A few resorts in the Alps offer superb golf in the summer and great skiing in the winter. You might even be able to do both on the same trip late in the ski season. Anyone for apres-tee?
Crans-Sur-Sierre Golf Club, Switzerland
Crans-Sur-Sierre Golf Club in the ski resort of Crans-Montana is set in the spectacular Swiss Alps and boasts courses designed by Seve Ballesteros and Jack Nickalus. Seve’s course has amazing views of Mont Blanc and the Matterhorn and hosts the Omega European Masters on the DP World Tour. It has to be one of the most incredible settings for a tournament on the planet, and Jack’s 9-hole course matches it for beauty. Crans-Montana is also a ski resort composed of 140 km pistes, a snow park, and even summer skiing at the Plaine-Morte glacier, so you can play golf and ski on the same day.
Evian Resort Golf Club, France
Located in southeastern France on Lake Geneva, Evian Resort Golf Club is home to two luxury hotels, the five-star Palace Hôtel Royal and four-star Hotel Ermitage. The former serves up sumptuous Michelin-star dining. The resort also boats the beautiful Lakes Course, and The Championship Course which hosts the Amundi Evian Championship, one of the five major championships on the LPGA Tour.
It’s one of the most beautiful golf courses in Europe. Both are open for play in November, February and March when you can also ski. The closest ski resorts of Thollon-les-Memises and Bernex are just 15 minutes from the hotels. Les Portes du Soleil, with 300 runs, is the largest ski area in Europe and just 50 minutes away.
Four Seasons Hotel Megève, France
This five-star resort is set in the glorious alpine playground of Megève, a ski resort village in the Alps of southeastern France. The rooms have incredible mountain views and there’s Le 1920, a famous Michelin two-star restaurant. The resort overlooks Mont d’Arbois Golf Course, designed by three-time Open champion Sir Henry Cotton. It’s one of the finest alpine golf courses in the world, and just a few minutes drive away. The Mont D’Arbois golf season is from about mid May through to October. Cable cars cross at either end of the course, as in winter parts of the layout are a ski run.
In 2019, Four Seasons announced the opening of a new five-star property, Les Chalets du Mont d’Arbois, Megève, also offering Michelin-starred dining and close proximity to the ski slopes.
Megève is also a ski destination in the French Alps with over 130 runs that total 445 km. The hotel grounds also have more than 30 km cross-country trails. You can also go on a Heli-Ski Safari for a truly unique day out. Take off aboard a helicopter from Megève altiport, just five minutes from both hotels, and enjoy the best snow in the Alps in Courmayer, Flaine, Courchevel or Val d’Isère.
Grand Tirolia Hotel & Spa, Austria
This five-star lap of luxury is located in Kitzbühel, one of Austria’s oldest and grandest ski resorts which hosts the famous World Cup downhill race each year, the legendary Hahnenkamm Race. Nestled beneath the majestic peaks of the Austrian Alps is the Eichenheim Championship Golf Course, designed by Kyle Phillips in 2000, arguably Austria’s best golf course. It’s beautiful with steep cliffs, natural streams and deciduous forests.
Its clubhouse forms part of the Grand Tirolia Hotel and Spa. Three more championship courses: Kitzbühel Kaps, Rasmushof and Kitzbühel-Schwarzsee-Reith, are nearby. The Eichenheim course opens in April, when you might even be able to enjoy some late-season, high-altitude skiing.
