The Best Golf Courses In Scandinavia

With some truly stunning experiences on offer, here are the best golf courses in the region of Scandinavia.

The Best Golf Courses In Scandinavia

Traditionally Scandinavia usually consists of Denmark, Norway and Sweden however the term can also be sometimes used to further group countries like Finland and Iceland together too.

Bearing that in mind, and the quality of golf that is on offer across these countries, we have taken a look at the best courses in Scandinavia.

Bro Hof Slot, Sweden

The beneficiary of an enormous budget, the result is a spectacular tournament-style course. According to its designer, "Everything is bit at Bro Hof. The holes are longer, the greens are bigger, the course has more water and the bunkers are large."

Stretching to an outrageous 8,000 yards from the back, the tees used by mortal golfers offer a fascinating challenge.

Lofoten Links, Norway

The course on the remote Norwegian island of Gimsøya provides one of the world’s most incredible settings for golf.

At a latitude of 68 degrees north, it’s possible to play here 24 hours of the day in mid-summer.

Opened in 2015, it’s a rather tricky place to reach, but once you’re there, the effort is well worth it. Although the stunning surroundings are all-consuming at first, you’ll find the quality of the course lives up to the mesmerising Arctic setting.

Halmstad, Sweden

Situated mid-way between Gothenburg and Malmo, Halmstad is a very pretty coastal town where the first 18-hole layout opened for play in 1938.

Nils Skold added a further loop of nine in 1963 and incorporated the original back nine to make up the North Course which is characterised by its many dog-leg holes, a number of ravines, some streams, trees and various humps and mounds. All this sits on gloriously sandy soil making up an excellent test of golf.

The South course has the original front nine and nine more newer holes.

The Scandinavian, Denmark

One of Scandinavia’s most beautiful clubs can be found 20 miles north-west of Copenhagen; it’s here where two Robert Trent Jones Jr creations have been laid out on a former rifle range.

The Old opened in 2010 and the New a year later, and you’ll want to play both. Negotiating water on the Old is no formality as it comes into play on 12 holes. The New also demands great accuracy, plus a bit more power. Both courses offer a thrilling test with danger never too far away.

Falsterbo, Sweden

On the country’s south-western tip, this remote, natural, unspoilt and little-changed links has a stunning setting, almost completely surrounded by the sea.

Great Northern, Denmark

Great Northern was created by Jack Nicklaus and his design team who, according to their website, took great care in maximising the beautiful existing terrain and features, whilst at the same time taking into account the significant winds that can be a factor in the region.

Indeed there is also plenty of drama on display as shown by the incredible looking 18th hole as shown above.

Barseback, Sweden

There is real variety here thanks to the Masters and Steel courses on site.

Throughout there is a delightfully varied mis of tree-lined holes running through tall pines, open fairway holes and there are some beautiful links holes which overlook the sea and across to Denmark.

Oslo, Norway

Dating back to 1924, Oslo Golf Club is the oldest club in the country as founding members laid out nine holes and then a few years later, 18.

The course has had several renovations projects worked upon it with the most radical transformation coming from American architect Steve Forrest's changes from 2007 to 2009.

Ullna, Sweden

The demanding lakeside course just to the north of Stockholm was originally designed by Sven Tumba, the Swedish sports icon who represented his country at ice hockey, football and golf.

Jack Nicklaus renovated the course in 2013 and whilst he did not touch the routing, he did reshape fairways, and introduce new bunkers and green complexes.

Lubker, Denmark

Still very young, to many this is the best course in the country. There are five long and five short holes as well as a third loop of nine on this sprawling 500-acre site.

PGA of Sweden National

Of the two Kyle Phillips courses to open here - the Links and the Lakes - the first to open was the Links in 2009 and this features large, undulating greens protected by a great many, small, deep bunkers.

It also has a burn which crosses seven of the holes, fine fescue greens, and unlike many treeless links, it does actually have one - literally a single specimen behind the first green.

Combined with the excellent Lakes course too, this is serious golf for those looking for the best.

Kytäjä, Finland

This course offers tremendous variety, huge bunkers, panoramic views and the lake is in play on several of the holes. It is excellent fun.

Keilir, Iceland

Keilir is highly rated where on the front nine, the rough is not grass but lava.

Linna Golf, Finland

We challenge anyone to play this beautiful course, an hour north of Helsinki, and not draw comparisons with the likes of Bearwood Lakes, Woburn and Gleneagles. But how does Linna actually stack up against this wonderful trio?

Play it and you won’t be disappointed. The opening hole sets the scene with stands of pine and birch that form one of the course’s main defences. They can be tamed even if you stray off line as the trees aren’t always dense, but when water comes into play, most significantly on the 9th, 14th and 15th, it’s time to pick your spot and back yourself.

This Tim Lobb design has many standout holes, but one of the best is the par-4 14th that skirts water up to an unusual green with a bowl-shaped central section.

Notable Mentions: Vallda, Vasatorps, Kristiansad, Visby, Brauterholt, Himmerland, Kongsvinger, Reykjavik,

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