Dolomitengolf Suites – 36 holes, two toques and a resort you’ll never want to leave
Moni Geisler | nineteengolf.guide
You don’t end up in Lavant by accident. You turn off the main road just past Lienz, leaving behind the road, everyday life and, to some extent, the outside world – almost hidden away amongst woods, meadows and freshly mown grass, the Dolomitengolf Suites exist in their own little world: on one side the rugged Lienz Dolomites, on the other the golf course, which practically stretches right up to the terrace. Anyone arriving here soon finds themselves wondering why they should ever want to leave again.
In her blog post about the Dolomitengolf Suites, journalist Moni Geisler describes her experiences and the highlights of Lavant near Lienz.
36 holes, four courses and a dream golf experience against a mountainous backdrop
In sporting terms, the course has plenty to offer. 36 holes, divided into four 9-hole courses, which the golf office rearranges every day – that makes for six possible 18-hole layouts, and no two mornings are the same. Red, Green, Blue and Silver – all surprisingly flat for an Alpine region, but with a panorama that makes the mountains a constant backdrop. Flat, at least for now – because bit by bit, everything here is being rebuilt. The Silver course is already playing to the new standard, the Blue course has recently reopened – and the Red and Green courses are set to follow suit in the coming years.
Guests checking into the suites get a free golf buggy for the whole week, complete with their own golf locker at the club. This isn’t a hotel with a golf course – it’s a golf paradise with a hotel.
Two toques with a personal touch: An interview with the head chef
In the evening, what is arguably the hotel’s most beautiful venue opens its doors: the Vincena restaurant, awarded two toques and 86 Falstaff points. At the helm of the kitchen is Johannes Wendelin-Pointner, a true East Tyrolean who would rather serve a roast pork as a roast pork than break it down into its constituent parts. No foams, no faffing about on the plate – just his signature style, almost like calligraphy, as he himself says.
Why guests at the Dolomitengolf Resort keep coming back
The more we ask around, the clearer it becomes: around 70 per cent of the guests are regulars. Some are visiting for the seventh time, others even more often. This is down to the golf course being just a stone’s throw away, the peaceful setting – and, above all, the genuine warmth. This hotel doesn’t seem friendly simply because it’s trying to be. It is friendly.
Hotel manager and host Florian Steiner has been with the company for 21 years and still makes his rounds among the guests every evening. Perhaps it is precisely this sense of closeness that is one of the reasons why, for many, the Dolomitengolf feels less like a hotel stay and more like a homecoming.
When it comes to accommodation, too, they don’t skimp here; instead, they think on a grand scale. There are 78 suites at the Dolomitengolf Suites, not a single one measuring less than 45 square metres. Add to that Italian designer furniture, warm materials, plenty of light and spacious loggias with sun loungers – perfect for a very private sunbathe between a round of golf, a spa session and dinner.
And, of course, that view of exactly what you’ve come here for: the mountains and the golf course.
NineteenGolf.Guide – Moni Geisler
Moni Geisler is the editor of NineteenGolf.Guide, the online golf travel magazine based in Switzerland. She writes about golf courses, destinations, hotels and special places where golfers feel at home. As a golfer with a mid-range handicap, Moni deliberately writes not from the perspective of perfection, but from that of passion. Her articles and features are illustrated with her own photographs and show what guests can actually expect on the ground – authentic, personal and with a keen eye for atmosphere, quality and detail.
