Start of the season: German Golf League kicks off with a double match day

The wait is over: the German Golf League (DGL) presented by All4Golf is starting the 2025 season. The 1st Bundesliga North will meet on the weekend of 10/11 May for a double match day at GC Falkenstein in Hamburg, while the southern division will be hosted by GC St. Leon-Rot at the same time with the men's and women's teams. The big goal is the Final Four, where the German team champions will be determined on August 2-3 at GC München-Riedhof.

German Golf League 2025: The season overview

1. Bundesliga Nord: A series with five double match days starts in Hamburg

The North starts the 2025 season with a premiere: "For the first time in the history of the DGL, there are five double match days in a 1st Bundesliga. We've never had that in this form before," says Sven Hahnl, Head of Tournament Organization at the German Golf Association. This means that the men's and women's teams from the same clubs will be competing on all five dates this year, which is due to the fact that GC Hannover 2024 has promoted both teams to the German top flight.

The kick-off in the north traditionally takes place on May 10/11 at Hamburg GC. "We are looking forward to opening the season with the match day here and hope that we get off to a good start for everyone," explains Christian Niemietz. The Head of Competitive Sports at the HGC has already celebrated the first success of his teams, as the Falkensteiner team won gold twice at the Hamburg Team Championships.

The host club's women will be the favorites after their lossless 2024 season and subsequent championship title. However, all eyes will be on new coach Luis Schmid, who took over as head coach from Esther Poburski, who moved to Golf Team Germany as national coach.

While the women's teams from GC Hösel and newly promoted Hanover are aiming to stay in the league, Hubbelrath and G&LC Berlin-Wannsee are aiming for the Final Four at Riedhof. At Wannsee, they are focusing on continuity: "We are proud of this, because it is a clear objective of the club - and almost a unique selling point in the Bundesliga - to develop young players," says Sports Director Miriam Hiller. It will be interesting to see whether Tour player Alexandra Försterling will play for the Berliners in the DGL 2025. They are also relying on proven personnel in Hubbelrath: Ian Holloway, who was voted Teacher of the Year 2024 by his professional colleagues at the PGA of Germany, will remain with the team as coach at least until the end of the season.

In contrast, there have been changes in the coaching positions in the men's 1st Bundesliga North: Felix Katzy has handed over his position as coach of G&LC Berlin Wannsee to Max Tscherner (came from GC Stolper Heide) and Dawie Stander is taking the helm at GC Hösel. Both clubs are aiming for the Final Four, as is GC Hubbelrath, which has strengthened its squad with Wolfgang Glawe and Tim Kretschmann (came from GC Mannheim-Viernheim). There is also personnel news for the hosts of the first match day: Emil Albers is returning to the Falkensteiners from St. Leon-Rot and Christian Lanfermann, who has already led the Hamburg ladies to the German Team Championship twice, is supporting the men's team as assistant coach.

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1. Bundesliga Süd: Host St. Leon-Rot is eager to kick off the season at home

"We had a good winter preparation and want to start the new DGL season with a double home matchday win, just like last year," explains Moritz Lampert. The club manager of GC St. Leon-Rot is ready for round one in the south. "The course has been in excellent condition for weeks and our greenkeeping is currently working out the kinks for the weekend," says Lampert. The DGL has a high priority in the schedule and on Sunday there will be some activities around the halfway house as well as a fan zone. Admission is free on both days; guests can look forward to top golf at close quarters.

The host is the favorite in the women's competition. Team St. Leon-Rot, led by coach Sebastian Buhl, has dominated the 1st Bundesliga South in recent years and recently secured a ticket to the Final Four. But the competition also has ambitions. The teams from Stuttgart's GC Solitude, which has become increasingly strong in recent years, Munich GC and Frankfurt GC have also stated that their goal for the season is to take part in the showdown in the south of Munich at the beginning of August. Promoted GC Am Reichswald, on the other hand, will take on the role of outsider in the 2025 DGL season.

Three of the five men's teams in the south will start the season with new coaches. Following the upheaval at GC Mannheim-Viernheim, the team has been given a completely new look. New coach Michael Wolff is tasked with ensuring that the series continues and that the Seahawks also win a ticket to the Final Four in 2025. There are also new coaches at champions GC St. Leon-Rot (Benjamin Schlichting for Marco Schmuck) and Frankfurt GC (Jan Pelz for Jan Förster). While the Munich GC wants to finally achieve the big goal of the Final Four this time, the newly promoted Augsburg GC believes it is well capable of keeping up with the established teams.

The big goal is the Final Four at Riedhof

It all starts with the first match day on May 10/11. After five rounds in the 1st Bundesliga North and South (see dates below), the two best teams in each league (men's and women's) will qualify for the Final Four. The 2025 German team champions will be determined in match play mode at the GC München-Riedhof course on August 2-3.

DGL kick-off also in the classes from the 2nd national to the regional leagues

Of course, the main focus is on the top clubs in the German Oberhaus. But it's not just in the 1st Bundesliga that the battle for the title and to stay in the top flight is on. In the 2025 DGL season, 6,650 players will be competing in 92 league groups (in the men's league down to the regional leagues, in the women's league down to the top leagues) and teeing off for their clubs from all over Germany.

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Teams and match days of the German Golf League presented by All4Golf:

1. Bundesliga South Ladies

GC St. Leon-Rot May 10/11

Frankfurt GC May 24/25

Stuttgart GC Solitude June 07/08

Munich GC June 21/22

GC Am Reichswald July 19/20

1. Bundesliga North Ladies

Hamburg GC Falkenstein May 10/11

GC Hanover May 24/25

GC Hösel June 07/08

GC Hubbelrath June 21/22

G&LC Berlin-Wannsee July 19/20

1. Bundesliga South Men

GC St. Leon-Rot May 10/11

Frankfurt GC May 24/25

GC Augsburg June 07/08

Munich GC June 21/22

GC Mannheim-Viernheim July 19/20

1. Bundesliga North Men

Hamburg GC Falkenstein May 10/11

GC Hanover May 24/25

GC Hösel June 07/08

GC Hubbelrath June 21/22

G&LC Berlin-Wannsee July 19/20

(Text: German Golf Association)