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Golf In Carinthia - where the summer starts earlier and golfing knows no bounds
Carinthia - the southernmost 'Land' of Austria, sharing borders
with Italy and Slovenia - is situated in a basin of the Alps and
has the longest hours of sunshine in the region. The golfing season
can therefore start earlier here, from April onwards.
Lake Wörth in summer |
Surrounded by breathtaking scenery – in the midst of mighty
mountains and pristine lakes – Carinthia (Kärnten in German
- the main language here) is a real golfer's paradise. Boasting
two 27-hole courses, five 18-hole courses, two 9-hole courses and
various driving ranges, Austria’s sunny south has a particularly
high number of courses.
What’s more, they are all within a radius of 85km and yet
no two rounds are alike, thanks to the varied countryside. The warming
rays of the early summer sun combined with the Carinthians’
attitude, love of life and excellent cuisine do you the world of
good and make one thing clear: life is sunny in the south!
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The longest hours of sunshine in the region |
No fewer than 50 hotels in Carinthia provide particularly attractive
golf packages. There are specialised clinics for both beginners
and advanced players, regular competitions and the same prices at
all the courses. You will find all the information you require on
Carinthia’s golf courses and hotels in the new
golf catalogue. Furthermore, you can take advantage of special
highlights for golfers, such as tee reservation. All you have to
do is select the golf course of your choice at www.golfland.kaernten.at
and reserve your preferred tee time. If you need one, you can also
order a buggy by e-mail.
Golf beyond borders: Austria, Italy and Slovenia
Three languages, three cultures, but one common idea: joining forces
and cooperating with each other. Carinthia, Friuli and Slovenia
therefore put together a cross-border package for golfers last year.
Thanks to this international cooperation, budding Tiger Woods can
play three more beautiful courses in Bled, Grado
and Tarvisio. And boundless pleasure lies
only a maximum of 1½ hours from Carinthia.
A GUIDE TO CARINTHIA'S GOLF COURSES
The golf courses of Carinthia - click on a number for information about the course |
1. Millstätter See: a jewel set
between mountains and lake
The 18-hole championship course was opened four years ago and is
situated on a sunny plateau overlooking Lake Millstatt. Benefiting
from this uniquely attractive setting, it has breathtaking views
of the surrounding lakes and mountains.
With its 18-hole course, driving range with chipping area, pitch
and putt, compact course with three par-3 holes, friendly clubhouse,
pro shop, locker room and restaurant with extensive terrace –
also open to the non-golfing public – the Lake Millstatt golf
club leaves nothing to be desired.
Its front nine is spread over three different levels, with a waterfall
and a seven-metre-high rock face providing spectacular variety and
challenge. The back nine takes players higher up onto the plateau,
overlooking the mountains and the lake and is flatter, but longer.
The course has hosted the PGA European Challenge Tour several times,
an honour proving that it meets the highest standards, while its
sunny situation means that it can stay open from March to November.
The Paul Thompson Golf School is also available for expert instruction
using the latest teaching methods, has one of the best practice
grounds in Austria. Over 30 hotels in the area, founding members
of the Millstätter See Golf Club, offer attractive golf packages
and green fee reductions of 20% for guests.
For further information:
Golfanlage Millstätter See, Am Golfplatz 1, A-9872 Millstatt
Web: http://www.golfland.kaernten.at/millstaettersee/?LAid=1
E-mail: gcmillstatt@golf.at
Telephone: +43 (0)4762 82548
Return to map of Carinthia
2. Bad Kleinkirchheim-Reichenau: Franz Klammer’s favourite
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Franz Klammer |
Sixty kilometres north west of Klagenfurt in the middle of the
Nock Mountains is the popular ski and spa resort of Bad Kleinkirchheim.
Here, ten years ago, Don Harradine designed an elongated, demanding
championship course to suit the alpine valley terrain. It is also
the golfing home of former skier and 1976 Olympic gold medallist
in the Downhill, Franz Klammer. He is particularly fond of Bad Kleinkirchheim
because the fifth hole runs parallel to the K70, the downhill run
where he notched up his first international success at a European
Cup race in 1971.
