There are many beautiful golf courses on the planet. Pebble Beach, Cypress Point, Augusta National, Royal County Down, Old Head, Banff Springs, Cabot Cliffs, Cruden Bay, Cape Kidnappers…some I’ve played, some I dream of playing.

On a cool morning in late September I had the incredible good fortune of playing a track on a high mountain plateau in the Austrian Alps that may not be as well known as the courses I just mentioned, but is definitely in the same league when it comes to unimaginable beauty.

I knew I was in for a truly stunning visual experience even before I arrived at Golfclub Seefeld-Wildmoos, as every European golfer I know asked me if this magnificent track was on my itinerary during my month long golfing grand tour through the Italian, French, Swiss and Austrian Alps. Whenever I said “yes,” I was met with a huge smile, and told I was in for a real treat as I would be playing what many people consider Austria’s most scenic golf course.

They weren’t wrong. Golfclub Seefeld-Wildmoos is an absolute knockout, a landscape painting come to life with fairways and greens surrounded by towering pines and snow-capped mountains a short drive from Seefeld, a fairy tale town full of cobblestone streets, ancient churches, and tales of legendary knights that will give you goosebumps!

I spent two wonderful days golfing, dining and sightseeing in Seefeld, here are some of the highlights…

GOLFING IN SEEFELD

Seefeld is known for two wonderful golf courses, the aforementioned Golfclub Seefeld-Wildmoos (“wildmoos” means wild moss in German) a par 72 18-hole championship course that is one of Austria’s prestigious “The Leading Golf Courses” club consortium, and Golfclub Seefeld Reith, a fabulous par 35 9-hole track that can be looped twice if you want to play a full round.

The “Reith” course (as locals call it) at 6015 yards when looped twice, is a very attractive and well maintained, easy to walk track. Situated on a flat piece of land a 9-iron away from the center of Seefeld, this charming course is a great way to start your golfing experience when you’re visiting this part of Austria. Just like its bigger neighbor Golfclub Seefeld-Wildmoos, Golfclub Seefeld Reith is no slouch when it comes to scenery as it’s ringed by the surrounding Wetterstein and Karwendel mountain ranges which had a magical dusting of snow when I played.

Fairways are wide at Reith, but there are lots of deep, cavernous bunkers that will take big bites out of the scorecards of golfers who think this course is a pushover. Case in point –  hole No. 7 – and the gigantic bunker guarding the front of its green with a 6-foot high wall that forced me to hit backwards to get out of. I won’t forget this beast the next time I play Reith, that is for certain.

About 10 minutes down the road by car, Golfclub Seefeld-Wildmoos, at 6452 yards looks and feels like a national park disguised as a golf course. Designed by British course architect Donald Harradine, “Wildmoos” as locals lovingly call it, was opened for play in 1969. Harradine, who is not known for the overuse of bunkers on fairways, chose to keep the natural flow of the mountain on the canvas he was given, and created a masterpiece of golf course design by integrating Wildmoos into the lines of the landscape it’s built on. If the club pulled the pins off the greens, removed the clubhouse, and shut down for golf tomorrow, in a few weeks no one would know a golf course existed on this sublime piece of rugged alpine land.

Holes are well spread out at Wildmoos, and there is a ton of elbow room on this massive track. The natural, undulating fairways on this course are either very wide and roomy – or super tight tree-lined alleys with friendly v-cut gully-like floors that roll your ball back into a more respectable resting spot if you spray it left or right.

Despite being a true mountain course at 4750 feet above sea level, Wildmoos has a floor plan that is “flattish” and elevation changes, for the most part, are slow and gentle making it very walkable. During my visit to Wildmoos, I played with course GM Julia Dimke, and we drove in a golf cart because we were working and playing at the same time, and we didn’t want to slow down play for the groups behind us. Trust me when I say it’s easy to lose focus on this course when you’re not used to incredible mountain scenery around every tree and rock. I am not ashamed to say I was awestruck and overwhelmed by some of the views, this despite spending most of my life in the mountains as a ski journalist.

When I asked Dimke if she ever took living, working, and playing in an alpine paradise like Seefeld for granted, she said never.

“I never forget how lucky I am to live and work here. I see this place almost like it’s a little dream island. In Seefeld time flows in another way, and everything is nearly perfect. You can slow down, you can relax, you can work, you can play golf, but without the hustle and bustle everywhere else around the world,” said Dimke.

