Around Malmö, Helsingborg and Kristianstad, Eu- More Than 25 Courses Within Half an Hour of Malmö Ropean Tour and Super-Courses Such As the PGA Alone

Skåne has one of Europe’s highest densities of golf courses. From the centre of Skåne, you are just a 50 minute drive away from around 70 courses. pick and choose from a variety of golf courses which will satisfy your mind and expectations depending on what mood you are in.

Around Malmö, Helsingborg and Kristianstad, Eu- more than 25 courses within half an hour of Malmö ropean Tour and super-courses such as the PGA alone. Equally well-placed is Helsingborg. And National sit alongside friendly, tranquil golf clubs. we’re talking about clubs and courses at the top of This is the perfect holiday at almost unbeatable the list for any enthusiast. Courses which play host prices, thanks to the favourable exchange rate. to the European Tour, the Challenge tournament Over the course of a long weekend, you could eas- and Swedish competitions. Clubs which, in recent ily play at five of Sweden’s top courses or alternate years, have built ultra-modern courses alongside the between European Tour favourites and former roy- old classic, prestigious courses. al park courses, or combine authentic links courses Those situated along the west and south coasts with exciting beech forest and woodland courses, are usually open all year round. The green where every hole is like a lush green cathedral. You fee is normally around 450 SEK for a whole day. can stay at old mansions and eat gourmet food Many clubs have arrangements with hotels and can ...or at seaside resorts where beautiful beaches are offer golf packages with reduced green fees. The next door to the golf course quality of these golf courses is consistently high, ...or opt for a golf package combining the entertain- and it is as difficult to grade them as it is to pick ment of the city with the game just one or two dishes from a Swedish smorgasbord. or... Imagine what you could get up to if you had a It’s all down to personal preferences. Nevertheless, week to explore the region! here are some tips, taking Malmö, Helsingborg and From the centre of Skåne you can reach around Kristianstad as starting points. 70 golf courses in 50 minutes. You’ll find

1 THE MALMÖ AREA - links and resorts

Malmö is considered to be one of the best golfing the wind, and beach grass which can force you to centres in Sweden. In fact, outside the British Isles, make difficult choices when it comes to which club this is one of the leading golfing centres in the whole to use. This course has often been ranked among the of northern Europe. Here you will find excellent top ten in Europe outside the British Isles by Golf communications, two airports, a large city with a World. Falsterbo used to host major tournaments charming old centre, a wealth of entertainment, a regularly, one of which saw the participation of the location close to the coast resorts and three of SwE- Prince of Wales in 1932. In more recent years, the den’s top 10 golf courses. PLM Open was also played here; the tournament Twenty minutes north of Malmö is Barsebäck, later changed its name to the Scandinavian Masters. classed as the best golf course in Sweden for many The course is even better now than during its hey- years. The course has been highly praised by the day, since all the greens and green areas have been Solheim Cup players, and certainly put the Eu- relaid and modernised. ropean Tour ladies and US perennial star Natalie Next door to Falsterbo Golf Club is Flommen Gulbis to the test when playing Annika Sörenstam Golf Club – more seaside than links, with water fea- on her home turf. The European Tour and Sol- turing at virtually every hole. It has been said that heim Cup course, the Masters Course, begins with a on paper the course resembles a map of the few holes in the shade of a pinewood forest, before Stockholm archipelago. Unlike the slightly exclusive opening up with a short hole straight out towards Falsterbo, Flommen is definitely a family course. the Öresund Sound, followed by three open coastal Somewhere in between the two is Ljunghusen Golf meadow holes right by the water’s edge, before re- Club, in the middle of Näset. The main challenge turning to the forest. Alongside the tour course is another 18- hole course of a similar standard. The course offers ac- commodation at Järavallens Conference & Country Club, which has villas, a restaurant, an indoor swim- ming pool, a table tennis room and other facilities. Those in search of an exclusive experience should carry on south past Malmö to Falsterbonä- set, a tongue of land which points towards Den- mark. Three extremely interesting courses are laid out here. Falsterbo Golf Club, at the southern tip, is Sweden’s only 18-hole golf links. This is a true Scottish-style course, up against the sand dunes right next to the sea. The challenges here include © FALSTERBO GK Falsterbo golfbana

2 © MICHAEL DENKER PGA National of Sweden

on this open course is the wind, but many of the 27 and training areas. Both courses, lakes and links, has holes are more moorland than seaside in character. been designed by Kyle Philips, the American course The soil is sandy, but with plenty of heathland too. architect who created the world-class Kingsbarns Golf Digest consistently ranks the course as one of Golf Club near St Andrews. The PGA National of the top five in Sweden. Sweden will host the European Tour Competition With a bit of planning you can try all three Nordea Masters in 2014 and 2015. courses in two days. And for those who would like On the outskirts of Malmö’s residential areas, to sample some traditional Skåne food and accom- there are ten or so more high-quality park courses modation, we recommend Skanörs with a friendly club atmosphere just a short taxi ride Gästis from which you can walk to two of the cours- from the hotels in the city centre. es. This is a classic inn – with a crossing for geese! Alternatively, the more modern Gässlingen Hotel also offers golf packages. Ten minutes outside Malmö lies Bokskogen Golf Club which, with its two 18-hole courses, marks a return to top-flight golf. The club hosted the Eu- ropean Tour before it moved to Barsebäck. The ladies’ tour still likes to visit the old course, a modernised park course with classic characteristics. The new course has an entirely different layout. It’s hilly, open and has marked water-holes. Next to Bokskogen you will find the PGA Swe- den National Golf Resort with two 18-hole courses