As the highest altitude golf course in Carinthia, Bad Kleinkirchheim-Reichenau
boasts a pleasant climate even in the hot summer months. At par
72 and a hilly 6,074 metres long (6,643 yards), the spectacular
“Kaiserburg” championship course covers 60 hectares (148
acres) of the narrow Bad Kleinkirchheim valleyand is set out in
a figure of eight loop.
Lush and moderately hilly, it starts off with a 441-metre par five
and you have to decide whether to risk driving over the stream that
runs across the fairway just about where the ball would land. Once
you have overcome this initial obstacle, eight beautifully open
holes will stretch out before you. But beware: if you don’t
know the course, you’re in for a few surprises. Water hazards
lie in wait on many of the fairways, which you only really see when
you’re right in front of them. It helps to keep the ball below
the hole, as the greens are quick and often slope away, and are
quite difficult to read. No wonder then that most visitors manage
much better on their second round; it helps to know, especially
at the sixth and seventh, exactly where the ponds and bunkers are!
Caution is also called for at holes 10, 11, 17 and 18 which Harradine
has made very narrow and extended into the forest.
A cosy clubhouse with a tiled stove, a gourmet restaurant and a
separate golf school welcome both beginners and experts. As you
never really master golf, you’ll often meet Franz Klammer at
the large practice ground, which even has its own six-hole course.
Head Pro Gary Foster and his team teach beginners and the advanced
with the help of video analysis and a swing simulator.
The resort is also home to a famous spa.
For further information:
Bad Kleinkirchheimer Freizeitanlagen GmbH, Schneerosenweg 5, A-9546
Bad Kleinkirchheim
Web: http://www.golfland.kaernten.at/badkleinkirchheim/?LAid=1
E-mail: golf@ski-thermen.com
Telephone: +43 (0)4240 8282
Return to map of Carinthia
3. Alpe Adria Golf Schloss Finkenstein Golf Course
Opened in May 2005, the new 18-hole panorama course right next to
Villach and Lake Faaker in the municipality of Finkenstein offers
scenic and challenging play for golfers of all abilities. The gently
undulating course without any significant inclines offers a breathtaking
view of the Karawanken Mountains. Wide fairways give an opportunity
to open the shoulders while six harmoniously situated ponds add
to the overall atteactiveness of this course.
A professional golf school, practice greens and the 250 metre driving
range guarantee effective golf instruction for golfers of all levels.
The “Schloss Finkenstein” clubhouse features a restaurant,
a park terrace, the club office and a golf shop with a pleasant,
friendly tmosphere and first class service.
For further information:
Alpe-Adria Golf Schloss Finkenstein, Schlossrainweg 8, A-9585 Gödersdorf
Web: http://www.golfland.kaernten.at/finkenstein/?LAid=1
E-mail: office@gcfinkenstein.at
Telephone: +43 (0)4257 29201
Return to map of Carinthia
4. Velden-Köstenberg: always on top
Overlooking Velden, Lake Wörth’s smart resort, famous
not least for its Schloss Hotel of TV fame, lies Velden Golf Club
on the sunny slopes near the village of Köstenberg. It offers
challenging golf in beautiful surroundings with ancient trees and
numerous ponds dotted around, as well as three hills giving elevation
changes of up to 50 metres. If that should sound a little too strenuous,
you can always enjoy the scenery from the comfort of a buggy.
The Velden course is 6,152 metres long (6,728 yards) and covers
an area of 80 hectares (198 acres). Facilities include a driving
range and a pitch and putt course, providing plenty of scope for
keen golfers to work on their game. The famous tenth hole is one
of the finest in Europe, both in terms of the landscape and technical
skill required. The golf course offers fast greens and standards
of maintenance that are rarely matched. The golf school is home
to four pros, led by the recently appointed Nottinghamshire-born
head pro Shaun Case, who will be delighted to teach beginners the
basics of the game and help turn good players into experts.
For further information:
Golfanlage Velden Köstenberg, Golfweg 41, A-9231 Köstenberg
Web: http://www.golfvelden.at/
E-mail: golf-velden@golfktn.at
Telephone: +43 (0)4274 7045
Return to map of Carinthia
5. Pörtschach: a test of sporting skill
The Pörtschach-Moosburg golf club is set in beautiful undulating
countryside about three kilometres from Lake Wörth. It is the
second longest 18-hole course in Carinthia at 6,216 metres (6,798
yards) with a par and SSS of 72, as well as a 9-hole par 35 course.
