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Sweden - Malmo a hidden gem

By: Golf Shake | Wed 12 Sep 2012


The Nordic summer is a delight to witness; clear blue skies and a low sun allowing for a comfortably warm golfing temperature. There is a distinctive allure of being stood in the middle of a lush green fairway surrounded by a beautiful Swedish landscape deciding whether to attack the pin with a 6 or 7 iron. The one major problem is that very few British golfers travel to this part of the golfing globe and get to appreciate it.

The area I would like to highlight is the city of Malmo and its surroundings, located in the Swedish region of Skane. To quote other journalists and golf writers, I would feel compelled to call the destination ‘off the beaten track’ or a ‘hidden gem’. However, I would simply attest that this is a pure unabridged golf mecca, just currently lacking British disciples.

So how to start the pilgrimage to one of Europe’s biggest golfing infrastructures. Let’s start with some stats; approximately 70 golf courses within an hour’s drive of Malmo and over 110 within an hour and a half’s drive; £40 is the average price of a green fee and there are 9 golf courses within an hour and a half considered to be in Continental Europe’s Top 100 golf course ranking. Still more stats? The average price of a pint is £5. 

Now I’ve dealt with the misplaced belief that Sweden is grossly overpriced when enjoying a well-earned alcoholic beverage, allow me to placate any on-going qualms concerning the quality of the golf. Baresback Golf Club has two golf courses of which the ‘Masters Course’ has hosted numerous European tournaments over the past few years including the Scandinavian Masters. Falsterbo Golf Club is a pure rugged links course positioned on Sweden’s equivalent of land’s end and is rated in the European Top 30 courses. The PGA of Sweden National resort, also with 36 holes, was the project of world-renowned golf course architect Kyle Phillips, whose previous blueprints include The Grove, Kingsbarns and the phenomenal Yas Links in Abu Dhabi. Add to this portfolio the sublime woodland layout of Halmstad and the brand new, pristine layout of the ‘Tournament Course’ at Vasatorps, the case is rested.

Malmo has plenty to offer for an evening’s entertainment, with the ‘Lilla Torg’ square a main hub for open air bars and restaurants. Even on the coldest nights, there are enough outdoor heaters and beer taps to keep you positively warm. There is a good selection of restaurants with a very continental feel to your dining options. One recommendation would be a restaurant called ‘Bastard’ (yes, really), just a minute from ‘Lilla Torg’ square. With a menu which adapts daily depending on what is fresh and locally available, you will be in for a real treat at this classical yet rustic and unpretentious spot.

However, I will be honest enough to admit there are some challenges which need overcoming and first up, the travel options. Albeit the choice of flights from the U.K. are plentiful with routes from all London airports (except City and Luton), Manchester, Birmingham, Belfast, Aberdeen, Edinburgh and Glasgow, you actually need to fly into Copenhagen airport in Denmark. Although Malmo has its own airport, it is for domestic flights only.

But the convenience of Copenhagen is how easy it is to travel to Malmo across a narrow stretch of Baltic Sea. You can take the train which although sounds arduous and painful, it couldn’t be less so. The station is at the airport, there is barely any walking to do, and the scenic journey takes a mere 20 minutes. Once in Malmo, there are queues of willing cabbies waiting to whisk you off to your hotel.

The other options are just as easy and involve either hiring a car or just getting a taxi. Whether you decide to hire a car in Denmark or Sweden (as it is rumoured the later offers slightly cheaper rates) is your choice, but this method is arguably the most cost-effective across the duration of your stay.

The second challenge involves a reversal of altering existing golfer trends. What I mean by this is how a majority of British golfers seem joined by the hip to Iberia, in flying straight off for a golf holiday without even considering other alternatives. Yes, there is less risk with the weather, and yes the prices seem to have nearly reached minus figures, but I can only hope there lay a small percentage of intrepid golfers willing to broaden their horizons.

So to conclude this snapshot, what can I say to encourage you to visit Malmo, an unheralded paradise for the discerning golfer. Ultimately, I understand and will no doubt witness numerous golf groups continue their habitual Iberian jolly, and there are certainly cheaper alternatives elsewhere. But to all those pioneering types who want to try something new and play somewhere completely novel, I could not more profusely encourage you to travel to Malmo in Sweden and enjoy what would be a superb alternative golf holiday.

Visit https://www.golfbreaks.com/europe/sweden/malmo/default.aspx or call 0800 279 7988 for more information about a golf break to Malmo

Some sample packages to the region are below

3 nights' B&B at Comfort Hotel 3* and 3 rounds. From £375 per person

Playing at

 

2 nights' B&B at Barseback Golf & Country Club 4* and 2 rounds. From £389 per person

Playing at

Includes two 2-course dinners

Article written by NIck Liddle

 

 

 


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