I’m not a “new age” type person, I don’t believe in crystals, energy vortexes, or past life regression, but there is a definite otherworldly vibe at Wildmoos, and it is palpable. Yes you’re playing golf, but you’re doing it in a golfer’s wonderland – only you don’t know it until you hit that first shot into the void. The “down the rabbit hole” moment at Wildmoos happens when you reach the first green, turn back to look at the tee box, and feast your eyes on a panoramic mountain view a hiker or mountaineer would kill for, only instead of having crampons on your boots and an ice axe in your hands, you’ve got Footjoys on you feet and a golf glove on your hand with the fat grip of a mallet putter in it.

Your next transcendental “Golfer in Wonderland” experience happens when you arrive at the second green and turn your back toward the fairway. You are immediately hammered by what looks like an extreme close-up shot of the iconic, almost 9,000 foot high Hohe Munde mountain peak rising up from the trees at the end of the fairway. It is an unsettling sight, but unsettling in the most amazing sense, sort of like an in-your-face moonrise that kind of looks like Jaws (the movie shark) surfacing out of the water, only it’s made out of zillion year old stone! And no, for the record,I wasn’t on hallucinogenic drugs during my round, or having acid flashbacks, I was just unbelievably blown away by what Mother Nature was throwing at me during what I thought would be another run of the mill round of golf.

“What’s really special about our course is that every hole is very different, and after you play here you remember each one. We know we have a really beautiful golf course in a very beautiful place, and now so do you!” Dimke told me with a reaffirming smile, clearly seeing that I’d just had an 18-hole out-of-body experience by the end of the round.

Dimke was not wrong. Every hole at Golfclub Seefeld-Wildmoos was, is, and always will be a testament to the ethereal glory of nature, and the mystery and magic of whomever, or whatever made it all happen. Seeing Wildmoos with my own eyes was indeed a treat, but to experience it with a golf club in my hands, well that was just pure golfing ecstasy!

DINING IN SEEFELD

BRÄUKELLER GRILL & VEGGIE

Restaurants located in 16th-century monasteries are few and far between – and that’s why I never pass them up when making dining establishment choices in quaint European alpine towns. But seriously, I never miss a meal at Bräukeller Grill & Veggie when I’m visiting Seefeld. It’s located in the lower part of the super luxe, five star Hotel & Spa Klosterbräu right in the heart of town, and it has a huge menu with tons of selection for vegetarians and meat lovers alike.

Pro tip: the hearty salads at Bräukeller are incredible, definitely order their amazing garlic truffle french fries, and the fall-off-the-bone beechwood smoked beef ribs here are exquisite.

GOLFCLUB SEEFELD-WILDMOOS CLUBHOUSE

If you’ve been to the province of Tirol in Austria, chances are you’ve sampled one of the region’s most traditional and delicious local dishes – Tiroler Gröstl – which is basically a beef, bacon, potato & onion fry-up topped with a couple of sunny side eggs served in black skillet.

As a slightly obsessed Tiroler Gröstl connaisseur, I can confidently recommend the heavenly version that I devoured after my round at the Golfclub Seefeld-Wildmoos clubhouse restaurant, absolutely fabulous it was! But if Tiroler Gröstl is not your thing, fear not, just about everything else you can imagine food wise at a golf clubhouse restaurant is also on the menu, including ice cold beer, and super tasty schnapps if you’re just popping in for a drinkee.

TRE. CULINARIA OG

Part café, part bistro, part wine & spirits shop, part delicatessen, part foodie Mecca, this incredible place to eat, drink, and shop is a must when you’re in Seefeld. Bring a big appetite, a big shopping bag, and lots of time to spend drinking great wine, devouring celestial charcuterie platters, and sipping exquisite coffee as you ponder how much gourmet balsamic vinegar and schnapps you’ll be able to fit into your luggage after your shopping spree here.

HOTEL SEESPITZ IN-HOUSE RESTAURANT

If you’re lucky enough to be staying at the 4* superior Hotel Seespitz located in the heart of Seefeld do yourself a favor and opt for half-board which means breakfast and dinner included.

