On Saturday 3rd May 2003 we visited Ebeltoft Golf Club, which we have heard many rumours about - most of them good but also a few bad ones. Let us point out that one of the bad rumours about this course was, that it was very hilly and demanded you to be quite fit to "survive" the trip of the 18 holes. We had also been told that there were a lot of blind shots and very small greens. On the good side it was said that the condition of the course almost always was good and placed in one of the driest and sunniest locations in the country - no one can really complain. Another plus was to be the beauty of the surrounding nature. We have to say that almost all of the rumours were true aside from the thing about the nature and the size of the greens!! The nature is not just beautiful - it is REALLY beautiful and the greens are not just small - they are REALLY small!!! Conclusively there are a number of factors that must be accounted for, if you want to score well on this course. Good physique, good course management, clean straight shots, knowledge about the slopes on the fairways and plenty of balls. The day we played the course, the weather forecast said rain and some sun and about 12-14 degrees. Instead it was sunny and with an occasional drip of rain and 16-18 degrees. That broke out the sweat in our rain suits, and we quickly took them of. The wind was hardly present that day, but it was still able to tease us once in a while. Since our first visit last year (we did not play the course then) a brand new clubhouse had been build. It has many good facilities which we can all benefit from now.
The training facilities are actually quite good, but - cause there is a but. At the driving range you stand high above the distance markers and hit your balls. This is something, which we from FORE.dk doesn't like. The driving range is almost long enough and with a lot of width but the fact that you hit your balls DOWN towards a distance marker is not the preferable in our opinion. It is very difficult to evaluate your shots and especially the length of your shots, when you hit like this. We are aware of the fact that the landscape offers little room for an alternative and that it can't be much different than it is. You can use one of the greens on the par 3 course as chipping green and that is ok. The putting green was not quite finished, when we visited the club so it was not possible to train your putting. In our mind there is however no doubt completed it will have a good size and you will be able to train all the different kinds of putts that you will encounter on the course.
The first test meets you on the 1st hole, which is a par 4 (357y/326m) with a dogleg to the left. The first question popping into your mind is: "Where do I hit the ball and how long is the shot required to be"? We found out that it was not smart to hit the ball any further than (186-208y/170-190m) and preferably down the middle of the fairway, if you can. If you have left the tee box with success and finds your ball where the dogleg starts or just about it, you have a good position for your approach shot. If you have hit the ball too much to the left, you might experience the thick rough that grows there. If you have hit the ball over the rough on the left side and down the fairway (which gives you approximate 110y/100m to the green), you can't see the green from where you are standing. Not even a long and straight drive is any good and the same goes down the right side of the fairway. The very best is to hit your drive a little further than the (164y/150m) marker and down the middle. This gives you the easiest approach, but you are not yet in the clear: As we told you earlier, the greens are very small, and this one is placed so that you can't see the pin from the fairway. Now is the time to show of your skills with your irons, and on this course it is the short irons in particular, which will be come in handy and often! The green is not heavily sloped, but it is very difficult to read, so you will need to be focused from the first shot on the first hole. The remark of the greens is general for all greens on the course by the way - not much slope but tricky to read!
The next test comes after a little walk trough the woods. The 2nd hole is an almost straight par 5 (490y/448m). Yes, we know - it doesn't sound like a long hole, but the first (44-55y/40-50m) is up hill and for (18y/20m) it feels like you are going almost straight up in the air!! On the tee you will wonder: "Can I hit my driver this high, or should I take my spoon"?? The next question is whether you can fly your ball all the way to get it on the fairway, or if you will be trying to retrieve it from the high rough on the hill. A funny tee shot, but not very fair to the short hitters, who can easily use their extra strokes before clearing the top of the hill. When you have cleared the hill, the hole is pretty much straight forward and without difficulties. It is quite possible to score well here.
The 4th hole is a really fine, little par 4 (307y/281m). Here you have two options: You can choose to hit a big drive and go for the green, while you hope for the best. Should you hit it to the right, that'll be quite ok, because there is room enough while a drive on the left is not such a good idea? The second option is to lie up short of the bunker, which is placed in the left side of the fairway about (230y/210m/) from the tee box. We believe it really doesn't matter which option you choose, but if you are a wizard with the short irons - lay up short. The approach is without larger problems while the bunker, that protects the green, is placed right in front. All you have to do is to hit the ball up to a green, which is slightly elevated from where you stand. Again it is a small green and this one slopes from the back edge towards the front. This is also one of the few that is relative easy to read and this offers a decent birdie opportunity, which you should take advantage off.
