There are good courses; there are beautiful courses and there are dream courses. You should play golf on these at least once in your life. The style magazine Encore has selected and described them for you. Unfortunately, the article is not available online.
Golfresort Costa Navarino, Greece
Costa Navarino, The Bay Course, Hole 6
Costa Navarino, located on the Peloponnese peninsula, was Golf Resort of the Year in 2017. Since then, it has become a trendy destination. The resort has two very different golf courses. And as an extra bonus, there is the nearby sea, dolphins and turtles, fragrant rose gardens and great beach restaurants. The Nestor Palace, dating from the 13th century BC, also offers plenty of material for those interested in culture.
Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews, England
The waiting times for this club alone show it: golf lovers often wait around a year until they can play here. But the wait is worth it. The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews is not only the oldest golf club in the world, it is not only located directly on the seashore, has six 18-hole courses and a 9-hole course nearby, but also offers a lot of luxury in the venerable House of Golf. The challenging fairways surprise with deep bunkers, dense rough and treacherous slopes – rather unsuitable for beginners.
Golf-Club von Crans Montana, Schweiz
The Golf-Club of Crans-sur-Sierre offers four courses; the 18-hole course – named after the professional golfer Severiano Ballesteros – is one of the most beautiful in Europe. It lies in the middle of an impressive Alpine panorama with the Matterhorn and Mont Blanc as a backdrop. And for those who don’t just want to play golf, there is a comprehensive range of holiday offers in the surrounding area.
Lumine Mediterranea Beach & Golf Club, Spain
Spain is known as a true golfer’s paradise. Nevertheless, Lumine Beach & Golf Club is considered the shining star among many others. Two 18-hole courses and one 9-hole course, a great beach club, a fitness centre and a wide range of wellness offers: who needs more to really relax on a golf holiday.And don’t forget: the excellent Catalan cuisine in the Club House. This definitely earned the club the award “Europe’s Best Golf Venue 2019”. In addition, Tarragona is an interesting tourist destination.
Royal Park & Country Club, Italy
This is where the Savoy King once hunted game with his eagles, now you can play golf on the 3,600-hectare Parco La Mandia near Turin. The Royal Park & Country Club has two 18-hole courses, relatively flat and with interesting water hazards and bunkers. But the park is also a nature reserve with deer, foxes, owls and other wildlife and over 20 listed buildings. There are plenty of entertainment options besides golf. And if that’s not enough: Turin is always worth a visit.
Golfhotel Charmeil, France
The Golfhotel Charmeil is a two-hour drive from Geneva and offers golf for beginners and near-professionals with a challenging 18-hole course and a 5-hole practice course. The fairways, flanked by oaks and flowerbeds and with views of the Vercors and Chartreuse massifs, offer some real challenges even for experienced golfers with their trickily placed bunkers and beautiful water features. In addition: the attractive Grenoble is not far away and the unforgettable grottos of the Vercors massif are definitely worth a visit.
Golfplatz Achensee, Austria
The Golfcourse Achensee is not only considered one of the most beautiful in Austria, it also has a long tradition. It is beautifully nestled between Lake Achensee and the Karwendel Mountains, and is technically challenging with pronounced doglegs, rising and falling fairways and tricky greens. In addition to golf, the Tyrolean holiday area offers opportunities for mountain biking, sailing, surfing and hiking in the surrounding area.
Bad Griesbach, Germany
The village of Bad Griesbach with its 9,000 inhabitants has a lot to offer: a whole six 18-hole and three 9-hole golf courses as well as a 6-hole children’s golf course are spread across the surrounding, slightly hilly landscape of the so-called “Tuscany of Lower Bavaria”. Every golfer will find his or her favourite course here, some of which are quite challenging or, like the Beckenbauer course, hellishly strenuous.
Andermatt Swiss Alps Golf Course, Schweiz
In the Andermatt Swiss Alps Golf Course four courses with very different characteristics and other courses nearby, e.g. in Realp, Sedrun and Obergesteln, offer golf enthusiasts in Andermatt unlimited golfing opportunities. The Andermatt course lies in the midst of a fascinating mountain world. Technically demanding are above all the diverse soil qualities from rock to deep moor, says the renowned golf course architect Kurt Rossknecht about “his” course.
Monte Rei Golf & Country Club, Portugal
The Monte Rei Golf & Country Club in the Algarve is generally considered a dream destination and probably the best golf course in Europe. The spectacular views of the Atlantic are a defining feature of golf here. Sometimes it must be really hard to concentrate on the game. The courses are demanding – not least because of the great differences in altitude – and each hole is a bijou. The resort’s accommodation and cuisine are second to none. Although the surrounding area is also interesting for tourists, it is difficult to leave.