Breakfasts at this fantastic hotel are unbelievable and plentiful, and dinners are a dream! For dinner you can choose the hotel’s buffet offerings, a fixed menu meal, or order something à la carte, like a scrumptious Wiener Schnitzel if that’s what suits your fancy. And if you’re super lucky the fixed menu will have “Orangetiramisu” served with homemade poppyseed ice cream for dessert…soooooo yummy!

ACCOMODATIONS IN SEEFELD

There is no shortage of budget, mid-range, or luxury hotel accommodations in Seefeld, and over the years I’ve stayed in hotels from all of these categories. For this visit I really wanted to stay at a hotel that was located on the shores of Wildsee, the gorgeous alpine lake Seefeld borders on.

So with this in mind I chose Hotel Seespitz, a very elegant 4* superior hotel that gives you the best of both worlds as you’re on the lake, but very close to the main part of town too. The hotel has very large, superbly decorated rooms. Some of them come with magnificent lake views and balconies you can sit out on, I was fortunate to have one of these beauties.

When I wasn’t in a wandering mood, I had dinner at the Hotel Seespitz in-house restaurant, which I mentioned above, and even met a local friend I hadn’t seen in a long time for an after dinner drink at the hotel’s chic, cozy bar & lounge area by a roaring fire.

The other big draw at Hotel Seespitz is the spectacular spa and wellness facilities it has overlooking the lake. I spent a lazy afternoon sunning myself after golf, and then went inside for a long sauna session when it started to rain. After relaxing indoors on a very cushy lounging bed, I went for a dip in the hotel’s indoor/outdoor pool after sunset, in the rain – something I won’t soon forget!

OTHER FUN STUFF TO DO IN SEEFELD

GO ON A “PILGRIMAGE”

Since 1384, when, according to legend, a local knight named Oswald ticked off the powers above by asking for more than his fair share of the holy host during mass, and abruptly sank into ground with the altar stone he was kneeling on (that turned blood red), Christian pilgrims have been visiting Seefeld, and the impressive pilgrimage church of St. Oswald where it all allegedly happened.

Whether you’re one of the faithful, or simply love to gaze at beautiful old churches with cool legends about knights, The Parish Church of St. Oswald is a wonderful place to visit, and when you’re done, you can go outside and hike up a small hill called “Pfarrerbichl” (Pastor’s Hill) via the “Kreuzweg mit Steinkreis” walking path to a circle of standing stones representing Christ’s twelve apostles.

The brainchild of Seefeld architect Michael Prachensky, the twelve boulders (which weigh up to 23 tons each) are said to be built on one of the most mystical places in Tirol, and were put in place in accordance to a specific star constellation that was measured on June 21, 2000 during summer solstice.

If you’re still in the mood for stunning churches after your visit to Seefeld’s stone circle, hike over (about 10 minutes) to the town’s most iconic building, the beautiful onion-domed Seekirchl, a Baroque chapel finished in 1666 that is one of the most enchanting little religious buildings in the world, and pretty much on every Seefeld post-card ever printed!

HIKING/BIKING AND WATER ACTIVITIES

If you’ve got time before or after hitting the links and are hiking inclined, Seefeld and the entire “Tirols Hochplateau” region have more than 650 kms of marked hiking, mountain, and via ferrata routes for you to explore in all degrees of difficulty. If you’d rather go rambling on two wheels, there are 570 kms of bike trails to explore in the region also. If you’re into lakes, there are two in the area – Wildsee, right in town where you can swim and paddleboard, and nearby Möserer See, which local’s say is pretty warm for an alpine pool!

MORE INFO ON SEEFELD: 

To find out more about Seefeld go to: https://www.seefeld.com/en/

For more information on golfing in Seefeld go to: https://www.seefeld.com/en/golfing.html

For more information about playing at Golf Club Seefeld-Wildmoos go to: https://www.seefeldgolf.com/en/

For more information about playing at Golfclub Seefeld-Reith go to:

https://www.gc-seefeld-reith.at/

Seefeld has a wide assortment of hotels for every budget. For my visit, I selected the 4* superior Hotel Seespitz right in the heart of Seefeld. For more information on this beautiful hotel go to: https://www.seespitz.at/en/

GETTING TO SEEFELD:

Seefeld is easily accessible via train, bus, and car and is only a 90-minute drive from Munich Airport. For more information on getting to Seefeld go to: https://www.seefeld.com/en/

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