Did you know
Vestmannaeyjar golf club is the third oldest in Iceland, founded on the 4th of December 1938 by 36 dedicated golfers. The settlement for the first 6 holes was in the beginning Herjólfsdalur. A year later a small clubhouse was build in the east part of the valley and then enlarged in 1945. In 1962 the first 9 holes were completed. The Islanders annual festival forced members to seek out new land south of the valley and in continuance of that a new clubhouse was built. The old house is now used as a lodging cabin. The catastrophic eruption in 1973 changed all plans regarding the new clubhouse and the game of golf as volcanic ashes covered the whole course. A temporary course of 6 holes replaced the 9 hole course until all ashes had been removed and that took full 4 years. In 1989 a new elegant clubhouse was built as an addition to the old one. Long before the eruption in 1972 decisions had been made to add another 9 holes but that came not to reality until 1994. The old course was left almost unchanged but the new layout was built on the seashore. The design is considered to be extraordinary inmagnificent surroundings where birds are in perfect harmony with the Atlantic Ocean on one side and the rough shore on the other. Sometimes golfers just forget that they are playing for score in this land of contrasts.
The Place:
Iceland is fast becoming one of Europe's unique holiday destinations. It ‘s rugged and beautiful nature; bright summer nights; the variety and high standard of accommodation, nightlife and restaurants makes this jewel of the north a place not to be missed. Now with over 63 golf courses covering the island the traveling golfer can play all day and all night on good quality courses in spectacular landscape. Vestmannaeyjar are a short 20 min. flight from Reykjavík and are one of Iceland's natural wonders. The warm generous hospitality of the Islanders: the breathtaking setting of the islands, and it's superb golf course makes these islands a perfect venue for the Volcano Open tournament.
The course and the Weather:
This par 70 (5,322 m. off the club tee's) championship course, set in an old volcano, is a wonderful test of golf. Teeing off against a backdrop of volcanic walls; changing wind directions on the same hole and playing across and over the sea are all features of golf in Vestmannaeyjar. The course has a reputation for having the best greens in the country.
As it's name suggests Iceland is perhaps not the place to bring too much tan oil but in the summer months can be surprisingly warm. The secretis to pack for all types of weather (including golf waterproofs) because that is exactly how the climate is - changeable.
Golf Monthly:
Alister Nicol from GOLF MONTHLY wrote:
There is much more to Iceland then Geysir, glacier, volcanoes and the most mouth-watering seefood in the world. For a start there are 24 hours of daylight in mid-summer. And there is also golf. Good golf and plenty of it. Plenty, that is between the months of late April and mid- September before the bidder Arctic bites in.
The Westman Islands´ course nestles in the creter of an extinct volcano and its scenery has to be seen to be believed.
It is golf, if now quite in the raw, the just as I whould imagine my Schottish forebears intended it to be. There are no obsessively manicured fairways here. But there are a series of spectacular holes which take one´s breath away.
Did you know...
-That the club hosted the Icelandic Championship in1996 and 2003, and has been chosen to host the Championship -in 2008
-That the club hosted the Scandinavian Championship for amateurs 2000
-That the club was ranked as one of the best 200 courses in Europe by Golf Digest
Contact the Golf Club:
Golfklúbbur Vestmannaeyja
Póst box: 168
902 Vestmannaeyjar
Tel: +354-481-2363
Fax: +354-481-2363
e-mail: golf@eyjar.is
www.golf.is/eyjar
