Golf Course Architecture: Issue 57 - July 2019

43 A new 18-hole Golfclub Linsberg course designed by Jeff Howes has opened for play in Lanzenkirchen, Austria. “The routing was quite a challenge as it is on a relatively small piece of land and there are two major power lines running through the property,” said Howes. “Fortunately, the desire of all involved was to create a course which had no intention of hosting the Austrian Open – it has been designed to be user-friendly for all levels of golfers.” Austrian contractor Pittel+Brausewetter started construction in July 2017 and it was completed a year later. “With the land more-or-less flat, imagination was needed,” said Howes. “There was only three metres of elevation change from one end of the site to the other with no features – including trees – to incorporate into the routing.” Some trees have been planted, with most located on holes four to eight, the fifteenth and sixteenth. “The overall result should give the effect of three distinct characters throughout the round – links, lakes and woodland,” said Howes. “There are three man-made lakes which come into play on four of the holes. Holes ten through fourteen are designed and landscaped as links holes to add variety to the golf. With the ground being gravel and the grass species that we specified, there should be no problem maintaining them to play like a links.” The links holes feature revetted bunkers, built using the Ecobunker system. Howes first used the Ecobunker system at St Anne’s Links in Dublin, Ireland, where he recognised the full potential for the product, and soon after specified its use at Linsberg. The course had been growing in for nearly a year before it opened for play in May. Jeff Howes design at Golfclub Linsberg opens Photo: Jeff Howes Photo: Golfclub Linsberg/Greyliner