Golf in Austria

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When most people think of golf in Europe, they think of Scotland and Ireland. Little do they know that Austria has some of the newest and most scenic courses in Europe. Several of them have been recently developed by world-reknown pro Bernhard Langer of Germany. Golf really hasn't caught on yet in Germany and Austria, but it's just matter of time.

I became aware of the Austrian golf courses when my wife sent for information from the Austrian National Tourist Office. One of the brochures we received was "Golfing in Austria". My wife has no particular interest in golf. But, when she saw the beautiful lakes, mountains, and villages surrounding some of these golf courses, she immediately added these places to our itinerary. In fact, this touring plan took us to enchanting little towns, such as Velden, Zell am See, and Seefeld, that are off the beaten path for most American tourists.
Golf Course at Velden, Austria.
The Velden (pronounced Felden) course is several miles outside the town of Velden. It's easiest to get there by car. But, I managed to get there by taking the city bus and walking a bit. The green fees were fairly reasonable at around $45 (in 1993). The tee markers were arranged differently than I was used to. From short to long, they were blue, red, white, and gold. Also, the distance I was marked off in meters, instead of yards. So, I had to assume that the distance was about 10% longer than the number in yards. I was thinking "400 meters divided by 1.1, what is that?" Nevertheless, I really enjoyed playing this beautiful hilly course. But, I kept expecting Julie Andrews to come out singing the "Sound of Music".
Schmittenhöhe course at Zell am See
The Zell am See golf complex has the 18-hole Schmittenhöhe and the 9-hole Kitzsteinhorn courses. These courses are situated in a relatively flat valley, surrounded by the majestic Tyrolian Alps. On the 18-hole golf, proof of a minimum handicap of 35 is required before they let you on, which can either be a golf instruction certificate or a golf club membership card. I handed them my Northern California Golf Association card, which they accepted. Mt. Kitzsteinhorn peak in shown in the background of this picture. I got to play with an Austrian member of the Zell am See golf club and another man from Germany. Both of them spoke passable English, so I had a jolly time playing and chatting away with them. They thought I was a bit peculiar when they found out I was playing golf on my first visit to Europe. To which, I asked, "Why not?".