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HERE’S a summer golfing holiday venue to leave you with senses soothed and with all your batteries re-charged. It is inexpensive, easy to reach, has a temperate climate, top notch golf and a friendly populace. Too good to be true? Suffice to say it won IAGTO'S 2006 award as “The Undiscovered Golf Destination of The Year. " So take a tip: get the usual suspects organised quickly and go before the crowds start flocking in.
Known as the city of a hundred spires, it reclines elegantly over seven hills and has 13 bridges crossing the River Vltava (there’s a clue) that runs through it. It’s an enticing city brimming with all the good things of life, with buildings that reflect a thousand years of artistic and cultural history (the university dates to 1348) and has long been a magnet for the enlightened traveller.
It largely escaped war-time damage and the ill-conceived reconstruction that has blighted many European capitals: thus a stroll through the old city is comparable to a walk through the centuries and a tour of outstanding European architecture.
Its history has been more chequered than most major cities but since 1989 it has re-discovered itself after the traumas of fascism and then communism. These days it’s a major fixture on the international tourism trail, and with good reason.
The city centre, known as the Old Town, is a fairy land at night (see right) and perfect for meandering, to investigate the art galleries, theatres, bars and restaurants that abound in the winding streets leading off the main square. It has a modern airport 30 minutes away, a public transportation system the equal of any, and a swath of top class hotels.
Those who have already discovered this jewel of Central Europe will have guessed that the subject is Prague, the capital of the Czech Republic. If you haven’t paid a visit you should do so, pronto. And take your golf clubs with you.
THE game has boomed since the kill-joy communists called it quits. Now there are 70 courses, with several others under construction in various parts of the country. Most of the clubs are semi-private but visitors are welcome and the fees moderate, between 45 and 70 Euros midweek. All have the usual facilities: first rate clubhouses, restaurants and modern pro shops offering cart and club hire.
There are four courses within 40 minutes of Prague and soon there’ll be six. A couple of them are part of five star golf resorts, of which more anon, but your best bet would be to bed down in the city (the Hilton Hotel is recommended) and visit them in turn.
This is easily done: a local in-coming golf tour operator will arrange everything for you, including a mini coach and driver. There’ll be no need to rent a car and, consequently, your trip will be trouble-free and roughly half the price of the average golfing holiday elsewhere. In fact, the prices in Prague will astonish you, and in this case cheaper doesn’t mean second rate.
It’s an ideal venue for a golfing holiday in July or August, away from the madding crowds, when most other golf destinations are heaving and their prices soaring.
Not that Prague is simply a summer destination. The golf season there runs from late April to October but summer is a particular delight when the temperatures rise to about 30C. It was around 24C or 78F during my visit in mid-May. Short sleeves and sun visors were the order of the day. The barmen, who normally take no prisoners, were probably pleased to see us leave!
LET’S tee up first at the Konopiste resort. It’s only 30 minutes or so from Prague’s city centre but it’s as serene as can be, all rolling wooded hills and lakes as far as the eye can see. The setting merits a landscape painting (see below right for an example).
It has two 18 holes courses, a nine hole academy course, plus practice facilities, for beginners and the public.
It’s all relatively new, having opened in 2002, so everything is still pristine and sparkling. The centre piece is the clubhouse, a beautifully restored former chateau. It looks a picture (see above) and its terrace is a grand spot for lunch or a half-way reviver.
The hotel has 19 stylish rooms and three suites, so it’s perfect for a golfing group or a family holiday. I bumped into a group of British golfers visiting for the second time. The weather was perfect and they were having a ball.
A good idea would be to spend a night there, to savour the ambience and the dining room and to play both courses, before heading back to the city. Once here, though, you’ll probably opt to extend your stay. This place is a real battery charger and the cuisine would delight a starving gourmet.
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