Golf Club Pfalz - flagship club in German Tuscany

The Palatinate is often referred to as the "German Tuscany". This is partly due to the sunny climate and partly due to the wonderful combination of wine and joie de vivre, which is also expressed in the warm hospitality. If you want to combine a trip to this region in Rhineland-Palatinate, which is particularly popular for short breaks, with a round on one of the best courses in Germany, the course near Neustadt an der Weinstraße is a must. The course has now hosted the Final Four tournament of the German Golf League several times. The club's current success story began in 2017, when the club decided on a master plan and became the first German golf course ever to enter into a cooperation with US golf management giant Troon, which was primarily aimed at optimizing the course and its maintenance condition. This was followed by a comprehensive renovation of the course. With the support of Neil Lubbock, who also works as a pro at the club, Greg Letsche, who has already worked with greats such as Ernie Els, Jack Nicklaus and Pete Dye, was brought in. Today, the Par 72 course is of top quality in terms of both design and maintenance.

Top quality at Golf Club Pfalz

With five tees per hole and a total length of between 4,620 and 6,215 meters, the course is accessible to golfers of all levels. The parkland course impresses with its varied fairways, including several doglegs and water hazards. The course can be easily covered on foot, but modern carts can also be hired. The greens are quite fast by German standards, and scores above 10 on the stimpmeter are not uncommon.

Challenges at the Golf Club Pfalz

The course blends wonderfully into the landscape, with small differences in elevation ensuring that some obstacles only become visible at second glance, such as the moat on hole 2. The bunkers are of classic international design, often with raised edges. The greens are often slightly elevated and therefore require precise length control - and due to their size, you should keep the current flag position in mind when approaching, otherwise the shot to the flag will quickly be too short or too long. Only one par-3 comes into play without water: the up to 180-metre-long hole 5, which has a green that is as large as it is undulating, so the par is not a foregone conclusion. The long par-4 on hole 8 could be nicknamed "My friend the tree", as a tall oak tree on the right-hand side on the way to the green ensures that you should aim for the right side of the Fairway from the tee.

Control is the be-all and end-all at Golf Club Pfalz

The fact that length and direction control are more important on this course than pure distance becomes clear at the latest on hole 10, an almost 90-degree dogleg to the right. Hole 11, another dogleg to the right, with its peninsula-shaped green, is both a feast for the eyes and a challenge. In general, you get the impression that the second nine are even more challenging and varied: sometimes, as on hole 12, you have to play over dense Rough, sometimes, as on holes 14 and 15, the course is bordered not only by trees but also by water. The last Par-3 on hole 16 with frontal water in front of the green does not require a particularly long, but high and precise teeshot. Just how well architect Letsche has placed the fairway bunkers can be seen once again on the final fairway: it is not uncommon for the tee shot, which is played out of a small aisle in the forest, to land in one of the two fairway bunkers on either side - the participants in the Final Fours can tell you a thing or two about it. And with the small bunker behind the green, which is difficult to see from the direction of play, the course designer has saved a little surprise for last.

The Golf Club Pfalz offers golfing enjoyment at the highest level combined with top maintenance and a design that you would otherwise expect to find outside Germany. After the round, you should round off your round on the terrace of the clubhouse with a wonderful glass of Palatinate wine.