3 YSTAD - city of detective stories and castle golf

45 minutes from Malmö, on the south coast of over Skåne through a viceroy who was allowed Skåne, is the town of Ystad, home to charming to build a castle at Lake Häckeberga. Just like the streets of half-timbered houses and Inspector Wal- mighty power of Denmark, the first castle went up lander. In this idyllic environment Wallander has in smoke during the ensuing Swedish-Danish wars. solved many a murder case. Thankfully, Wallander But the location was ideal, and when the aristo- is the fictional character in Henning Mankell’s de- cratic Tham family took ownership of the grounds, tective stories, so the mysteries are solved in books they soon built a new castle on the same spot. The and on TV. present owner has converted the castle into a cosy The golf course is outside the town and is some- hotel with a gourmet restaurant and beautiful gar- thing of a hidden gem. It is laid out on sandy soil dens. The castle’s English country style is perfect next to one of southern Skåne’s most popular for golf trips – you’ll feel right at home in your plus beaches. The course is a wonderful mixture of open four knickerbockers, your checked jersey and your seaside and park. You may want to stay at the ro- peaked cap, just like a character out of a PG Wode- mantic 18th century Sekelgården built in the famil- house novel. Of course, it’s up to you whether you iar halftimbered style, or at the classic Continental, retire after dinner with a cognac or a whisky to one located in the old town centre of Ystad. of the leather armchairs in front of the open fire. True connoisseurs will be delighted to discover a Romeleåsen Golf Club is located about six kilo- 16th century castle between Ystad and Malmö. The metres from the castle. This is an 18-hole hilly park Danish King Kristian II celebrated his coronation course with a few water hazards and differs signifi- in Stockholm by having the cream of the Swedish cantly from the other south-coast courses. nobility beheaded and establishing his stronghold

4 AROUND HELSINGBORG - Sweden´s biggest course to date

Vasatorp, Rya and Söderåsen have made Helsing- The tennis mecca of Båstad, on the Bjäre Peninsula borg a modern, world-class golfing centre. Vasatorp north of Helsingborg, has British entrepreneurs and – with its three 18-hole championship-class courses the Nobel family to thank for having become a golf- is the biggest course in the country. The Ladies’ Eu- ing centre. In the 1920s, Ludvig Nobel, the nephew ropean Tour 2014 and 2015 will be played at Tour- of Alfred Nobel, who invented dynamite and found- nament Course. ed the Nobel Prize, owned a hotel in the community that attracted British guests. They wanted to play golf and Ludvig often had to pay for taxis to take © MICHAEL DENKER them to the links in Falsterbo 120 kilometres south of Båstad. “We can’t keep this up,” said Ludvig, who realised what was to be gained from having a golf course on site. So he bought up a couple of farms and contracted the English architect’s prac- tice Hawtree & Taylor to build a course in 1930. Many Swedish aristocrats became members of the club, not necessarily because they played golf but because Ludvig more or less forced them to join. Be- fore long, King Gustav VI Adolf and Prince Bertil became avid players. Vasatorp golfbana The old course is still a typical British park course – short, rather tricky, a bit hilly with no water-holes. And if that’s not enough, Söderåsen’s exciting The club’s new course, designed by Tommy Nord- woodland course and Rya’s seaside course, with its ström, features 18 tricky holes on open terrain, with fantastic holes straight out towards the water, are views across the sea and a number of small water just a few minutes away. The fact that you can then hazards. If you’re brave enough to take on the chal- round off the day with a trip out onto the Öresund lenge of both courses in one day, you should start Sound is just one of the benefits of playing here at with the old course. There are also four more cours- one of Skåne’s most fashionable towns. es on the Bjäre Peninsula.

5 MÖLLE - home of the beach bunny

Further south toward Helsingborg, against a back- A few kilometres from Mölle and just 20 kilometres ground of Kullaberg Nature Reserve and with the from Helsingborg is St Arild’s Golf Club. Here, Öresund Sound, is the beach resort of Mölle. This an exquisite layout combines moorland, park and was where the Swedish beach bunny first saw the woodland holes. Each year, this course moves fur- light of day at the turn of the twentieth century, ther up in the Swedish rankings. when an unknown beauty posed in a bathing suit If you really want to squeeze the most out of for a photo which in those days was seen as quite the northwest corner of Skåne, you will find an au- scandalous. thentic Scottish links course immediately north of Golf has been played here since the end of the the town. Helsingborg Golf Club in Viken may only war on the plateau overlooking the Sound and the have nine holes, but it is well worth a visit. The holes beach bunnies. You get a feel of the moor here, with here are closely packed, with some crossing over some park characteristics thrown in. Swedish golf each other, but they are just a few metres away from experts have voted the Mölle greens to be the best in the beach. The soil here is sandy, with sand dunes Sweden. Alongside the club, just 75 metres from the and heathland in the line of play. It’s worth spend- first tee, is the idyllic Kullagårdens Wärdshus, which ing a couple of hours here, if only to experience has 12 guest rooms and an excellent restaurant. Per- playing on a real links course. fect for a whole day of golf.

