LOFOTEN LINKS - 17 POINTS

It was a few years ago that I first heard about a spectacular golf course in the Arctic Circle. Journalist Chris Bertram (now at Golf World) wrote about it, then Solly from No Laying Up made the trip up. Bit by bit the reputation - and mystique - of Lofoten Links grew.

The photographs were certainly spectacular, but a lot was made of the meeting of rock and water. Could this golf course really be enjoyed or was it just a slither of land on a rocky outcrop? And there wasn’t consensus in the golf magazines either. Golf World had it as number 6 course in Continental Europe, but Top100golfcourses.con was far less impressed.

But one thing was sure, I needed to see Lofoten for myself.

The journey north isn’t easy - see the ‘tour tips’ section below for options. However, if you go at the right time, you will be rewarded with the rare joy of the midnight sun. You will be able to play all day and night, as the sun circles your head. Clock time doesn’t mean much at Lofoten in the summer.

I visited in the middle of August and by then the sun was already setting at night time, though not for long. Of course, the downside of these daylight extremes is that the course is only open from May to September. It goes into hibernation in the dark, winter months.

As I said, the pictures looked amazing. Nearly everything I googled before I left showed the wonderful par 3 second hole – almost an island sitting on the rocks. However, I couldn’t find too much to read about the golf course; the setting and landscape seemed to overshadow comment on the quality of the course.

Well, I am glad to report that, not only is the setting spectacular, but the course is wonderful too. And the two don’t always go hand-in-hand. For every triumph like Cape Wickham there is a less successful attempt (Old Head is the easiest whipping boy but there are others).

The first hole isn’t long, just 300 metres from the back tees, but it sweeps from right to left around the bay. Play too safe and you will probably end up on the rocks through the fairway. But bite off too much and the indignity of an early watery grave awaits.

This gives you a good idea of what is to come at Lofoten. Many of the shots are more visually intimidating than the reality. But when you have water, rocks, and even Viking burial grounds to contend with, the swing tenses up just that little bit.

The course has seven greens perched on or near the rugged coastline, mostly featuring at the beginning or end of your round, with the rest heading up to the higher, rocky, inland ground.

After the majestic first, the second hole, surely the most photographed hole in Scandinavia, raises the heart rate even more. Again, the hole isn’t long, but you will need to hit it well to find the green. Short, left, right or long will all spell certain calamity. It’s an iconic hole, and one of the most thrilling you will ever play. I’d put it right up there in my top 10 par 3s ever.

You return to the teeing area for your drive on the 3rd. This tee shot is one of the most demanding on the course. You need to carry the ball over a beach and a cliff and down a narrow fairway if you plan to end up on the short stuff. Like most holes at Lofoten though, you do have options. You could take an iron off the tee to lay up above the fairway drop. But the problem then is the long approach, with water waiting to take your ball on the left if you miss the green.

It’s yet another spectacular hole and by this time you will be wondering if the quality can possibly keep up.

As the course moves inland it may not have the water to enchant but the landscape is still thrilling. On three sides, beyond the water, you see great mountains – some close, others in the distance. You will use them for lines off the tee and watch for your ball contrasting with the dark, almost menacing, backdrop. These holes are where the elevation change comes in too. You will climb not once, but twice to the highest peak and, on these holes, the rocks are even more pronounced.

The 6th is a fantastic par 3. It was about 160 yards uphill but playing longer with the elevation change. From the tees, all you can see is a slither of green set amongst grey, brown and black rocks. When you get up to the green, you realise there is more space than you realised. Maybe it won’t be so intimidating the second time round?

The 7th and 8th bring two of the three par 5s on the course and again, precision is key. The fairways are generous enough but frankly, if you are off them, you are dead.

From the tee it looks like heather runs alongside most of the fairways but you soon discover the heather is sitting on top of a very soft, peaty-type soil - sometimes a marsh. Stray too far and you can sink in it up to your knees. Goodness knows how many balls have met a similar fate?!

This is pretty much the only criticism I have of Lofoten – it is punishing if you miss the fairways. In fact, most of the fairways are pretty wide when you get there, but, such is the nature of the land, that the visual from the tee makes you feel claustrophobic and tense. They have wisely put in a lot of red stakes at the sides of the fairways to deter you from looking for balls for too long, and to keep things moving along.

