Sporting Club Berlin

After playing the 63-hole-tournament and visiting Bad Saarow for the very first time, it is certainly time to write a review about the resort. Problem is, that my little brain couldn’t store all the details of all courses in one day, so I stick to the more general impression I had from playing there.

Practicing facilities

Right besides the parking lot, you’ll find the practicing facilities, including driving range including pitching and putting green. The covered practice bays are neatly painted in white, it makes you feel like being on some course in South Carolina.

To get to the Nick Faldo and Arnold Palmer course you just cross the street at the crosslights adjacent to the driving range.

Nick Faldo Course

The Nick Faldo course features 18 holes, par 72, a CR of 73 and a length of 6.095 meters from the mens tees. A lot has been written about it being the hardest course in germany. And yes, you should bring your A game with you if you want to prevail the course. Not a single tree or bush separates the fairways, just some good old nasty rough. The rolling terrain reflects the spirit of a links course, you can overlook holes 1-11 from almost every point of the front nine.

The course has almost no water hazards. Which is good, because the rough and the 133 pit bunkers in the course are ready to keep every ball you play in their direction. Some holes like the 170m par 3 third, theres the tee box, then there is a lloooooot of high rough, a small piece of fairway and then the green. You can either make a solid shot onto the green or whack your way through the rough. Guess what I did? On the green with four and then a single putt for double-bogey.

The bunkers were really difficult to play, as the rain of the previous days had densified the sand and it played hard as rock. Playing holes like #15, a par 4 with 14 bunkers, feels like navigating through a minefield.

I wouldn’t choose the course for a relaxed sunday afternoon round, I’d choose it for the test of my game against the golf gods. The course is really a challenge and suddenly, you feel joy playing “only” bogey. The test is yours for 70 EUR greenfee as a resort guest, as an external guest, the greenfee is 90 EUR. Oh, and you should sport a 28 handicap (ladies) respectively a 24 (men) to play the course.

Arnold Palmer Course

The Arnold Palmer course is easier to play with a CR 71,8, but with a length of 6.078 meters is almost as long as the Nick Faldo. The fairways are separated by trees and bushlines, so the individual hole can make a better impression on you. There still is a difference between the front an back nine, as the back nine mostly play through an old tree vegetation with high pine trees, on the front nine the newer vegetation still has some growing to do until it matches the back nine.

4th hole, 134 meters over water

13th hole, par 4, 398 meters

There are a couple of interesting doglegs on the course, a good course management sure comes in handy. I especially enjoyed the back nine, they are a pleasure to look at – more of a parkland character – and challenging to play. Holes 10 and 18 are situated between driving range and clubhouse, it all feels very intimate. Hole #11 even was awarded the most beautiful par 3 in Germany.

There still are enough bunkers on the Arnold Palmer course, but they are not as much a threat to your score as on the Nick Faldo. Slopy fairways and greens – especially on #16 – add some extra spice to the flavour. If the Nick Faldo is a Ferrari, this is your Bentley Continental, still very sporty, but on the more comfortable side and a little more forgiving.

Greenfees are between 50 and 75 EUR, depending on weekday or weekend and if you are a resort guest or not. Handicap 36 is required.

Stan Eby Course

To get to the Stan Eby course, you need to take a short drive from the clubhouse or have yourself shuttled there. A separate parking lot and a second driving range make the course a little more anotomous from the main facilities. The course is 18 holes, par 71, has a CR of 68,4 and with 5.593 meters is well shorter than its two bigger brothers.

As the Stan Eby has the highest elevations of the resort, you get a good overview of everything. Concerning the vegetation, it is a mixture between the Arnold Palmer and the Nick Faldo. The first and the last holes play in the open countryside, the middle section – holes 13 through 16 – are framed by trees.

The first holes are a really boring start, just straight ahead with the occasional bunker in between. Starting with #7 it gets more interesting. On 8, 9 and 10 you have the only mentionable water hazards of the course The green of #8 is nicely framed by a lake and bunkers, on #9 you have to carry 135 meters of water hazard and bunker protecting the left side of the green and on #10 you better not hook it off the tee.

What I really liked were the sand fallows on #15 through 17 (see pic above). Planted with reed, agave plants and other stuff, they really were an eye-catcher and brought a welcomed alternation to the course layout. Especially on #17, the thing is humonguous.

This course really doesn’t want to hurt you, back in the tournament I was happy that it didn’t. For the beginner it surely is a nice challenge, but the experienced golfer should rather opt for Palmer or Faldo. Greenfee is 40 to 65 EUR, but there is also a reduced sunset tarrif for the late afternoon starters. In my opinion, 65 EUR guest greenfee on the weekend is too much for this course, as you get an excellent course like Wilkendorf’s Sandy Lyle for 60 EUR on weekends.

Jake McEwan Course

The Jake McEwan course is a small 9 holes, par 27 pitch and putt course aimed at the golfing beginner to make his first steps on a ‘real’ golf course. The holes are in between 113 and 161 meters in length. Beginners should quickly learn the meaning of FORE! as the holes are very close together. Shouldn’t you be able to hit you ball straight, you quickly find yourself on the neighboring fairway or green.

Greenfee is between 10 and 15 EUR. So send the kids out to play.

Sporting Club Berlin Scharmützelsee
Parkallee 3
15526 Bad Saarow
Club Phone: 033631-63-300
Club Fax: 033631-63-310
golf.bsa@a-rosa.de
http://www.sporting-club-berlin.de