Golf courses and golf clubs

Anyone out there play golf? Do you know of any courses in or near Munich?

Other questions:

1. Why is it so expensive here in Germany? If I want to join a golf course it will cost me 4x the cost of a club in the UK.

2. Why is the mens golf handicap 56 and not 28?

You can get a handicap of 56??? How does that work?

I do play a bit, but not over here - too expensive, and I lack a car here to get me to the course.

You don't need a car to play golf. There's a golf course right in Munich. It's 9 holes, down by the zoo.

Münchener Golf Club Thalkirchen

- or if you prefer... in English

Riem Golf Course probably the cheapest in the area by a long way. A lot of places if not all require that you have a platzreife certificate to entitle you to play. A few of my friends play here and find it good.

Golf.de is the website for the German Golfing Acc. which might be able to answer the handicap question.

It isn't impossible to rent a hall for an hour. Try asking at Sportsvereine, the one in Hirschgarten will probably be helpful.

Equipment is cheaper if you know where to look (Taylor Made stuff out of adidas' outlet in Herzogenaurach for example).

Golf is an elitist sport in Germany so people are deliberately priced out of going.
There is atmosphere at football matches, just not usually in the Olympiastadion, the ground is too open and FCB fans are far too posh to yell (I go regularly to FCB games). Try a different team or stadium.

Katrina

PS I hate golf with a passion. Not quite as much as skiing/snowboarding but almost.

56 is what they give you when you complete Platzreife exam.

it basically means that you have no handicap but that you have taken the exam that allows you to play. yes, you need a "driver's licence" to be allowed on a golf course in good old deutschland. did anyone believe it could be any other way

if you just want to practice a bit and have no car: there is a six-hole short course with driving range next to the s-bahn station at johanneskirchen.

there's also a driving range not too far north from schwabing

City Golf Center Schwabing
Leopoldstr. 250
80807 München

was there last year and l remember that it's not too expensive

the place is not so big though and l've a mate who pretty good and he whacked a few shots right over the back fence - moral being don't park your car at the back of the range

ordinary mortals like myself shouldn't have to worry about this though

Billybob is right. I don't think the city golf center is really meant for the longer clubs (woods and long irons). Not only is the fence fairly easy to clear, but there's some kind of apartment structure on the right that you could easily slice balls into.

Eschenried Golf Club

It's expensive (as is everywhere) and you need at least a PE (Platzerlaubnis) so you can prove you're no hack(leaving divots everywhere).

It's a stupid requirement because in the States anyone with a set of clubs and a collared shirt can play. You just need to know the golf etiquette - well the basics, don't leave divots, don't yell and scream when you hit a great shot, let faster groups play through, etc, etc. I don't play as much here as I did in the States (it's expensive and I only just got my PE card) - but this year!!!

I thought I would hate it because I'm more of a fast-twitch sport girl (mtn-biking, skiing) but I love it! It's so addictive!!

Crosslink by admin: BMW Open Golf Tournament

For all those Golf mad people out there (myself included)...

In todays SDZ is a golf supplement...with an article on the
"Fotogene Kühe im Märchenland- Von alpin über hügelig bis flach – die Allgäuer Golfregion bietet reizvolle Kontraste"

Look like some amazing courses... SDZ-Golf

The addresses and websites are listed..
Allan

what is a PE card and how do you come across one, also does anyone now if the run the equivelant of trainieeships over here my old pro back home assured me they love foreign golfers over here but doesnt really seem that way. Just coming off a bad injury which prevented me from finishing my pro traineeship so am now looking at my options over here. cheers.

Yesterday I was out rollerblading by Thalkirchen and I noticed the entrance to the Munich Golf Club on the side of the road. I decided to head in for a look. First off it's a 9-hole private course (covering two separate areas) and daily green fees are 60EUR for weekdays and I think he said 75EUR for weekends. This does not include club rental. There is no discount for students, blind people, wheel-chair bound people...He said everybody pays the same 60EUR. This seems expensive to me...but we're in Munich right?

The whole golfing system in Germany is geared towards retiring company executives with too much money and not enough things to spend it on.

Before you can even set foot on a golf course you have to either produce a handicap certificate from your current club or do your "Platzreife" which involves a written test on golf rules on etiquette (which is absolutely useless as I have never seen a German rake a bunker or repair a pitch mark in my life) and then do a round of golf with the club professional. If you pass the written test and manage to go round in 54 over or less (!) then you can go around the country and destroy any course you wish.

