutshof Restaurant is open for breakfast, lunch and evening dinners, serving fresh, high-quality regional food. The attached wellness centre within the converted silo tower of the Old Barn is where to seek out a sauna or a massage – or maybe just a place to chill out in the designated relaxation room. Gut Kaden A 90-minute drive from Gut Apeldör brings us to another 27-hole complex to the north of Hamburg, Gut Kaden Golf und Land Club, where Frank Pennink designed the original 18-hole layout in the early 1980s. Deutsche Bank became title sponsors of the European Players Championship in 1995 and the event was held here nine times until its demise in 2007, with tournament winners on the “B” and “C” nines at Gut Kaden including the likes of Bernhard Langer, Lee Westwood (twice) and Padraig Harrington. The hotel offers 39 spacious guest rooms (each one decorated with an eye to detail) for single or double occupancy and if 30 square metres of space is too small then there’s also a suite for those who might require a bit more room. The restaurant in the Gut Kaden manor house also boasts a large outdoor terrace as a meeting place for both golfers and hotel guests. The fitness area contains a range of cardio equipment, in addition to a sauna, massage room and other treatment rooms. WINSTONgolf Another 2-hour drive east of Gut Kaden sits the 45-hole facility at WINSTONgolf in the northeast German state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. Built on the site of an old sand quarry, the Open course was the first layout unveiled here around twenty years ago, designed by Holger Rengstorf, followed a decade later by the David Krause-designed Links layout. You’ll be hard pressed to discover a more diverse 36 holes at one location – and including the 9-hole kranich course gives a full day of golf that’s hard to forget. The Gut Vorbeck manor house hotel is situated on the 13th hole of the Links course, directly on the river Warnow. The building was constructed in 1912 on the ruins of a previous enterprise which burned down, though the original vaulted cellar has been preserved. The manor house was completely renovated in 2010 and converted into 19 stylishly furnished guest rooms and a suite. The Kranichhaus restaurant serves everything from crispy salads to fresh fish and fine fillets. On the spacious estate grounds there is a canoe station and a riding stable for those who want more than golf. Fleesensee We continue east from WINSTONgolf into the heart of the spectacular Mecklenburg Lake District and the 72-hole Golf Fleesensee resort. The Schloss course is the longest and toughest of the three 18-hole layouts here, designed by Stan Eby for European Golf Design in the late 1990s. With well-bunkered holes routed in an out-and-back fashion, the Schloss course extends to a little over 6,400 metres from the back markers and ponds come into play close to the green on several occasions at this rather demanding track. There are three main accommodation options at Fleesensee, starting with the 177-bedroom Schloss hotel which has rooms varying in size between 27 and 73 square metres. Restaurant Blüchers (once the castle chapel) presents cuisine of the highest quality and the spa and wellness area are wonderful facilities providing exclusive treatments and soothing massages. In addition to the hotel, the child-friendly Beech Resort is a great family-orientated hostelry and there are also apartments in the Maremüritz Yachthafen Resort. Hardenberg Three hundred and thirty-five kilometres southwest of Fleesensee in Lower Saxony is where you’ll find the 36-hole facility at Golf Resort Hardenberg. The Göttingen course was first to arrive here in 1971 when Donald Harradine set out the original 9-holer (later expanded to eighteen holes in 1987) then the David Krause-designed Niedersachsen 18-hole course came along in 2004. The Göttingen brings water into play from time to time while the Niedersachsen goes one better with an island green complex shaped like a boar’s head on the par three 11th, replicating the distinctive image on the Hardenberg family crest. The 5-star Hardenberg BurgHotel nestles close to the ancient Hardenberg castle ruin (some 8 kilometres south from the golf courses) on the outskirts of Nörten-Hardenberg, with 38 guest rooms and 4 suites available. The Novalis restaurant serves regional northern German and classic French cuisine and the wellness centre houses a state-of-the-art gymnasium, three different types of sauna and a couple of whirlpools. Alternatively, the 4-star Hotel FREIgeist Northeim is located 5 kilometres in the opposite direction from the resort outside Northeim, with 62 double rooms which are suitablefor 1-2 adults with children and/or a dog – and family rooms can be booked with connecting doors. Weimarer Land We continue 200 kilometres southeast into the Thüringen state (“the green heart of Germany”) and the Weimarer Land Spa & Golf Resort. Here, you’ll discover a 45-hole facility designed by Christoph Städler with two 18-hole layouts (the Goethe and Feininger) and a recently developed short track named the Königin Luise 9-hole course. Interestingly, the Bobby Jones Champion Course is an 18-hole composite layout which is configured as holes 1-5 and 15-18 of the Goethe course then holes 10-18 of the Feininger course. The on-site hotel