Forgive the blatent copy/paste of an e-mail I sent to my friends after my wife and I got back from golfing in Iceland in June of this year. I'm too lazy while taking a 5 minute work break to edit it...
---------------------
We played the following golf courses:Westman Island GC (18H off the coast on Westman Island, reachable by plane or car ferry): one of the most dramatic and beautiful golf courses I've ever seen, it's set in the crater of an extinct volcano that faces out to the Atlantic Ocean with views of the skerries (small rock islands) offshore. It's a quirky, fun links course with tons of vistas, a few holes with lava fields and a number of holes that play on huge cliffs directly above the ocean. It's a must-play if you go to Iceland because there's truly nothing like it in the world.
DBC's Rating: 9.5/10Keilir GC (18H just south of Reykjavik): A short 15 minute drive from the capital, Keilir has two very different nines. The front nine plays through a massive lava field with most of the greens looking like lava-punchbowls. Oddly - there are no bunkers on the front nine. The back nine sits on a cliff atop a small peninsula sticking out into the ocean. If it weren't for the views of the glaciers, you'd think you were in Scotland with pot bunkers and long water views.
DBC's Rating: 8/10Geysir GC (9H near the Geysir geothermal area/Thingvellir/Gullfoss Waterfall, i.e. the "Golden Circle"): The course was designed to be maintained by a single person (and it shows), but it's worth a visit because it's so close to the geyser and Gullfoss waterfall, both of which are "must-see" attractions. The course itself is set along and across a raging river with beautiful heather lining much of it. It's as close as Iceland gets to a heathland course like the Surrey Sandbelt courses. You'll certainly see the geyser go off though at least a dozen times while you're playing. Nice clubhouse and light play mean you'll whip around in under 90 minutes. Bring bug spray!
DBC Rating: 5.5/10 Brautarholt GC (9H (soon to be 12H) just north of Reykjavik): Brautarholt wins my award for my favorite 9-hole golf course in the world, though 3 additional holes were seeded and almost playable when we visited in June 2016. It's a new course with a decidedly more modern clubhouse and upscale vibe. The owners are dying to have more Americans visit and seem to appreciate that they had something special. When you drive in, you will be absolutely stunned at the movement in the property and the long views across the ocean. Again, if not for the views of the glaciers and huge surrounding mountains you'd think you were at the edge of the world in Scotland or even Mid Ocean. You see and/or play along the ocean on every hole and the holes are definitely architecturally interesting in way that none of the other courses we played were. Someone with some skill gave some real thought to green sites and contours. It's not an exaggeration in the least to say that no fewer than 6 holes would merit discussion as amongst the most beautiful in the world.
DBC Rating: 9/10Sudurnes GC (18H a ten minute drive from the airport and 20 minutes from the Blue Lagoon): Set along a rolling strip of oceanfront land, Keilir feels like a rolling Scottish links course. It's dramatic by anyone's standard for the word, but is the flattest and least interesting of the 18 hole courses we played.
DBC Rating: 7/10Other courses we didn't play, but think are worth considering based on the comments from the folks we met and our own research:
Oddur GC (near Reykjavik and Keilir) - another lava-field course that got rave reviews
Vik GC (out past Westman Island on the mainland)
Akureyri GC (northernmost golf course in the world)
18H courses we saw and would probably skip:
Hella GCA few general notes on golf in Iceland:
1. Be ready to carry your clubs. There are no caddies and few, if any, golf carts. Most places seem to rent pull carts.
2. Dress for the weather. Expect highs in the mid 50's and wind. I was perfectly comfortable in a light rain jacket or windstopper sweater and corduroy pants. My wife wore rain pants and a jacket. When not golfing, a rain jacket and bean boots are a good call since a lot of the walking trails can be wet or slippery.
3. Many of the golf courses go by more than one name and that name may include non-English character letters. That can be a problem when trying to enter them into the GPS. Bring paper directions and have a map so you at least get a rough idea for where you're going.
4. Greens fees are really inexpensive. I think the most we paid for 18 holes of golf was $60pp. Midweek mornings are the cheapest.
5. A few non-golf places that you absolutely must visit are:
Gullfoss Waterfall*: the largest waterfall in Europe. It's a two-step waterfall that make Niagara Falls look unimpressive.
Thingvellir*: part historic site (home of the early Iceland parliament) and part natural wonder (the tectonic plates are coming apart here creating massive chasms)
Geysir*: geothermal area with bubblers, geysers and the famous "Strokkur" geyser that erupts nearly constantly.
Seljalandsfoss Waterfall: Only about 10 minutes from the landside ferry to Westman Island. It's a huge waterfall that you can actually walk behind.
Aquarium on Westman Island: you can hold a puffin. Enough said.
Blue Lagoon: this might as well be Iceland's national shrine. Every town will have geothermal baths, but this is the largest and most well known. It's a tourist trap for sure, but a very good one. The water is full of silica and you'll leave feeling very refreshed and with smooth skin for days. The swim-up bar is definitely awesome as well. It's very close to the airport as well.
Reykjavik Marina: lots of museums (we liked the Maritime Museum. Museum of Iceland History, Volcano House, and Aurora Center best) and boat tours for whale/puffin watching. I believe helicopter tours of the volcanoes and glaciers leave from the downtown airport that's very close (borderline walking distance).
*part of the Golden Circle
6. Reykjavik is actually a really fun city. There are plenty of bars, restaurants and museums. We stayed at the Icelandair Hotel Reykjavik Marina. I'd highly recommend it. It's a fun, trendy hotel right in the heart of the waterfront in Reykjavik. Hard to go wrong with picking a restaurant. Note that food can be a bit pricey, but includes gratuity which is "never expected, but always appreciated."
7. 24 Hours of Daylight - it never really gets dark in midsummer. Midnight would not be dark enough for streetlights or car headlights in the USA. It can be a bit disorienting because days have no beginning and end to them. It just feels like a block of time. Midnight golf is definitely doable. You won't see the Northern Lights in the summer, though.
8. Hotels book early - there are very few hotels so book early to avoid getting shut out. Most of the country consists of vast open spaces so there just aren't that many places to stay. The Icelandair Hotel brands seem to be the best pretty much everywhere.
9. Driving is easy - there aren't very many roads and it's difficult to get lost except that entering things into the GPS can be a bit of a pain.
10. The food is pretty good, especially if you like seafood or lamb. Expect lots of root vegetables like carrots, onions and lettuce.
Lastly, here's a
link to all the photos from the trip.
Regards,
DBC