- GOLF AND GASTRONOMY

It should come as no great surprise that in a country whose sporting favourites include skiing and walking, golf has become a popular and omni-present summer adjunct to winter sporting activities.

For some reason, however, Austria still figures all too rarely as the focal point for a golfing destination for players from other European countries – in particular, the UK. This is a lamentable oversight and if, like many others, you too have not considered this strikingly beautiful country as a golfing destination, then you are definitively missing out.

There are more than 150 courses scattered throughout the Golf Clubs of the eight Austrian provinces and while albeit some are only 9 holes, many offer 27 and 36, making choice of destinations wide and varied. In any event, you will always play in idyllic surroundings on courses which not only vary from parkland to downright mountainous, but are welcoming and invariably maintained to the highest possible standards of upkeep.

This is a country where you will find a generosity of spirit, coupled with a particular hospitality which is not quite like any other and is just very special. Regional gastronomy is a matter of pride and always of an exceptionally high standard. Couple that with the variety and quality of locally-produced wines, and you have the perfect recipe for an unforgettable holiday.

If golf is not the be-all and end-all for you, ease of travel around the country makes Austria an enviable destination in which to practise the sport, in combination with some leisurely sightseeing. International airports are available at the capital, , and 5 further cities (, , Klagenfurt, , ) throughout the country making access to any one particular region purely a matter of personal selection.

While the attractions offered by the capital, Vienna, long-since famous for its music and culture, are all too well documented, Graz - capital of the Styrian Province – also enjoys a considerable reputation for music, theatre and the arts.

Virtually mid-way between these two cities, in impressive, pine-clad countryside, lies the town of Bad Tatzmannsdorf, famous for its curative thermal springs. Here, set high upon a hill overlooking the surrounding countryside, you will find the idyllic Reiter’s Burgenland Golf & Country Club Resort.

Supreme Hotel, from lst hole

In addition to 18 Championship holes of golf, the Resort offers a 9-hole facility, for beginners or experienced players alike, a David Leadbetter Academy with customised Callaway golf clubs fitting, children and juniors’ coaching and all-weather practice area -Golfodrom - all at extremely competitive prices.

The first two holes are clearly visible from the hotel – they appear benign – even welcoming - but strategically belie the magnificent challenge which lies beyond! Do not be led into a false sense of security….this is a course to test the most experienced player, but which – with careful course management - has much to offer those who may still only be relative beginners.

On-site accommodation is in either of two impressive Hotels – The 5*, self-styled ‘private, relax’ Supreme, which caters only for adults and 4* (accessible on foot, outside or via a covered walkway featuring suitably up-market shops – clothing, jewellery, cosmetics and hairdressing -, wine cellars with regular wine-tastings and opportunity to buy) Avance which is specifically all-inclusive and totally oriented towards families.

Stay at Supreme and you will be hard-pushed to list any amenity which has not been considered and is an impressive credit to the owner and his Team who are very much regarded as ‘family’ – a fact reflected to an impressive degree in the outstanding way the Hotel is presently managed and run. The Resort offers a range of extremely competitively- priced packages … making it the perfect long- or short-stay destination.

If ‘attention to detail’ is what you hope for, you must surely find it here!....For early risers, there’s the Continental breakfast area; afternoon tea is served by a staff member who has recently returned from Singapore, learning about teas …a variety of restaurants offers a variety of cuisines, catering for each and every taste - each having its own, select open-air terrace to accommodate smokers and non-smokers alike…All of which are located at first floor level, making the most of the stunning views out over the course, distant rolling countryside to mountains beyond.

Add to this, the largest ‘Yin Yang’ Spa in Europe (7,000 sq. m.), indoor and outdoor heated swimming pools, (timed) whirlpool baths, sauna and massage, sunbathing decks and quiet zone - whisper hall - and here is a sure recipe for success.

Apart from Golf, there is an equestrian and riding centre of Lipizzaner horses, indoor and outdoor tennis courts (teaching lessons are available) and squash – not to mention mini Zoo! As already mentioned, sister Hotel – Avance – is on an all-inclusive basis - somewhere where parents don’t have to worry about what their children are up to or wanting to eat or drink at any time! Member of Leading Family Hotels & Resorts, Avance provides the perfect environment in which families may enjoy a relaxing break with every conceivable form of activity and entertainment included, from sports to cinema, water-slide park to soft-play area. Above all, Avance maintains a policy of stringent operating criteria which have given it the high-quality ‘known product’ reputation it enjoys today.

Rieter’s also owns and manages the modern, 4* Allegria hotel with 50 golf holes the ‘Panoramakurs’, ‘Südbergenlandkurs’ and ‘Start & Play’ Kurs about 40 minutes’ drive away, at Stegersbach.

The courses here are distinctly hilly, but (inevitably!) with panoramic views. The opening hole on Panoramakurs is a par-5, which plays steeply downhill - very much setting the tone for the holes which follow. A strategic tee shot should set up an opportunity to shorten the dog-leg; the second shot, however, must take the slope into consideration, to avoid overshooting the green. A distinct challenge – but by using the contours of the land as and where possible, this is a course which, with thoughtful management, should ensure a good sense of achievement at the end of the round.

By contrast, Südbergenslandkurs opens with a dramatic, par-3 – again downhill; the green is guarded by bunkers to the right and . Club selection - taking the foreshortened distance into consideration - is the key to this first tee shot!

Contacts:- Reiters’s Burgenland Resort. Allegria Hotel Stegersbach, Am Golfplatz 1-4, Golfstrasse 1 A-7431 Bad Tatzmannsdorf. A-7551 Stegersbach, Austria. Austria. tel: (+00 43) (0) 3353-8841607 tel: (+0043) (0) 3326-500-0 [email protected] www.supremehotel.at www.dietherme.at www.avancehotel.at

Text: Sue Farmer. Photos: Geoffrey Farmer May 2011