consists of 94 elegant guest rooms which range from 27-square metre double rooms to 97-square metre suites (with 1 bedroom and spacious living room area over two floors). The Lindenspa contains several pools, a blossom bath, steam bath and sauna, while the wellness centre provides a selection of body treatments and massages. The Augusta restaurant is named after the legendary Masters venue in Georgia and it opens for breakfast from 06:30 to 11:00 then for dinner in the evening between 18:00 and 21:30. Jakobsberg Our next golfing port of call lies 350 kilometres west of Weimarer Land at the Jakobsberg Hotel & Golfresort, overlooking the Rhine Valley to the south of Koblenz. The property was purchased in 1960 by Dr. Hans Riegel – founder of confectionery maker Haribo – who later brought in architect Wolfgang Jarsombek during the 1990s to develop the hunting grounds and transform them into the 18-hole golf course that’s in play today. The resort has been a training base for the German PGA for many years now. Romantik Hotel Klostergut Jakobsberg was built in 1157 as a monastery by Emperor Barbarossa and today it towers high above the Upper Middle Rhine Valley UNESCO World Heritage Site with 39 guest rooms in total (most come with a balcony or terrace) and a well-appointed spa and gymnasium. Local and regional cuisine is served in the Waidblick restaurant and there are 7 conference rooms for up to 200 people. The estate’s vineyard is managed by a local winemaker who tends to the vines, produces the wine and bottles it. Waldsee We continue 425 kilometres south now, past Heidelberg and Stuttgart into central Baden-Württemberg and the Princely Golf Resort Bad Waldsee. This 45-hole golf complex nestles close to the small spa town of Bad Waldsee, with two very different 18-hole layouts: the Old course is a Donald Harradine design dating back to 1969 and the longer, tougher New course is a Thomas Himmel and Carlo Knauss co-design which appeared in 1998. Both tracks as complemented by a delightful 9-hole par three course measuring less than a thousand metres. Forty guest rooms at the resort each have a balcony and they come with all the usual amenities such as television, telephone, minibar and high-speed internet connection. Overnight stays include use of the fully-equipped fitness room, sauna and whirlpool. A range of chargeable massage therapies are also available. The Restaurant in the Courtyard lays on regional and seasonal specialties, with a full buffet breakfast on offer every morning. Snacks, light meals and drinks are served in The Outlook T-19 café-restaurant. Sonnenalp The final leg of our German resort excursion takes us another hour’s drive southeast from Bad Waldsee to Sonthofen, the most southerly town in the country, and the nearby Golf Resort Sonnenalp-Oberallgäu. The older Sonnenalp layout is another Donald Harradine track which originally opened for play in 1975, while the Oberallgäu course is a Kurt Rossknecht early new millennium production – if mountain golf is what you’re looking for then look no further than here (out with the winter months of course)! Accommodation at the 5-star hotel comprises 218 guest rooms and suites, along with 7 Alpine chalets. Nearly all rooms have a south-facing balcony or terrace with a view of the Allgäu Alps. Catering is taken care of at four restaurants, including the award-winning Silberdistel gourmet restaurant. The wellness area features a separate natural spa section, heated outdoor pools, saunas and relaxation rooms. A gymnasium with modern Technogym equipment is also on hand for those who feel the need to work out. Many thanks to Stefan von Stengel for permission to use his images above for Budersand, Gut Apeldör and WINSTONgolf. 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

Course architecture snippets from around the world #2 In February, we published a comprehensive report from more than a dozen distinguished architects around the world about projects they were currently involved in. Specifically, they told us about a whole host of new ventures and restoration/renovation schemes that were due for completion this year. We arranged these items geographically last time around, beginning with Great Britain & Ireland and ending with Africa. The only regions left out of our global roundup were Continental Europe, the Middle East and the Caribbean & North Atlantic Islands and we’ve managed to address those omissions by including two of them in this edition. CONTINENTAL EUROPE Netherlands Frank Pont tells us he’s building a 9-hole reversible course at Ullerberg, in an old sand pit in the middle of the largest heathland area in the country. He’s also finishing off construction of a 9-hole par three course at Oosterhoutse (using land freed up last year by the acquisition of five new holes) which will complement the existing 18-hole course. Frank is rebuilding three holes at Amsterdam Old Course – a Colt, Alison and Morrison layout – which celebrated eighty years of operation in 2015. Situated less than one kilometre to the north of the Amsterdam ArenA, where the city encroaches on every side, it’s astonishing that this little 9-hole track still remains in existence. Germany Christoph Städler informs us the first stage of his 45-hole project in Donaueschingen, east of Freiburg, is due to open next month. It’s