Munich has some nice courses but it is pricey and you invariably get stuck behind a 4-ball of 54 handicappers who do not let you through "Because ve hef as much reit az yees uzzer peepul to play ze golf" and because they are too busy looking for the 20th ball they have lost on that particular whole to notice the queue behind them.

Bad Tegernseer Golf Club is a very nice course but rather pricey. Worth a look though.

If you are looking for a game then I am always up for a round.

Or, you can do like I did - fil out a bunch of course score cards, fill them out with reasonable scores and send them to an Austrian golf course, pay 250€ and voila, you have a card with your name on it with your handicap. And last summer, I didn't play a single round of golf and my handicap dropped by 9 points - don't ask, I don't know how.

The bottom line is, take lessons first at one club, hit the driving range a few times, make sure your face is know - and then play a round there. I have never, not once, been asked for my card.

Yep. Loads of dodgy ways to get the handicaps here. I must admit that I have never been asked for my handicap certificate or anything like that but I know it happens. The problem is that I classify someone with a 54 handicap as a non-golfer because you could putt a ball round the course and shoot lower...

I am just interested in playing a round of golf with someone who's handicap is less than 29...

A bunch of us (maily ex-pats) from around Germany get together twice a year for a weekend to play golf. Handicaps range from 4.1 to 19. We played St. andrews and St Leon-Rot (Heidelberg) last year and plan to play a new RTJ design in Portugal this year after the Euro 2004 is over. In case anyone is interested to join us just PM me.

On the matter of handicap cards, i just use my UK card. The handicap on the card is a peel off sticker. If they ask why there isnt a date on the card (which was only once) as German clubs apparently issue one every year, i just tell them Im a life member of the club so there isnt any need for a new card every year. Has worked for me till now and I have played both Gut Kaden and St. Leon-Rot with this.

I just started going down a 9-hole jobbie in Konigsbrunn which is only 125 Euros for a 10 day card and driving range. The boss there said if going to a decent club just make sure you speak ZERO German - they will let you play 'cos they assume those of us from the UK and USA know what we are doing.

Yes I Have experienced this on several occations, never even asked for my card.

Naked Golf in Munich!

Hi All,

now that I've got your attention...

is there anyone with a car who would be willing to share expenses for golf trips out or pay gas etc (I don't have a car).

...or...

does anyone know of a course other than Reim next to an S-Bahn or railway station.

Regards
Mad Golfer

ps bet the hit count reaches 100 by Friday

Every year the Munich BMW Open is played at Eichenried Golf Course.

Eichenried is reachable by public transport.
Take the S-Bahn S8 north to Ismanning.
From there it's a 10 minute bus ride (Number 531) to Eichenried.

@madgolfer and others

I've got a car..but have room for a set of clubs.. Am up for a round!.
Anyone else got a car?..
You got a golf "ausweiss"?

There are quite a lot of nice clubs around munich we could try...
Would be good to get a round in before the weather gets worse..

I have the clubs, but no car! If anything is organised, count me in.

maybe sometime in the next few weekends...sunday daytrip..
If someone else has a car, we have a complete flight !!

cool!

Maybe if a enough are intrested for the future we could hire a small van or something, as I have also a wife and a eight year old boy who would be intrested.

We could even roll it into a day out if others just wanted a trip out to keep costs down, just need a willing driver.

I know it is still expensive, but if you wanted to join eichenried, and are a member of a course outside Germany, you can get an international membership for about 1500€ this entitles you to play as often as you want, maintain a handicap and play in any of the club's medals. It is actually cheaper than joining a run of the mill course in this area. I am not sure if they look at how high your handicap is elsewhere, but if they do it is a joke when you can play there as a full member with 54!! Myself and 2 other lads are joining in March, looking forward to playing a lot of golf this year. If anyone else with a handicap of say 20 or less is interested in getting a game when the weather warms up, drop me a line...

Hi,

Anyone know of any public golf courses in the Munich area and how much it is for a round?

Cheers

Topics merged by admin

The courses I know about require a membership. If you find any where the public can walk on please let me know. We could even organize a TT Foursome

I think there is "Pitch and put" type thingy at the Olimpia stadium...

Search and ye shall find

G

If someone can come up with a fairly cheap way, then a tourny could be arranged!

I have heard the same that you need be a member in Munich to play. Also that you should have a handicap as well. I was invited in a few weeks toa course in Austria as there is no membership or handicap required. Not sure where it is but will let you know afterwards.

