Hit the ball in the hole - golf in Saalfelden Leogang

Together instead of alone

Golf connects. Of course golf is a sport, which has to be played on your own, but never alone. During a round of golf, you get to know the ones who play with you. "Play golf with me and I tell you who you are." At the first glance, you notice how people handle success, failure and situations full of stress. Afterwards you can have a drink together and share a good meal at the clubhouse or at the restaurant. This experience is not only for sports enthusiasts, business people and friends, it's also ideal for the whole family. 

Playing golf with the whole family

Today, quality time for the whole family is really rare, due to the fact that the children like to watch TV or play on the computer and the adults like to do workouts after an exhausting day at work. Therefore it's extremely important to find a sport, which is suitable for everyone. Biking, swimming or skiing are the best known sport activities here is Austria. However, concerning all these sports, they require different levels of stamina and physical fitness - so it's already difficult to have fun together. Only few sports exist, which are family friendly and at the same time take into consideration the aspect of competition - so golf is the ideal sport! However, if you have prejudices that golf is not a real sport and that it is only suited for elderly ones and pensioners, you can simply accompany a golfer on an 18 hole golf course, with an average difficulty level. On the one hand, you walk for about 10 kilometres by foot, and on the other hand you need a certain strengh to hit the ball 50 times over 100 metres. Did you know that you need 124 muscles when doing one swing? Even good skilled and trained golfers are a bit exhausted after a round of golf. Moreover, it's good to know that you burn about 1700 calories while one round of golfing. 

Golf challenges and encourages

As soon as parents decide to play golf as a family sport, they achive several goals all at once. You spend your time together outside in nature. Kids as well as adults can compete and work together on their techniques with a special scoring system, which is called the Stableford scoring system. Doesn't matter which handicap you have, the most important aspect is that you can play together. Children can learn crucial values like patience, ambition and stamina. The sport also improves your fitness, precision and posture. So, at the golf course you develop together as a family - both as persons and sports enthusiasts. 

Course qualifications for dogs

Another highlight, which the golf center Brandlhof has to offer, is the course qualification for dogs. "Why should a dog not be allowed to accompany its family while golfing?" This question has been asked by Birgit Maier and Alexander Strobl, the owners of the hotel Gut Brandlhof and the owners of a dog. They set up 12 rules, which the dogs and their families have to obey to get the course qualification. Because as soon as it comes to cleaning up the dog's excrements, the animals need the help of their owners. The Dog Lounge Car is another proove, how much the Brandlhof likes dogs. When the weather is hot, young and old dogs as well as puppies get tired very soon, when they accompany their owners on a 18 hole round. Therefore there is an e-golf-car, which has been specially converted for dogs and is equipped, for example, with a water and food bowl, awning, dog mat etc.

Picturesque landscape and nature experience

"The mountains, which seem to glow when the sun is shining, are really beautiful, when you are the golf course Urslautal. The unique 18 hole golf course is situated between the mountain ranges Hochkönig and Steinernes Meer, and the view of the mountains definitely is enough for a round of golf", says Monika Sieberer. The Urslautal golf course, situated on a high plateau, is characterized by its variety: the courses are sometimes long and hilly, but not too steep, sometimes tricky, but always fair. The greens are well guarded by bunkers, the fairways look like a carpet. The offer is made complete with one of the largest and best Driving Ranges in the west of Austria. Monika Sieberer tells us about her nature experience at the golf course: "Especially in autumn you discover many animals here, like rabbits or red deer. A biologist even saw a bird, which is very rare. And yes, the lake Hansiteich also belongs to our course." Monika explains that the lake is called Hansiteich, because in the lake there are carps, which are called Hansi. 

"The 18 hole championship course at hotel Gut Brandlhof is characterized by the river Saalach. When walking the whole round, you have to hit the ball 6 times across the river. This is tremendously thrilling. Playing golf at the Brandlhof is like playing golf at the sea: water and wind accompany you everytime. So it is an advantage to talk to course-experienced players, because at noon the wind turns in the narrow, flat Saalach valley."

Pictures: Michael Geißler, Golfclub Brandlhof, Peter Moser