partly new build, partly renovation and redesign. The second phase will open in late summer with full completion scheduled for mid-2018. In June of this year, an additional nine holes of Christoph’s are due to open at Münster-Tinnen, north of Dortmund, extending the course to a 27-hole facility. His renovation and partial redesign of the 18-hole layout at Hamburg-Ahrensburg is set to come to an end in September. Frank Pont is building another 9-hole reversible course and a 9-hole small course near Chiemsee in Bavaria, close to the Austrian border, with spectacular views over the Alps. To the north of the country, the same architect is half way through a bunker renovation using Bunkermat at Köln and the remaining nine holes will be done this Autumn. Turkey Tim Lobb's third course in Turkey, near the popular resort town of Bodrum, is nearing completion. Grassing at Country Life Golf Club (rebranded Regnum Golf & Country Club) will be finished by early summer and the course is scheduled to open in October. It’s being developed by Fikret Öztürk, the owner of Carya Golf Club in Belek, which Tim designed under the banner of Thomson Perrett & Lobb. "The site is about two kilometres from the sea, and up in the mountains above Bodrum town," says Tim Lobb. "It's a big site - about 300 hectares - and runs through a working olive grove, which we have retained. The site has great topography, but it is extremely rocky, so it has been a challenging build. The bunkers, for example, have been placed and designed hole by hole during construction, depending on ground conditions - and there aren't many of them, less than thirty on the whole course. We have really built the course in the field, with lots of hand sketching and field notes, rather than predetermining the design in the office. That's a new process for me, and I've been fortunate to work with an excellent contractor, Naki Evandir of GolfTek - in fact it is the fourth course I have built with him over the past eighteen years." MIDDLE EAST United Arab Emirates Currently under construction, Peter Harradine’s Legends Golf Course will be a fun 9-hole course, with a driving range and practice green, set within the Living Legends real estate development in Dubailand. The course has five or six tees on each hole, creating a wide range of lengths and angles. It’s a player-friendly layout with reasonable hole lengths, wide fairways and wall to wall grassing that still provides a challenge to more accomplished golfers with strategically placed bunkering and water hazards. Irrigation and drainage lines have all been installed, floodlighting poles and fixtures have also been located on the course and driving range. Most of the layout should be ready for seeding by the end of June with a tentative opening date for the end of December. ASIA Vietnam IMG’s new Vinpearl Golf Hai Phong facility is located on the island of Vu Yen, just outside Vietnam’s most important seaport of Hai Phong in the northeast of the country. Officially opened this month, the golf facility consists of two 18-hole layouts (Lakeside and Marshland) which are grassed with paspalum fairways and bermuda greens inside a massive 2,200-acre Ecotourism Area. The Lakeside course is laid out as a scenic resort-style track where water comes into play on twelve holes and it features generous fairways and large, undulating greens. The Marshland course is routed around carefully preserved open wetlands and it’s been fashioned with grass-faced bunkers and medium to small sized greens which demand accurate approach play. “Out like a lamb, in like a lion,” is architect Brian Curley’s assessment of Schmidt & Curley’s new Mountain Course at FLC Quy Nhon, which has just debuted. He’s referring to the first four holes versus the same number of challenging holes at the end of the round on a terrific track which is routed across a sandy hillside location above the recently opened Ocean course from Nicklaus Design. Incredibly, the all-Platinum paspalum Mountain course opened less than six months after shaping first began on a sandy, pine scrub hillside with stunning elevation changes that offer ocean views on sixteen holes. Links course styling with swales and hollows around many of the greens helps to promote a bump and run ground game here. Fairways are generously proportioned to take account of the dramatic topography. The absence of large trees and water plus a limited number of bunkers might give the impression that this layout is less challenging than the Ocean course but there’s lots of movement in the greens with some pins not visible from either the fairway or the tee. AFRICA Egypt Situated to the west of El Alamein on the Mediterranean coast, Peter Harradine’s resort course at Marassi has been built around a series of man-made lagoons and streams connected directly to the sea. Part of an integrated residential development, the fairways are wide and accommodating though water comes into play on more than half the holes. The facility is due to open in the second half of 2017. Set within a series of rocky hilltops overlooking the capital, the new Harradine course at Uptown Cairo winds its way around and in between rocky outcrops in valley-like corridors with the real estate sitting high above, allowing residents expansive views across the course. As might be expected with