The course tends to reward you after a challenge. The run from 7 to 9 is tough, but then you have the fun of a short downhill par 4 at the 10th.

There are only a handful of carries required at Lofoten, but the par 3 12th will test any golfer. At 250 yards from the back tees, 225 from the tees I was playing, you need to get it over marshy land to a raised green, with more lost ball territory right and left. This may be the most challenging shot you will be asked to hit on the course.

For the last holes you revisit the water, in some style. Both the 14th and 16th are simply wonderful par 4s. The 16th may be the best hole on the course. You play the 470/440 yard par 4 downhill a little from the tee before a long approach to the green, with the water behind. You will have been walking a lot by this point and may be feeling weary, but you absolutely need to keep your wits about you for this one.

The 17th plays over a lagoon coming in from the sea to a green that butts up against the 3rd, and the 18th takes you back to the clubhouse with a par 4 that may be one of the better birdie opportunities on the course. The rocky backdrop is a fitting end to your round.

I have described the course to someone as like the lovechild of Ardfin and Kingsbarns. It has the spectacular setting of the former, with some of the playability of the latter. That’s not to say the course is a pushover - take plenty of balls with you! - but you will be able to relax a little after you have played it once and know what challenges lie ahead.

The course has evolved over recent years and the current layout is entirely different from the original course. The tees are pretty small and were a little ragged as a result, but there are plans afoot to redo them. Similarly, some of the paths off the greens are, let’s just say, a bit muddy. Again, there are plans to work on those.

I played in mid August and was really impressed with the conditions. The fairway covering was excellent and they drained really well. The greens were running very true but were relatively slow. I actually really enjoyed that. It was nice to be able to putt with confidence knowing that you weren’t going to look too silly – you could give them a good bash at times! While the greens may not be the most contoured or subtle in the world, there is definitely good variety. There are slopes and side slopes on many holes and the greens picked up speed downhill.

For me this is one of the very best courses in Continental Europe. I think it is in the top 10 at least, probably in the top 5.

Of course, it is impossible though to divorce the course from the setting. This is simply one of the most breath-taking places to play golf anywhere in the world. That they have built a course to complement the landscape so well is a delight.

I know it’s a hard place to get to, but the reward for making the effort is so rich. It doesn’t have a swanky architect attached to it, and, by the looks of it, it doesn’t get many raters visiting either. But Lofoten deserves to be mentioned in the same breath as some of the very best modern courses in the world. You can be certain that if you do come, you won’t regret it.

BOOKING THE COURSE

Booking the course is relatively straightforward. You can see all the details on their web page here - https://lofotenlinks.no/golf/green-fee-rates/?lang=en and then just send them an email to book at info@lofotenlinks.no. Green fees vary according to season and whether or not you are a guest at the hotel, they are very good value for the price however, with the most expensive being 1950 NOK (£145).

Prices correct as of August 2023.

TOUR TIPS

My first bit of advice would be to stay on the property. There is a collection of lodges about a kilometre away from the course and the top of the range ones have three bedrooms. Each bedroom has two single beds and an en-suite bathroom as well as a shared lounge/kitchen area. While the bedrooms aren’t huge but they absolutely do the job. There are a few other lodges with shared bathrooms.

Half way between the lodges and the golf course you will find the restaurant where you will do most of your dining (there is also a small café in the pro shop). I was really very impressed with the food here. Local ingredients were used to provide a really high quality offering. Fantastic!

It’s probably a 15/20 minute walk along the road between the lodges and the golf course, but most who make it this far will have a car.

And now for the hard bit - getting there! I really enjoy trying to work out the logistics for a trip like this. It did take a while, but in the end, I flew from Edinburgh to Oslo where I had to stay overnight due to flight times. The next morning, I flew about an hour and a half north from Oslo to Evenes. It’s a pretty small airport but there is (quite expensive) car hire available, so I picked up a car and drove the three hours north west to Lofoten. It was an absolutely breath-taking drive - a simply magnificent experience.

You can fly closer to the course, but there are more changes required. You can fly from Oslo to Bodø and from there to Leknes or Solvaer. The risk of missed connections or lost clubs obviously increases with more transfers involved!

CONTACT DETAILS

Lofoten Links
Tore Hjortsvei 389
8314 Gimsøysand
Norway

Web - www.lofotenlinks.no
Phone - +47 76 07 20 02
Email - info@lofotenlinks.no

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