Ever wonder why so many people are traveling to Europe for a golf vacation when there are so many great courses here in North America that they haven’t yet played?

Well consider this…where in North America can you find courses with Roman ruins running through them; must navigate around a headstone sitting in the middle of a fairway; can walk into a clubhouse and have a pint with a Formula One auto racing driver; or play one where you share space with nudists?”

Admittedly, European golf still has a ways to go before reaching the status it enjoys in North America, but people on this side of the great Atlantic water hazard are kidding themselves if they don’t think they can have a memorable golfing holiday in Europe – on championship courses - created by famous architects like Robert Trent Jones, Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer, Gary Player, Seve Ballasteros - that cost a lot less to play.

This newsletter has feature articles on Portugal and France, so come along with me now on a personal journey I took to some lesser known European destinations, where the unexpected is all part of the game.

First stop, the Netherlands. “There must be a
picnic area on the other side of this fairway –
look at all those people up ahead. They’re all
dressed the same. This must be a club of some
sort,” observed the near sighted Tom, one of
two close friends – Ian being the other – whom
I traveled to Europe with on this golfing holiday.

As we walked the fairway at Spaarnwoude golf
course just outside Amsterdam, the gallery
came into view – and what we saw was quite
revealing. The group was indeed all dressed the
same – they were undressed! The Spaarnwoude
club, we discovered, shares space with a nudist
camp and the residents of the “au natural” area
like to watch golfers play. Ever try hitting an
approach shot with a bunch of giggling naked
women looking at you?

The Netherlands, which claims to have invented
the game in the 14th century, 150 years before
the Scots took it up, was obviously the sight of the first ‘Skins Game’ as well. This was our first exposure to European golf and the naked truth is that space challenged Netherlands doesn’t have as many great courses as the rest of Europe but Lauswolt in the northern part of the country, remains one of my all time favourites.

Enroute to Geneva, we stopped in France, to play Golf Club de Bossey, which straddles the border with Switzerland, where we came upon a headstone sitting in the middle of the eighth fairway. On closer inspection, the engraving revealed that this was the spot where Ferdinand LaSalle was buried - loser of a pistol duel on the property long before it became a Trent Jones masterpiece, cradled by the Rhone Alps. The grave marker prompted the wisecracking Tom to observe: “You know what Ferdinand’s last words were? Nice shot!”

"But people on this side of the great Atlantic water hazard are kidding themselves if they don’t think they can have a memorable golfing holiday in Europe – on championship courses - created by famous architects like Robert Trent Jones, Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer, Gary Player, Seve Ballasteros"

The Bossey Club’s annual trophy features crossed pistols and the winner is hence known as “Le Big Shot. “ Even without the history lesson, this course is absolutely breathtaking and a joy to play.

Now on to Switzerland – where every shot is an uphill lie but what else would you expect where every course is built around the most beautiful mountain landscape in the world? The Swiss take their golf seriously and that’s clearly reflected in the quality of the courses that have been built by the ‘Who’s Who’ of golf designers, using the backdrop of the Alps to create truly stunning masterpieces.

Top of that list is the Ballesteros-designed Crans-sur-Sierre course that hosts the annual Omega European Masters. The course is set in a mountain valley and the inspiring views and quality conditions makes this one of the finest courses I have ever played – anywhere!

















But what happens after the round can be as exciting as the round itself and the following story is living proof.

“Was that who I think it was?” asked Ian as a Porsche 4x4 darted past us, headed for the clubhouse at Villars Golf Club. A few minutes later, Jacques Villeneuve, a resident of Villars where the course is located and Canada’s only Formula One world driving champion, was sitting down with us to ask his fellow countrymen questions about what was happening back home.

These are but a few possibilities that await the avid golfer who chooses Europe their next golf destination. Are you ready to take the road less traveled?

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Marc Atchison is the former Travel & Golf Editor of Canada’s largest daily newspaper, The Toronto Star. More of Marc’ stories are also available at www.tnnworld.com

FACTS ABOUT
PLAYING IN EUROPE

Golf is considered a recreational sport in Europe so unless you have a physical handicap you are expected to walk most courses. There are few power carts.

• You’ll need a handicap card when you show up at the first tee in Europe. The Europeans like to know who’s playing their courses.

• No need to bring your clubs – most golf courses in Europe now rent the sticks and they are all high-end versions.

• Pro shops at European golf courses however are not well stocked, so make sure you bring rain wear and plenty of your favorite balls.

• Many courses in Europe are private but they do allow visitor play.

• In larger cities like Paris or London, ask your hotel concierge where you can play. Many hotels have exclusive playing arrangements with high-end clubs in larger cities.

• The most developed golf countries in Europe, besides the ones making up the British Isles, are France, Italy, Germany, Austria, Spain, Portugal, Switzerland and to a lesser degree, Holland. The Scandinavian countries produce a lot of great golfers but most get their training in places like France, Spain or the U.S.

• There are many tour companies on both sides of the Atlantic who arrange European Golf Vacations, including a company called:
Golf Par Excellence (www.golfparexcellence.com) and Canada’s own Sportvac (www.sportvac.com), which arranges golf tours to France and Portugal.