Is This The Loveliest Course In Mainland Europe? We Think So…

Having played more than 170 courses in continental Europe, Rob Smith ranks this among the most beautiful

Andermatt - Hole 3
The green on the short par-4 third hole
(Image credit: Andermatt Swiss Alps)

Andermatt

Andermatt - General

Andermatt is blessed with a sublime Alpine valley setting

(Image credit: Andermatt Swiss Alps)

Despite its great natural beauty, Switzerland is not yet on the travelling golfer’s radar. Its best-known course is perhaps Crans-Sur-Sierre, host of the Omega European Masters, won last Summer by Thriston Lawrence. But there are many stunning courses, especially for those seeking somewhere new, different, and exceptionally beautiful. Andermatt is a prestigious ski resort set at a little under 5,000 feet above sea level. It is south of Zurich at the end of a scenic road trip via Lake Lucerne, and its exceptional course sits perfectly in the lush, green Ursern Valley in the Alpine foothills.

Andermatt - Hole 1 and 2

Looking back down the twelfth hole, and to its left, the par-5 second

(Image credit: Andermatt Swiss Alps)

Opening for play in 2016, golf here is a rollercoaster of fun and adventure. With ecology at its heart, the course meanders through scenic farmland, employs climate-neutral energy, is home to more than 100 bird species who breed around its photogenic ponds and streams, and is even in part tended by goats.

Andermatt - Hole 13 - RS

The beautiful par-3 thirteenth is played from an elevated tee

(Image credit: Rob Smith)

The land rises in the middle of each nine, but the climb is more than offset by the golfing interest that generates and by the panoramic views back over the meadowland below.

Andermatt - Hole 15 - RS

Looking back from behind the green on the par-4 fifteenth

(Image credit: Rob Smith)

While the course is naturally closed over the Winter months, it's a very tempting call for booking some Summer golf. Packages including golf are available with nearby hotels such as the amazing Chedi and the Radisson Blu, making Andermatt a very appealing destination for golf and a great deal more.

Rob Smith
Contributing Editor

Rob has been playing golf for over 45 years and been a contributing editor for Golf Monthly since 2012. He specialises in course reviews and travel, and has played over 1,250 courses in almost 50 countries. In 2021, he played all 21 courses in East Lothian in 13 days. Last year, his tally was 78, exactly half of them for the first time. One of Rob's primary roles is helping to prepare the Top 100 Courses of the UK&I, of which he has played all, as well as the Next 100 where he is missing two in Scotland and two in Ireland. He has been a member of Tandridge for over 30 years where his handicap hovers around 15. You can contact him at r.smith896@btinternet.com.

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