The 27 fairways are located on a high plateau overlooking the lake,
nestled among gently rolling hills, right in the centre of the “Schwarzes
Moos” jewel of natural beauty. The European Institute of Golf
Course Architects has even awarded it the highest accolade - Premier
European Golf Course. - for its attractive design carefully integrated
into the natural surroundings.
A true test of golfing skill, average players should nevertheless
not be put off, as it remains very fair. The hazards are however
strategically placed so even top players have to think very carefully
about how to approach one or two of the trickier greens.
Gently rolling fairways, lovely old trees, pools, ponds and open
holes with sweeping views of the surrounding countryside ensure
plenty of variety - and possibly consolation - during your game.
If you manage an eagle by the ninth, the Eagle Bar is the perfect
place to celebrate. After the eighteenth, you have to walk back
a short way, past the target golf area with its eight different
tees and pitch and putt, to the 19th hole, the clubhouse with restaurant
and inviting terrace.
Both novices and experienced players can pick up a few tips at
the Golf Academy attached to the course, which boasts seven international
pros, 24 covered tees and five public practice holes, beside the
pitching and putting area.
For further information:
Golfanlage Moosburg-Pörtschach, Golfstraße 2, A-9062
Moosburg
Web: http://www.golfland.kaernten.at/moosburg/?LAid=1
E-mail: moosburg@golfktn.at
Telephone: +43 (0)4272 83486
Return to map of Carinthia
6. Klagenfurt-Seltenheim: the King of courses
The Klagenfurt-Seltenheim Golf Club, with its 27 holes, is located
just a few minutes’ drive from the centre of the provincial
capital, Klagenfurt. Here golfers will find a high concentration
of different styles: on the championship course the characteristics
of a Scottish links are combined with American-style fairways, excellent
greens and scenic rough. Water also plays a prominent role from
holes 1 to 18 – reminding you constantly that Carinthia is
the land of lakes.
The challenging 18-hole, par 72/SSS 73, 6,426 metre (7,027 yards)
championship course - the longest in the country - was also the
European premiere of one of the world’s finest golf course
designers, Perry O. Dye, son of the legendary Pete Dye. Here in
Klagenfurt the American has created a symbiosis between golf and
the countryside which puts even international pros to the test,
but which, with its eight sets of tees, can offer a pleasing golf
experience to any level of player.
Nestling in the densely wooded hills a little higher up above the
18th is the charming 5,860 metre (6,408 yards) par 72/SSS 71 nine-hole
Romantic Course. A driving range with covered tees, public seven-hole
pitch & putt, chipping and pitching area, and two putting greens
round off the facilities. Dogs on leads are permitted on this course.
For further information:
Golfanlage Klagenfurt-Seltenheim, Seltenheimer Straße 137,
A-9061 Klagenfurt
Web: http://www.golfland.kaernten.at/seltenheim/?LAid=1
E-mail: office@gcseltenheim.at
Telephone: +43 (0)463 40223
Return to map of Carinthia
7. Klopeiner See-Turnersee: mountain panormas and not to be
underestimated
If you head east from the Carinthian capital of Klagenfurt, you
will soon come to the turnoff for Lake Klopein, one of Carinthia’s
warmest recreational lakes. On hot summer days the water can easily
reach a temperature of 28 degrees Celsius. It is also the road to
the golf course, just a few minutes’ drive from Lake Klopein
and next to another small, idyllic lake, Turnersee.
Klopein boasts the most beautiful panoramic mountain view of all
the golf courses in Carinthia; after your round, the view to the
Hochobir, Petzen and Steiner Alpen summits can ideally be savoured
over a drink from the terrace at the 19th.
This relatively new course is now well established. The trees lining
the fairways have grown quite tall, making the course look more
like a huge park. Although designed to be physically not overly
strenuous with its gently undulating terrain, the technical demands
the course makes on players are tougher than they appear at first
glance. Although the fairways are quite wide and open, the greens
are guarded by well-placed bunkers which will catch out the unsuspecting.