such unique and challenging terrain, the elaboration of detailed plans and specifications, technical descriptions and bills of quantities was very intricate and sophisticated, ensuring the full potential of the site could be realised. The clubhouse, driving range, chipping area and putting greens have now been completed and the first nine holes of the course should be open by the end of 2017. After a three-year build, the NEWGIZA course in Egypt, which sits within a 500-hectare master planned development, will open later this year. Designed by Tim Lobb and Ross Perrett for Thomson Perrett & Lobb, the course occupies a stunning location only a short distance from the Giza pyramids. "It has been a long and difficult build due to the conditions on site, but we are getting there and the results are stunning," said Lobb. "I believe it will be a strong candidate for the title of Egypt's best course." Twelve holes are now grassed - the first one was started nearly two years ago - and the spectacular clubhouse is well into construction. Final landscaping is under way on much of the site. "We have now shaped the par three 4th hole, which we believe will be much photographed, as it plays directly at the pyramids," said Lobb. "The twelve holes on the main part of the property are finished; we're now working on the last six – holes 3 to 8 – and they occupy a different plot of land.” GREAT BRITAIN & IRELAND England The Old course at the Royal Automobile Club has had all its bunkers replaced by Tom Mackenzie over a 15-month period, with the 13th hole completely redesigned. The upgrade work is due to be fully finished in June. The final phase of Tom’s bunker reconstruction work at Goodwood (Downs) is now finished and the course re-opens for play later this month. Mentioning sand hazards, Frank Pont is currently working on bunker projects at Blackwell, Camberley Heath, Ringway and Tyneside. He’s also trialling the installation of Blinder bunker liners on a couple of holes at Tandridge, with a view to renovating all greenside bunkers on the course if the trial is successful. The major renovation of the Buckinghamshire Golf Club to the north-west of London is now finished and the course has reopened. Course manager Andy Ewence, who managed the project, said: "This has been something of an epic, as we have virtually rebuilt large parts of the golf course, while still keeping it open for play. There were four separate contractors involved, with over forty contracting staff on site on a daily basis." The project has seen the overall area of bunkers on the course – originally designed by the late John Jacobs – shrink from over 14,000 square metres to 6,400 square metres, with obvious consequences for the levels of maintenance required. Architect Tim Lobb said: "It was always obvious that we needed to reduce the area of sand at the Buckinghamshire, but what particularly pleases me is that we have done so while at the same time making the bunkers more thought provoking hazards – and more visible. Generally, the bunkers are tighter to the greens than they were before, and we have introduced central hazards on the 5th and 18th holes - while clearing trees on the right of 18 to create an alternative line to the green. The par fives were generally very wide and not very interesting before the project; now bunkers threaten the playing lines and create real strategic choices." Ireland Robert Trent Jones Jnr’s firm is delivering an original design at Hogs Head Golf Club in Waterville and this new course is due to be unveiled in August this year. Part of this headland layout is set out on land where the defunct Skellig Bay Golf Club once operated and holes 8 to 16 are now laid out along the coast with some of the inland fairways routed around the Finglas River. Playing surfaces are sand-capped, planted with three sorts of specially selected fescue grasses that are native to Ireland. The intention is to promote firm and fast playing conditions that will allow golfers to play the ground game if they so choose, especially when the wind gets up. Scotland Work carried out by Tom Mackenzie on the re-aligned 12th hole on the Championship course at Royal Dornoch (the 560-yard par five named “Sutherland”) has now ended, with the tees repositioned away from the 5th fairway and 11th green to produce a more challenging hole. NORTH AMERICA United States In 2016, Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw were appointed to carry out a 3-year renovation of the course at Seminole. Working with bunker specialist Jeff Bradley in phase 1 of the project, they overhauled almost thirty bunkers on holes 12, 13 and 14, restoring the natural sandy waste areas between the holes in manner similar to their recent Pinehurst No 2 upgrade. Phase 2 in the summer of 2017 will see around a hundred bunkers rebuilt, with the remaining eighty or so sand hazards to be completed the following year. Several Greg Norman Golf Course Design restoration projects are nearing completion and they include the Black course at Tiburon Golf Club in Naples, Florida, the 18-hole layout at Savannah Quarters in Georgia, the International course at Championsgate Golf Club in Davenport, Florida and the 45-hole golf facility at The Golf Club at Lansdowne, near Leesburg, Virginia. Canada Gary Browning tells us the first of his two 