The 7th hole is a short par 3 - only (134y/122m). It is not mentioned on the scorecard whether it is the length of the hole or the height of the hole we are dealing with!! Anyway, it is of course the length and yes, it is up hill. On the right side, almost next to the green, there is a slope with heavy rough - or whatever they call it. One thing is certain - it is not very pleasant to play from. When you choose your iron on the tee, please remember to compensate for the elevation and t ake one or two clubs more than you normally would have done from this distance. Be careful not to overshoot the green while this may easily cause some problems. When you have chosen your club, you can only just see the top of the pin and to make it even funnier, the green is not bigger than a coin - so go ahead and hit. Let us just say that a par here is quite all right.
The 12th hole is a par 4 (312y/285m) with a small dogleg to the left some (88y/80m) from the green. This hole is truly a precision hole - both from the tee and to the green. It is very important that you place your drive in the exact right spot or else you can get shut off completely. The tee shot is probably a long iron or a wood and this particular shot is quite difficult. It is strictly forbidden to hit the ball out in the left because of the wood, which is totally impossible to play from. On the right side of the fairway some (175-197y/160-180m) from the tee, a bunker is well placed. If you can fly this, it will give you an excellent position for your approach shot. The advantage in playing the ball down the right side is, that there is no out-of-bounds between the 4th and 12th hole, so it is possible for you to use the fairway of the 4th, if the drive should trick you. Better there than in the woods!! The approach to green can be everything from a little flip with the sand wedge to a long iron. We strongly recommend that you drive the ball as far as you can, but leave it just short of the hill - this can give you a tricky stance. The approach is up hill and if you have advanced too far, it can be difficult to see the pin from the bottom of the fairway. The green is protected by a long bunker in the back and trees on the right and left side. The tricky part of the approach is definitely to get the distance right. If you have come up with two good shots here, the green is not more difficult than it offers a good birdie opportunity - but par is also a good score.
15th is the signature hole on this course. There is no doubt in our minds that this is one of the most beautiful par 3 holes in Denmark and probably one of the most difficult as well. The hole is a "short" par 3 (204y/186m). The tee shot is from an elevated tee box almost as high up as the trees that are some (22y/20m) high and surrounding the green. If you should be unfortunate enough to play this hole in a strong headwind our advice will be: Scratch the hole right away and move on!!! No - just kidding - just take plenty of club!! It is actually better to overshoot the green than to be short because of the ravine, which runs below the green just (4y/3m) short of it. If you should be so unlucky to end up here, you will face a very difficult rescue shot. You will most likely not be able to see the pin from where you stand. If you hit the next shot too short, you can be sure, that you will get another chance because the ball will run back to you - nice and easy!! Trees surround the green, but it is ok to hit the ball too far or even a little off without being punished to severely. Therefore we say again - take plenty of club!! If you should find yourself among the lucky ones, who hit the green in regulation, still remember to watch out if the pin is placed on the front edge of the green. A putt hit being a little too aggressive might end up (22y/20m) down the ravine. The hole offers a birdie opportunity, but you can be really pleased with a par.
The 18th hole is a par 4 (414y/378m) with a small dogleg to the right. It is not an easy hole to evaluate from the tee, as you will have a tendency to drive the ball down the left side - you feel that this is the widest part - but in fact out-of-bounds runs all the way along this side, so beware. The thing to aim for is the old tree in the right side of the fairway (or the two flagpoles), but be careful - the fairway slopes toward the driving range on the left. The fairway in fact is narrowed because of the driving range. The length of the hole makes it essential to advance as far as possible with your drive. So if you are willing to take a chance, you will be rewarded with a short approach shot. Always think twice about the risk before pushing your driver! The second shot must have the exact right length because of the bunker in front of the green and out-of-bounds behind the green. Furthermore a bunker is placed on the left edge and behind this one, the out-markers runs down towards the driving range. If you have hit a good second shot to the green - this green is one of the easier to read - you face a good birdie opportunity on this hole, despite of the length. This is a fine finishing hole.
The nature surrounding Ebeltoft Golf Club is stunning, and at the time we visited the club the nature was very colourful, as many trees and flowers had just come out. On the other hand the growth of the fairways was not so progressed, and they were not yet quite up to standard. It has to be taken in account, that this is one of the driest places in the whole country, and that holds some of the explanation. The course is as such not the easiest to play on the first visit because of the many blind tee- and approach shots. This is of course just a challenge, which you have to make the best of. We felt the need for a course guide, which could have given us some information about length and pointers on the course. There is much to look forward to for the members and us greenfee guests in the future. There is no restaurant in the clubhouse, but there is a kitchen (self service), where you can buy beer, soft dinks and light foods. The pro shop has a good size and offers all that is required to satisfy even we demanding golfers. We don't want to suffer from equipment shortage!! There is no doubt that this course offers many challenges and a great nature, but it can't quite compete with the best in the country. Instead it offers many challenges, which other courses lack and there is no doubt in our minds, that this is a course worth visiting. You will be rewarded if you can hit the ball straight and has a sharp shortgame. We wish you a good trip to Ebeltoft Golf Club.
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