Golf-Club Arosa - Flying high in Swiss alpine golf

The Arosa Golf Club is one of the highest and most spectacularly scenic golf courses in Switzerland, set amidst the impressive mountains of Graubünden. The traditional club was founded in 1942 and is located around 1,800 meters above sea level. This makes it not only the highest golf course in the canton, but also offers the highest tee shot in Graubünden - and a golfing experience that is as impressive in terms of sport as it is visually. The course was extended to 18 holes back in 2001. Golf course architect Donald Harradine was responsible for the original nine holes, while his son Peter Harradine, an equally renowned successor, was recruited for the expansion and subsequent modernization. The renovation was carried out in stages: First the tees, then the greens and finally the Fairways were modernized. Particularly noteworthy: the renovation work began on hole 18, as the focus was deliberately placed on the experience of a successful round.

Alpine golf at the Swiss Golf Club Arosa

The Par-65 course offers four tees per hole and impresses with its alpine layout with constantly changing elevations, spectacular views and technically challenging holes. Right at the start, the first Par-4 with a dogleg right and a rising green requires a precise shot to the finish. Hole 2, a short Par-3, leads over a deep valley to a narrow green - a real test of courage for the first long iron shot. The following holes show how well the course blends into the topography of the Alps: narrow Fairways, narrow aisles, streams, ponds and steeply sloping terrain demand precise course management. One highlight is the highest tee shot in Graubünden: hole 5 is only around 100 meters long, but plays significantly shorter as it is steeply downhill. The trick here is not in the length, but in the control - because water protects the small green on the front and right-hand side. Hole 8 winds its way over two fairway halves and a stream up to the green, which is well protected. The final Par-4 of the front nine also offers everything that makes a golfer's heart beat faster with up to 400 meters and an S-shaped course.

Tactically challenging and hospitable

The second part of the round initially takes you through wooded terrain with narrow aisles and water hazards, especially on the short Par-3 holes. Particularly worth mentioning is hole 15, the longest Par-3 on the course at 228 meters. Here it goes downhill towards the flag - but shots that are too long end up uncontrolled on the sloping hillside. The final Par-4 at hole 18 is also tactically challenging: a dogleg left with sloping terrain, where it is better to hit the ball into the green with the second shot.

In addition to sporting class, the club also scores points for its hospitality. The restaurant in the "Golfhuus" not only serves fresh dishes of the day and homemade cakes, but also offers a fantastic view of the surrounding mountains and several fairways from the terrace. In good weather, the club becomes a box seat in the Alps. And if you're hoping for pleasant temperatures on hot summer days, you've come to the right place: while heat records are breaking in the valley, Arosa has an ideal golfing climate - and the balls even fly a little further thanks to the altitude.