18-hole layouts at Serenity Golf Club, southeast of Calgary, will be opening for play this summer. Named Dancing Bull, it’s due to be followed by the Suncatcher course in the summer of 2019. Before then, the two totally renovated 18-hole layouts at Kananaskis Country Club are set for a grand reopening in the summer of 2018. Both courses were totally devastated by flooding in June of 2013, leading to their closure, and it’ll be an emotional occasion for many when they make their much-anticipated reappearance. OCEANIA Australia Greg Norman Golf Course Design recently celebrated the opening of its 100th course at Eastern Golf Club in Australia and it currently has forty-two others under contract and another twenty-two actively under development, including six redesign projects. The firm has just relaunched the Brookwater Golf & Country Club course in Springfield, to the southwest of Brisbane in Queensland. The layout is a Greg Norman design which debuted in 2002 and the course has just reopened after a progressive overhaul that included strategic design changes to greens, fairways and bunkers. Central to the project’s scope of work was the resurfacing and restoration of the green complexes to return them to their original size, look, and feel. Fairways were also widened and a vigorous vegetation management program removed overgrown foliage around the course and in waterways, opening playing corridors where the original design intent had been compromised. Drainage and irrigation systems were also significantly updated which now presents an overall improvement in course conditioning that enhances the playability experience for golfers. We’re also aware of Cathedral Lodge, another Greg Norman design which is being constructed for investment banker and former Essendon AFL club president David Evans on the Goulburn River, near Alexandra in Victoria. From what we hear, there’s every prospect of this new 18-hole layout rivalling the quality of the private track that the late Kerry Packer commissioned Norman and his design team to build in 2001.

Experience Staying and Playing at Prince of Wales Country Club Introduction Welcome to the epitome of luxury and golfing excellence at Prince of Wales Country Club. After the excitement of the Astara Chile Classic tournament, immerse yourself in an unforgettable experience where opulence meets exceptional golfing. Discover why Prince of Wales Country Club is the ultimate destination for discerning golf enthusiasts seeking the finest in hospitality and championship play. Main Preview Unparalleled Luxury and Golfing Excellence Nestled amidst stunning natural beauty, Prince of Wales Country Club offers a sanctuary of elegance and refinement. Indulge in our luxurious accommodations, featuring exquisite furnishings, breathtaking views, and unparalleled service. Whether you prefer a deluxe room or a lavish suite, each stay promises to be a memorable experience of comfort and sophistication. Championship Golfing at Its Best Prepare to be captivated by our world-class golf course, meticulously designed to challenge, and inspire players of all skill levels. Designed by renowned architects, our course offers a harmonious blend of natural landscapes, strategic challenges, and impeccable course conditions. Tee off amidst lush fairways, pristine greens, and panoramic views, and experience golfing excellence at its finest. Exclusive Travel Packages Elevate your golfing getaway with exclusive travel packages tailored to your preferences. Visit Top 100 Golf Courses Travel to explore a wealth of travel tips, destination guides, and personalized recommendations. Whether you're planning a solo retreat, a romantic escape, or a group golfing adventure, our packages cater to every discerning traveller. Unlock Premium Benefits with Lockhart Travel Club Maximize your luxury travel experience with membership benefits from Lockhart Travel Club Members. Gain access to exclusive deals, VIP services, and bespoke travel experiences curated to enhance your stay at Prince of Wales Country Club. Elevate every aspect of your journey with premium amenities and personalized attention. Sign Up for a Golfing Experience Like No Other Ready to embark on an unforgettable golfing journey? Sign up now to secure your spot at Prince of Wales Country Club. Whether you're a seasoned golfer or new to the game, our course promises an unparalleled experience of challenge, beauty, and relaxation. Don't miss your chance to tee off at one of the world's premier golf destinations. Explore Course Reviews and Top 100 Lists Curious to learn more about the Prince of Wales Country Club? Visit our Course Review Page for insights, reviews, and player testimonials. Delve into the details of our championship course layout, signature holes, and course highlights. Discover why Prince of Wales Country Club consistently ranks among the top golf destinations on Top 100 Lists, and start planning your ultimate golfing getaway today. Conclusion Escape to a world of luxury, beauty, and championship golf at Prince of Wales Country Club. After the excitement of the Astara Chile Classic tournament, indulge in an unparalleled experience of hospitality and play. Book your stay and play package today and discover why Prince of Wales Country Club is synonymous with golfing excellence and luxury travel.