A picturesque view of a typical Czech village

L

andlocked between Germany, Poland, Austria and Slovakia the Czech Republic has an attractive and varied landscape of hills and basins which are drained by the major European rivers Elbe, Oder and the Moratia that flow to the North Sea, the Baltic and the Black Sea. Although landlocked it does own a 30.000 m2 area in the middle of the Hamburg docks to load and unload goods transported by river.

Prague's beautiful centre

Konopiste golf course near Prague

Thirty miles (50 km) east of Prague lies the picturesque spa town of Podebrady. The golf course was established in 1961 and today’s par 72 layout was completed in 2000. The club has leased more land with an eye on expansion.

In total the Czech Republic can boast approximately 25 eighteen-hole courses and 45 nine-holers. Although the country may not be ideal for a purely golfing holiday, combining sightseeing and golf would take several visits to do it justice. But golf is strictly a summer sport - as temperatures drop, skis come out of the cupboard and winter sports take over.

Karlovy Vary golf course

Although on the PGA European Tour circuit the Czech Republic is little known to the golfing holiday public which is a pity as it has much to offer. Its second oldest course, the Royal Marianske Lazne, which is laid out in an attractive spa environment with some breathtaking natural scenery, was founded in 1905 by Edward VII, King of England. At the time it was only nine-holes, extended in 1923 to eighteen and had a Scottish designer. For some considerable time Henry Cotton held the course record when he shot two under par in the mid-thirties. Nearby you find the Karlovy Vary Golf Club with an eighteen-hole course, the oldest in the country founded in 1904. In this area we can also find the Astoria Golf Club near Cihelny, an 18-hole course designed by Gary Player.

Astoria golf course in Cehelmy

Karlstejn Castle

It is doubtful whether Bohemians as such throughout the world have ever been to the real Bohemia but it is one of the most delightful regions within the Czech Republic. Every English speaking child who has sung Christmas carols, whether it be in warm surroundings or grouped around a front-door with cold feet and hands and a runny nose hoping for the odd coin as reward for his efforts, will have heard of Good King Wenceslas. Few knew he was a real person. He was in fact born in Bohemia in 907 and the church he attended still exists today.

Zvikov Castle

He was only 13 when he succeeded his father as Duke and like him he was a Christian. But his attempts to spread Christianity were opposed by the Bohemian nobles, and even his own brother, who eventually murdered the “Good King Wenceslas” on September 20th 929 when he was in his early twenties and had ruled Bohemia for only five years. Today he is remembered as the patron saint of the Czech Republic. The music of “Good King Wenceslas” was first published in Finland in 1582 and the words to the carol were written by John Mason-Neale and first published in 1853 and in case you are wondering, the feast of Stephen is celebrated on the 26th of December – the day after Christmas. It is worth comment that according to a recent Euro-barometer poll (2005) only 19% of the population of today believe there is a God, the lowest rate of any other country after Estonia.

Olomouc golf course in Bohemia

Sadly, King Wenceslas was not around when they laid out an eighteen-hole golf course close by Olomouc, in the south-east of the country, but then the game of golf was not around when King Wenceslas reigned – but that’s how things go with history.

The village of Cesky Krumlov

Pernstejn Castle

End