7 Must-Play Courses Within 70 Miles of Copenhagen

Denmark might not synonymous with fantastic golf but you’d be surprised by how many great courses are within easy reach of the country’s beautiful capital, Copenhagen.

It isn’t just Denmark‘s top course, the Scandinavian club, that is likely to make a visit to the beautiful maritime city unforgettable.

Make the trip across the Øresund Bridge and you will find a golfer’s mecca across the border in Malmo. With no less than five courses in the continent’s Top 100, the thriving Swedish city is a destination to rival Europe’s finest golfing hotspots.

If you’re looking for a summer golf escape to remember, you may want to consider playing at these fantastic courses:

PGA of Sweden National

Ranked #6 in Sweden on All Square

Kyle Phillips involvement in a course’s design is normally a sure sign of its quality. This is certainly the case at the PGA of Sweden National, which after ten years in the planning process, opened to much acclaim in 2009. With 45-holes of Phillips’ design at the resort, just outside Malmo, it’s little surprise that the PGA of Sweden is one of the country’s premier golf resorts.

The original design, the Links, is more reminiscent of a Scottish seaside course than a layout typically found in Scandinavia. Nonetheless, despite the huge amount of earth moved in the building process, it retains an extremely natural feel.

The acclaimed designer was also the mastermind behind the Lakes course, which opened for play a year later and rivals the Links as the resort’s best layout. Ranked among Europe’s top 100 courses, the designs look set to rise further as they mature.

Located just outside Malmo, the acclaimed complex is easily accessible from across Sweden and Denmark, as well as Northern Europe.

Scandinavian Golf Club

Ranked #1 in Denmark on All Square

It’s hard to believe that Denmark’s top golf facility was formerly a military base.

The Scandinavian is located just 25 minutes outside the capital Copenhagen and is home to two of Europe’s finest layouts. The resort has not one, but two courses ranked in the Top 70 Courses in Continental Europe.

Robert Trent Jones Architects were the mastermind behind both layouts. The Old Course, which opened a year before its sister course in 2010, is the finer of the two offerings. An ingenious layout, the design plays illusions with the golfer throughout. For example, on the 10th two sand traps are made to appear like one huge, and somewhat intimidating, bunker. It is a scary sight.

The New Course is also one of Denmark’s best courses. Tree-lined fairways, plenty of water hazards and excellent draining soil characterise the layout.

Barsebäck Golf and Country Club

Ranked #5 in Sweden on All Square

Situated on the west coast of Sweden, just 20km north of Malmo, lies this stunning former Solheim Cup host.

With 36-holes of fabulous golf at Barsebäck Golf and Country Club, few golfers tire of playing at this glorious resort. The Masters course, which would be the scene of a dramatic European victory back in 2003, is a varied and challenging affair. The course begins by carving its way through dense woodland before opening up on the back-nine to offer some fabulous sea views and some seriously tough holes pressed hard against the Oresund.

The shorter Donald Steel course may not have the championship pedigree. Nonetheless, the Donald Steel is a charming course that should not be overlooked on a visit to the resort. The home club of 2016 Open Champion Henrik Stenson, Barsebäck has also staged the Scandinavian Masters on numerous occasions.

Royal Golf Club

Ranked #14 in Denmark on All Square

Located just 3km outside Copenhagen city centre, this Ron Kirby design is a great choice for those with limited time on their hands. Since opening for play in 2010, the championship venue has twice hosted the European Challenge Tour and despite its central location sits in a beautiful parkland spot.

With a variety of tee options, the Royal Golf Club Championship Course is the perfect challenge for the better player and the best opportunity for the regular golfer to improve.

The club also features an ultra-modern clubhouse complete with a vibrant restaurant, a fitness centre, and luxury locker rooms with sauna.

Falsterbo Golf Club

Ranked #34 in Continental Europe on All Square

Founded in 1909, Falsterbo Golf Club is the third oldest club in Sweden and is home to one of the only authentic links in Continental Europe. The club is afforded a fabulous location on the Falsterbo peninsula in an area of natural beauty popular with birdwatchers.

It’s hard not to be transported back to one of the finest British links. With the Baltic Sea on three sides, the wind is always a factor. The regular gusts exacerbate the challenge posed by the penal rough and white sandy beaches which form one of the course’s primary hazards.

There is a collection of fantastic holes on the layout. Nowhere more so than the par-5 18th, where the sandy beach runs along the entire length of the hole.

Vasatorps Golfklubb

Ranked #8 in Sweden on All Square

With 54 fantastic holes, Vasatorps Golfklubb is one of Sweden’s most exciting golf venues. Another Swedish resort easily accessible from the Danish capital, Vasatorps has been hosting championship golf as far back as the 70’s. Located just east of Helsingborg, the stunning venue has seen the likes of Seve Ballesteros and Greg Norman claim European Tour titles on its immaculate fairways. In 2008 the new TC course opened specifically with tournament golf in mind. Formed of nine remodelled holes and nine new designs, the new layout is now the crown jewel at the resort.

While the TC is now ranked as one of Sweden’s best courses, the Classic is a more traditional test, with water featuring prominently throughout.

Rya Golfklubb

Rya Golfklubb is one of the oldest and most picturesque layouts in Sweden. The club is located on the shores of the Öresund with views across the strait to Denmark. With panoramic views of the Sound from no fewer than ten holes, Rya is undoubtedly one of the most spectacular layouts in Scandinavia. The course serves up a fantastic variety of seaside and parkland holes. Many of which place a precedence on accuracy. Nowhere more so than the short par-5 8^th, recently voted the best golf hole in Sweden by Golf Digest.

Rya is not a championship course. Nonetheless it a beautiful and fun place to enjoy a round of golf.

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