Golf in Prague
“You’ve probably never thought about Prague as a golf destination. Let me assure you, it very much is! ”
Albatross Golf Resort is home to the D+D Real Czech Masters
I 've been to Prague three times now, all of them on golf visits. I love the city and the courses surrounding the Czech capital are simply outstanding. And the prices most reasonable! What’s not to love?
Club Albatross is the Number 1 course in the country and as good a parkland as any you will find in Europe.
“The city of Prague, with its colourful culture, interesting cuisine and excellent golf offerings make it an ideal city/golf break. ”
I’ve always seen golf as a good excuse to travel and the city of Prague's colourful culture, its rather ‘curious’ cuisine and excellent golf offerings line up perfectly with that philosophy.
You can enjoy the city at night with its plentitude of restaurants and its Old Town Square, the heart of its historic, baroque buildings. There’s the medieval Astronomical Clock, which gives an animated hourly show and take a stroll across the pedestrian Charles Bridge lined with statues of Catholic saints.
And there are a dozen courses around the city all worth playing.
Let’s start at the top!
The wetlands of Club Albatross. It’s quite flat out there but lakes abound.
CLUB ALBATROSS
Club Albatross is only 35 minutes from the centre of town and is undoubtedly the premier track in the country. Host to D+D Real Czech Masters, Albatross is as fine an inland track as you’ll find anywhere with service and amenities to match.
Lakes! There are lots of them and trees abound too! These comprise the main defence and it’s a demanding test from start to finish. Always in peak condition, at least the three times I’ve visited, the course must have impressed the European Tour players and officials as they keep coming back for more. And who can blame them? You can play the Albatross for a little more than €80, a steal for a course of this calibre.
PRAGUE CITY GOLF
Prague City Golf
“Prague City Golf is a newfound favourite. ”
In spite of its rather insipid name, Prague City Golf is a newfound favourite. 15 minutes southeast of Prague, it offers a surprising palate of links conditions. I’m a bit of a stickler when courses refer to themselves as ‘links’ or try to emulate a seaside track - especially when they’re landlocked in the middle of Continental Europe!
But here, Alex Cejka, the German golf professional with Czech roots along with British architect Jeremy Ford, have conjured up something almost as good as a sandy-based seaside track. And being open to the wind, Prague City packs in plenty of challenges. Factor its 130 bunkers, many of which are of the ‘pot’ variety and you get the picture. This is a feisty little test.
Water appears on the back 9, large lakes such as at holes 13 and 14 where it's tempting to cut the corners but be aware of those devastatingly deep pot bunkers. The 12th I'd say is the hardest green to hold, small with bunkers on the right and rough on the left.
Green fees are reasonable here too; only €55 through the week. The complex also offers the largest putting green in the Czech Republic, the Himalayas, inspired of course by the legendary Ladies putting course in St. Andrews with the individual holes bearing the names of Himalayan mountain peaks. I’d make a point of arriving an hour or so early for a pre-round putting competition. www.praguecitygolf.cz
PANORAMA GOLF RESORT
The relatively new Panorama Golf Resort, a little bit further down the motorway offers 27 holes of widely diverse terrain called Forest, Meadows and River. They each make for a great variety of shots along with elevations and dramatic views.
Especially striking is the contemporary clubhouse, yours to enjoy for the day or you can stay over if you book into one of their ultra-chic 10 double rooms or 4 suites.
www.panoramagolf.cz.
BLACK BRIDGE RESORT
You can rent an apartment on the golf course.
Located on the eastern suburbs of Prague, Golf Resort Black Bridge offers single-story apartments in the middle of the golf course with practice areas built outside most of the units. You could happily work on your short game here from morning to night.
Black Bridge Golf Club in the eastern suburbs of Prague.
KARLSTEJN GOLF CLUB
Some 30 kilometres southwest of Prague is Karlstejn Golf Club, 27 holes overlooked by the impressive Castle Karlstejn. Playing across a steep, sloping landscape it’s a tough walk and buggies are most definitely recommended. The newest nine holes completed in 2009 are deemed to be the toughest.
In 1997, Karlštejn hosted the Czech Open which was won by Bernhard Langer who posted a final round course record of 63. In 2019, Scotland’s Carly Booth won her third Ladies European Tour here.
CONCLUSION
So that’s Prague and I must say, the combination of this eclectic city with its surrounding, superb golf courses easily matches up to any European golf destination I can think of. You pay around 50 to 70 for a round so that’s a good deal.
There’s a Prague Golf Card available that brings together four golf resorts - Golf Resort Black Bridge, Golf Club Mstětice, Loreta Golf Pyšely and Golf Beřovice. For a price starting from 6 490 CZK, (270 Euros or 300 USD) golfers can play six full rounds www.praguegolfcard.cz