Mölle golfklubb

6 KRISTIANSTAD - the ladies´ favourite

Skåne’s third golf centre is in Kristianstad and offers familiar surroundings. Degeberga Stugby holiday six very different courses, three of which are among village and its youth hostel offer good-value accom- the finest in the whole of Sweden. Kristianstad Golf modation if you are looking for an alternative to the Club in Åhus has become something of a super- hotels in Kristianstad. course. The old sandy-soiled moorland and wood- North of Kristianstad is what could be Skåne’s land course has always been one of the top courses most challenging golf course: Östra Göinge. Here, in Sweden, but golf course and landscape architect in the heart of Snapphane country, where peasants Tommy Nordström has improved a number of the who were sympathetic toward the Danish cause holes, making this an absolutely top-class course. waged guerrilla warfare against the Swedes, you will The top players in the Swedish women’s league find a real challenge set amidst the countryside of often list the course as the best in the country. Since northwest Skåne. You can play among oak groves, 2006, the club has boasted another course of the over hills and fields, and along the River Helge Å. same high quality as the old course, and with the The middle of the course is home to a hill where same sandy soil and pinewood forests. This is an Stone Age man held rituals and had a burial ground. even bigger challenge from the back tee than the old If you climb up the water tower next to the course. course, you will be rewarded with views over much The Åhus courses have met with local competi- of the Snapphane country. Not far from here is tion in the form of Degeberga- Widtsköfle, south of where the Snapphane attacked the followers of the Kristianstad. This is a small Scottish-style master- Swedish king and plundered their war chest, which piece, designed by Tommy Nordström. It is a highly was found buried in this area near the border be- challenging heathland course on sandy soil, amid tween Skåne and Småland.

7 ÖSTERLEN - a continental corner of Skåne

In the southeast corner of Skåne, you will find Swe- ways with well-placed obstacles to keep golfers on den’s answer to Provence and Tuscany: Österlen. their toes, and a splendid green area which is ideal This is the summer playground of many of Stock- for sharpshooting and chip-and-run shots. In fact, holm’s rich and famous, and boasts superb golfing the course puts each of the clubs in your bag to facilities right next to the Baltic. the challenge – a challenge you’ll want to return to Österlen Golf Club in Lilla Vik features two again and again. 18-hole courses, each with its own individual char- Elisefarm, in the heart of Skåne, has become acter. The old course is closest to the coast, and of- another popular weekend destination for the re- fers splendid views from many of the holes. One of gion’s demanding golfers. This is a classic English- the holes is played through an apple orchard. The style heathland course, designed by Martin Haw- course is a floral paradise in the early summer, and a tree. Here, you can stay in a manor house right on riot of fruit and colour as autumn approaches. The the golf course. When it was opened, the course was new course, which lies alongside the old course, has ranked as one of the ten best new courses in the undulating terrain and exciting water holes. whole of Europe. Österlen’s other main golfing attraction is Tome- But let us not forget Skåne’s classic inland jew- lilla, a thrilling challenge which begins by lulling els, where you can get away from the crowds and players into a false sense of security during the first enjoy personal service: Vittsjö’s woodland wonder- half, before mercilessly beating back those who fail land park course, Perstorp’s high-class woodland to plan their game with care. This really is one of course, Woodlands celebrated course in Örkeljunga Skåne’s most challenging courses! with its fantastic short holes among the oak trees, Most of these courses are close to the coast and Eslöv, Kävlinge and Lund with their rich variety of the holiday resorts with everything they have to of- courses... In fact, we’d love to mention every one of fer. These are the obvious choice if you want plenty Skåne’s golf courses. The problem is, there are so of courses on your doorstep. But if you drive to many of them! Sjöbo – just 30 minutes by car from Malmö – you’ll find a course which proved to be an instant hit with Skåne’s most discerning golfers when it opened. At Sjöbo Golf Club, you’ll find 18 holes set in the heart of a sandy-soiled forest. At each hole, the mature trees seem to form the walls of a mighty cathedral. When Golf Digest published a glowing review of the course, it described it as “18 rooms with kitchen facilities”. And the layout is perfect: very broad fair-

8 I

Skåne is at the centre of the Öresund- region and is easily accessible by air, road or water. From Copenhagen Airport it is only a 20 minutes ride to Malmö with train or car and once you arrive it is very easy to get around. And it is possible to reach just about any destination in Skåne within an hour.

Båstad Hässleholm Höganäs Bromölla Helsingborg Höör

Kristandstad SKÅNE

Copenhagen Lund Sjöbo

Simrishamn Malmö Ystad Trelleborg

020406080 100 km