Vorarlberg - the golf holiday destination right next door
From Franco Brunner
A trip to Vorarlberg is worthwhile - not only, but especially for golfers. Golf & Country editor Franco Brunner found out for himself during a short visit.
"Why go far away when the good things are so close..." Admittedly, this saying has become rather hackneyed and outdated by now. Nevertheless. As is so often the case, this saying has a kernel of truth. For example, if you look just a few metres across the border in the direction of Vorarlberg. Because Austria's smallest federal state is undoubtedly close. The journey from Zurich takes just a little over an hour. And Vorarlberg has plenty of good things to offer, as we discovered during our short visit. Not least the completely different worlds of golf that come together here in the smallest of spaces.
The golf holiday destination
No fewer than six golf courses within a radius of just 90 kilometres await golfers in Vorarlberg. Seven courses that couldn't be more different. From a long, flat par-71 course with various water hazards to an alpine par-65 course with a dream mountain panorama. So it's no wonder that those responsible for tourism like to promote Vorarlberg as a "golf holiday destination" and are not exaggerating at all. But first things first.
During our visit, we stayed at the 4-star Schlosshotel Dörflinger in Bludenz. And what can we say? Just a few kilometres over the border, you can immediately feel the Austrian hospitality. Be it in the traditional, recently renovated hotel above the rooftops of Bludenz or in the small town itself with its almost 15,000 inhabitants and inviting old town. By the way, if you would like to find out a little more about the history of Bludenz, we warmly recommend a so-called night watchman's tour of the town with Werner Hämmerle. The stories told by the church educator, town and museum guide and native Bludenzer are as impressive as they are entertaining. You are also given a warm welcome in the nearby Brandnertal and informed about all the hiking, biking and other excursion options. Of which there are quite a few.
"...anyone can play flat"
But our visit was actually primarily intended to be dedicated to the golf holiday destination of Vorarlberg. Three courses were planned during the short visit. The par-71 course at the Montfort-Rankweil golf parkjust over the Swiss border, so to speak, a round on the par-68 course at the Bludenz-Braz golf club and a detour to the Brandnertal valley on the par-65 course at the Brand golf club, which advertises its alpine golf course with the promising slogan "...anyone can play flat".
We start at the Montfort-Rankweil Golf Club. The first thing that catches the eye here is the newly designed clubhouse with its fantastic public restaurant terrace. A real feast for the eyes. But the golf course is also impressive. The course stretches over 5,622 metres (from the yellow tees) in a harmonious landscape design with slight modelling on an otherwise flat surface. There are no difficulties with uneven ground here. However, the odd water hazard can cause temporary headaches.
The impressive distances on individual holes also make you sit up and take notice. Take hole 8, for example, a 567-metre par 5 from white, or the 378-metre par 4 from yellow on the 13th fairway, which plays a few club lengths further with the frequently occurring north wind. We particularly enjoyed hole 16, an almost 360 metre long par 4 with a sharp dogleg to the right and a water hazard lurking on the entire right-hand side. The par 5 on hole 15 is also fun, provided you don't end up in one of the no fewer than eight bunkers on this fairway.
Different worlds of golf
The Vorarlberg golf trip continues to Bludenz-Braz Golf Club, where the world - at least the golfing world - looks completely different to Rankweil, 30 kilometres away. The course climbs up in stages with a view of the impressive mountain landscape. It's better to have played this golf course a few times before ambitiously focussing on a low score. You're lucky if you have a local flight partner at your side, as we did on this round. Many thanks again, dear Fritz, for the many valuable tips! Playing the alpine par-68 course is always great fun. It is very varied and the fantastic mountain backdrop that so beautifully surrounds the entire course is something very special.
Many good reasons
A visit to Brand Golf Club also promises impressive nature experiences and the very special charm of alpine golf. On paper, the 4,050 metres (from the yellow tees) of the par-65 golf course don't seem too strenuous. But the alpine terrain at 1,000 metres above sea level is quite a challenge. One wonders how the architect Diethard Fahrenleitner managed to fit almost completely flat fairways into this small-scale, alpine terrain. This was achieved with hillside terraces, which offer views of the impressive 3,000 metre peaks nearby at all times. You need to be in good shape for the paths between the fairways and if you like playing in the rough, you better learn to master slopes quickly. But as the club's slogan says: anyone can play flat ...
Fraco Brunner is a member of GC Domat/Ems and has a handicap of 18.2
Further information about the region:
Vorarlberg Alpine Region