Miklagard Golf: A Dream Course Inspired by the Vikings

Just a few minutes’ drive from Oslo-Gardermoen Airport lies Miklagard Golf, one of Scandinavia’s most spectacular and ambitious golf courses. The name “Miklagard”—the Old Norse name the Vikings used for Constantinople—says it all: The course combines world-class competitive golf with Norse mythology. Sculptures shaped like historic Viking swords and holes named after saga kings underscore the cultural theme of this championship-caliber stadium course, which opened in June 2001 based on plans by star architect Robert Trent Jones Jr.

The fact that the club is now thriving is also thanks to a rescue effort: In early 2024, a group of investors led by Arild André Karlsen and club manager Tore Waagø took over the course and quickly brought it back to the top of European golf through modernization and innovative partnerships.

Here you’ll find numerous other travel reports on the world’s most beautiful golf courses.

The par-72 course (front nine Par 35, back nine Par 37) spans five tees, which are labeled in the Scandinavian style using Roman numerals. The total length ranges from 4,736 to 6,542 meters. The design is characterized by rolling terrain, thick Rough, and—above all—notoriously fast greens that are mostly elevated and defended by deep Bunkers.

Front Nine: Split Fairways and the Par-3 in Front of the Hotel

The opening hole, No. 1—the second-most difficult hole on the course—demands the utmost precision on an uphill shot. On hole 2, a split Fairway requires a tactical decision between a blind shot to the upper plateau or a more challenging Approach over a chain of bunkers from the lower Fairway.

Other highlights of the front nine include the Par-3 on hole 5, which is up to 217 meters long, the par-3 on hole 7, which can be played from vastly different angles depending on the tee box, and the par-3 on the ninth hole, which requires a precise shot, set against the backdrop of the adjacent Lily Country Club.

Back Nine: The Toughest Hole and the Cascading Finale

On the back nine, water hazards take center stage even more. Hole 10 requires shots along two lakes, while the 416-meter-long par-4 on the 11th hole is considered the toughest hole on the entire course—a narrow, slightly uphill fairway with water running along the entire right side. A dramatic change in character is evident on the forest-lined Par-5 12th hole.

For tactical players, the 14th hole offers a classic risk-reward Par-4 measuring just 286 meters at most, surrounded by a veritable crater landscape of Bunkers. The grand finale is the 550-meter-long Par-5 on the 18th hole, where the out-of-bounds area looms on the left and a stream running across the fairway just 100 meters before the green demands a cool head.

A Perfect Finale at the Lily Country Club

In addition to the challenging course, Miklagard impresses with its first-class amenities. Due to the topography, it’s recommended to play the round in a cart. A modern TrackMan range is available for practice.

After the game, the clubhouse terrace with its impressive green roof invites you to linger. The directly integrated Hotel Lily Country Club perfectly rounds out the offerings; together, the hotel and club also offer golf packages. Thanks to its proximity to the airport, the facility is also ideal for a spontaneous weekend trip to Norway—or as a longer stay for golf groups and pro tours.