It was here at Klopein that Franz Klammer played the best round
of his life when he got back to the clubhouse at one under par.
Klopeiner See-Turnersee is also unusual in combining sport and
the arts – fourteen sculptures created by thirteen renowned
artists are on display around the course.
For further information:
Golfanlage Klopeiner See-Turnersee, Grabelsdorf 94, A-9122 St. Kanzian
Web: http://www.golfland.kaernten.at/klopeinersee/?LAid=1
E-mail: office@golfklopein.at
Telephone: +43 (0)4239 3800
Return to map of Carinthia
8. Wolfsberg-Hattendorf: charming countryside
It is almost exactly 170 kilometres from Carinthia’s most
westerly course, Draugolf, to its most easterly, the family-owned
Wolfsberg. Located in the scenic Lavant Valley, it has grown from
a driving range and a couple of holes into a real nine-hole compact
course which boasts two par-four holes.
While ideal for beginners, just because Hattendorf is "only"
a compact course doesn’t mean to say that it’s easy going
all the way round. If you want a half decent score, you need to
play an accurate game and choose the right irons. For the two par-four
holes, it’s a good idea to take your woods with you, but only
if you’re sure you won’t slice or hook.
But perhaps the best hole of all at Hattendorf is the nineteenth!
Housed in converted stables, the restaurant serves excellent Carinthian
specialities. It's also worth knowing that the partially enclosed
driving range even allows players to practice with free balls!
For further information:
Golfanlage Wolfsberg, Hattendorf 25, A-9411 St. Michael/Lavanttal
Web: http://www.golfland.kaernten.at/wolfsberg/?LAid=1
E-mail: gcwolfsberg@golf.at
Telephone: +43 (0)4352 61688
Return to map of Carinthia
9. Tarvisio Golf Country Club (in Italy)
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Tarvisio G&CC |
The Golf Club of Tarvisio is situated on the beautiful borders of
Italy, Austria and Slovenija. It offers tourists the magnificent
scenery of the Eastern Alps, filled with large forests and scenic
mountain tops.
For further information:
Via Priesnig, 5 33018 Tarvisio (UD)
Web: http://www.golftarvisio.com/gb/index.htm
E-mail: golftarvisio@libero.it
Telephone: +39 (0)428 2047
Return to map of Carinthia
10. Grado Golf and Country Club (in Italy)
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Grado Golf and Country Club |
This charming but challenging course is set around a lagoon with
a number of doglegs, several island greens and numerous water hazards,
as well as abundant bunkering and undulating greens. Although not
very long at 5,746 metres (6,284 yards), certain holes will favour
the bigger hitters, but only if they're very straight!
For further information:
Via Monfalcone 27, I-34073 GRADO (GO)
Web: http://www.tenuta-primero.com/index2.php/lingua=uk
E-mail: golf@tenuta-primero.com
Telephone: +39 (0)431 896 896
Return to map of Carinthia
11. Bled Golf and Country Club (in Slovenia)
Bled Golf and Country Club - l to r: aerial view, the King's
Course and The Lake Course |
The championship 18 hole King's Course, re-designed in 1972 by
Donald Harradine, and the 9 hole Lake Course spread over almost
a hundred hectares of land. They are distinguished by a luxurious
sense of space and the generous arrangement of their playing areas.
The exceptional natural surroundings make each hole a unique experience.
The Bled golf course has further promoted its environmental awareness
through joining to the international environmental protection project
for golf courses called also Committed to Green.
Bled Golf Course is 47 km from the Slovenian capital Ljubljana,
mostly by motorway, which means just over half an hour's drive.
For further information:
Web: http://www.golf.bled.si/
E-mail: info@golf.bled.si
Telephone: +386 (0)4537 7711
Return to map of Carinthia
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For further information, or to order the
free Golfland Kärnten catalogue and discover the full range
of hotels, packages and golf clubs, you can contact Golfland Kärnten
in any of the following ways:
Kärnten Tourist Office
Casinoplatz 1
9220 Velden
Tel. +43 (0)463 3000
Fax: +43 (0)4274 52100-50
Web:
http://www.carinthia-info.at
E-mail: info@kaernten.at
Photo credits:
© Welcome to Golfland Kärnten
- Golf In Austria
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