Each summer sees the 64-million-dollar question being discussed among the world’s golfers. Which golf course is actually the best? Which ones are good and which are to be avoided? When readers of the golf portal Caddee.se had their say, Åland Golf Club ended up among the top rated. Out of 526 golf clubs in Sweden, it came sixth.
One of Caddee’s most highly-rated golf clubs is Åland Golf Club. Beautifully situated between two inlets in Kastelholm, the club has two complete 18-hole courses to offer golfers. David Hamilton, managing director of Caddee, who has been a golfer for many years, thinks that Åland Golf Club thoroughly deserves its ranking.
“I have played the courses myself and reckon that the ranking is totally justified.”
A course of great natural beauty contributes to the pleasure of playing
First Caddee’s readers assessed how enjoyable and attractive the course is to play on. Does it provide enough of a challenge? Do you get butterflies in your stomach at the first tee? And is the course beautiful to look at? It’s not difficult to understand why the courses at Åland Golf Club should have collected high marks in that category. The castle course is usually referred to as one of Scandinavia’s most naturally beautiful golf courses. The view over the Slottsundet and Kastelholm Castle is magnificent and from start to finish on your round of golf you can smell the sea.
Hard work behind the well-tended courses
The second criterion is about the quality and finish of the golf course. What is the standard of the greens, the fairways and other areas? Is there attention to detail? The quality of the courses is a high priority at Åland Golf Club and all year round hard work goes on behind the scenes in the well-maintained club. In the winter the staff check over the machines, the golf carts and buildings and out on the courses they remove brushwood and trees to improve the playing surfaces. During the high season the greens, fairways and roughs are trimmed.
Grand historical surroundings
Last but not least comes an assessment of the atmosphere on the course. In order for a club to get full marks, playing golf there has to feel stylish and a little magical. The legendary Scottish and American golf courses at St Andrews and Augusta often score high marks in this category but Åland Golf Club has also done well. Maybe that’s due to the feeling of awe that comes from looking out over the medieval castle at daybreak when the morning mist is slowly disappearing off the water. Or else the knowledge that Gustav Wasa hunted elk right there in that place.
Read more
The complete list of rankings is available at www.caddee.se.
Read more about Åland Golf Club at www.agk.ax.
Åland ‘All-in-one’ golf packages are bookable through Åland Turist & Konferens, Viking Line and Eckerö Linjen.
27.07.2012