If we got 10 or more people I could probably organize a scramble tournament at a course in Koenigsbrunn. Cost would be around 30 or maybe 40 euros.

Speak up if you would be interested

Im interested!

30 or 40 Euros to play that course at Königsbrunn is definitely not worth it in my opinion. Unless you mean the "Golf Range" course nearby...

München Riem costs as much as is a much nicer course to play

I would be interstested in a TT Golf Day
Thats could be good fun but would be nice to play at a decent course

most courses require a handicap certificate to play. however, a friend has a photocopy of anther friend's and i use mine from the uk which is at least 4 years old. if you have said certificate, then you can play just about any course you choose.

my wife is organising a tournament for the scandinavian community in munich and just called a couple of courses who both said, when would you like? no problem. eschenried is one (not eichenried, home of the bmw open) and we're actually holding it at holledau.

if you do get one off the ground i'd definitely like to play.

I have played about 20 or 30 golf courses around Germany, and have always got away with a letter printed by my good self saying I am a member of a course in the UK with handicap 12. Never fails, as long as they see a bit of paper with a name, a golf club and a handicap on it, it is no problem.

Thalkirchen sounds like a rip off for €60, but this is for the day, so if you are up to it, you could go round the 9 holes 4 or 5 times. Riem is best driving range in the city, course is not cheap for what it is, and it costs money just to go onto the range before you pay for your balls!!

nice one

Ummm... I'm really embarrassed to ask but...
Whats the deal with this handicap certificate?
Fit and healthy people are not allowed to play??

I am serious, can someone explain please?

When I moved here this winter from Texas, I too found the whole handicap thing a bit elitist and mind boggling...56, I didn't even know it was possible. Seems kind of funny, courses complain about member being hard to come by, so what do they do...they limit their market by installing this handicap rule

Anyway, I ended up joining Dachau...postage stamp size greens to make it challenging, but a fun 9 hole course. It was built by the U.S. army after the liberation of Dachau KZ.

Bottom line, I'm up for a round anytime, and have a car...so PM me if you want to hit the ball.

Handicap is used as a measure of how well you play. Average "par" for a course is 72, your handicap is how much over that you shoot. A low handicap means you are a better golfer. Asking for a certificate just keeps us "duffers" off the course.

BTW, when I golfed I was a 27, which means a round was 99 strokes.

Thanks for the explanations!

as i am a) currently unemployed and b) have a large estate car for lots of golf bags, i am virtually constantly up for a game.

if anyone else wants to play during the week in particular (it's cheaper) let me know.

Good to paly most times... clubs no car

Or you can do what I do - buy a membership at a club in Austria (Boehmerwald)for 250€ and tell them what your handicap was in the States ( I told them 56 - good enough for the PE) and they sent me a membership card with the PE on it. The next year, having played not a single round of golf, I got a new card saying my handicap is now 45.

It's accepted because I've used it this summer.

Last weekend I went over to the driving range at Münchner Freiheit. Not bad at all. You get 140 balls for €10. At it's longest point the range is 230 metres. As I found out, this is not quite long enough for me to completely let loose, especially given that accuracy is not entirely my strongest point.

They have pads with and without the fixed tees, a putting green and a couple of practise bunkers.

It's a fairly basic place but does the job nicely. The bloke running the place is friendly and speaks very good English.

Open till 22h00 and very easy to get to.

Well worth a visit if you fancy knocking a couple out

hey there golf enthusiasts, the cheapest way to play golf in Munich is with the English Golf Society.

Membership is open to anybody who can play and who speaks English. You don't need a handicap certificate but you do need to be able to go round a course without carving it up. The Society plays about 25 times a year at several courses around Munich at reduced greenfees. Membership is € 35 per year; all income is spent on prizes.

The best person to contact is the membership secretary, Mervyn Iles at mervyniles@compuserve.com.

Mike

Anyone intrested in playing golf? Looking for golfers who are keen

Topics merged by admin

Just finished 18 holes (albeit here in Ludwigsburg).

I played quite a bit in Ireland but never registered a handicap as it was mostly along with mates in a golf society. I have to do the test to get my license tomorrow to be allowed to play on courses here. If I pass I would certainly interested in playing. I am very keen but that would need to be measured against the fact that I am quite crap.

Good luck TC1. You'll be swinging that club on a green in no time.

It is not like riding a bike...