North Rhine-Westphalia: A traditional take on inland golf in Germany

Bolstered by over 18 million inhabitants, NRW is Germany’s most populous state and has a thriving golf scene to boot.

Renowned for its vibrant cultural landscapes and bustling cities, North Rhine-Westphalia welcomes an abundance of visitors across its cities each year, particularly to the state capital Dusseldorf and the city of Cologne.

Both have golf courses worth passing their stunning landmarks for, while affordable travel makes this one of the best, yet unheralded, golf destinations in the world. If Germany wasn’t already on your bucket list, it’s about to be…

• Tunisia: The next big golf destination in Africa

• Causeway Coast: A golf giant in Northern Ireland

Golf Club Gut Lärchenhof

With a golden bear sculpture at the front of the clubhouse, Gut Lärchenhof is the only Jack Nicklaus design in Germany. In immaculate condition from tee to green, the championship course adopts an expected American style, with fairways meandering around lakes and creatively shaped white sand bunkers.

It began hosting the German Masters in 1998 and has since staged the BMW International Open – a regular on the DP World Tour today – and the Mercedes-Benz Championship. Of course, German golf hero Bernhard Langer has won no fewer than four times at Gut Lärchenhof, navigating the brutal rough and elongated greens.

Where this differs from traditional German golf is in exclusivity. Gut Lärchenhof commands a more premium green fee than some of its casual neighbours but, in turn, offers a state-of-the-art challenge and clubhouse.

Spa & Golf Resort Weimarer Land

A short drive from Erfurt and Leipzig is the luxury spa and golf resort at Weimarer Land.

Nestled in the charming town of Blankenheim, the five-star resort sits on 450 hectares of land and has not one, not two, but three golf courses. Two 18-hole layouts and a nine-hole track form a 45-hole facility that makes the easy trip from Berlin, Hamburg, Munich, or even Frankfurt a no-brainer.

You can stay in one of 94 luxury rooms, while there are plenty of spa amenities to indulge in after a round. The Bobby Jones Championship Course is the pick of the bunch, combining the best features of the Goethe and the Feininger Courses. Over nine holes, the Königin Luise is a true resort course that can be played in no time at all. It might be short, but the trees keep it tight.

• Welcome To Fife: 50 courses. One legend destination

• Belek: An unmissable golf hotspot in Turkey

Hösel Golf Club

On the outskirts of the North Rhine-Westphalian state capital is Hösel Golf Club, which takes up a beautifully natural setting to ensure golfers enjoy a tranquil and secluded country club-like experience.

There are two courses here, in the shape of the 18-hole Südplatz and 18-hole Nordplatz, which both provide a stern test. Having opened in 1997, the latter is shorter but requires every bit as much precision to navigate the tight fairways and water hazards that surround them.

The Südplatz, meanwhile, is considered the main attraction at the foothills of Bergisches Land. That brings a few slopes into play on both tracks, but the walk will be eased as you approach the modern clubhouse that overlooks the stretching 18th fairway. Expect to see a few friendly locals out on the course, as it’s one of the largest golf clubs in the German Golf Association.

—

Get more like this!

This feature first appeared in the January-February 2025 issue of bunkered. For more like this, why not take out a subscription? International subscriptions also available.