Going for Golf

Le Kempferhof - A great reason to visit Alsace

Le Kempferhof

Le Kempferhof is that course; a spectacular layout designed so beautifully, it can’t help but appeal to any serious golfer.

Le Kempferhof golf course and hotel is on the outskirts of the petite town of Plobsheim, just a few minutes’ drive from Strasbourg and located in a vast valley in the mountainous region of Alsace. The course itself hugs the French border with Germany, so if you manage to hook your ball wildly on the second hole, you may well need to show your passport before you take your next shot. There aren’t many courses that offer that sort of challenge.

It was designed by the – sadly recently departed – American course designer Robert von Hagge in 1990. At the time he said: “From the first contact I had understood that it was our task to create a real masterpiece, recognised in all of Europe.” Since then it has been peppered with awards. The Peugeot Guide has named it the second best course in France for the last three years – behind another von Hagge design – and it is now featured in the Rolex World’s Top 1000 Golf Courses.

To say von Hagge was in an unforgiving mood when he designed this course would be an understatement. But the course is as beautiful as it is rewarding as it is challenging. The fairways, greens and surroundings are as stunning and manicured as they come, but these 18 holes are also as testing as you’re likely to find anywhere. Yet don’t let that challenge deter you if you are not a low handicapper. It is still a course to be enjoyed, even if you should be well stocked with balls, as the majority of us are going to lose a few – possibly 18 – playing here.

Le Kempferhof eases you in to your round deceptively with an opening 367-yard, par-four that offers a generous landing area and a pretty forgiving green. There is a giant bunker to the left, however, but it’s very shallow and, to be frank, it’s the least of your worries in relation to the next four hours of golf.

The holes then get progressively harder and you can understand why former Ryder Cup captain Bernhard Langer, when asked about the course, replied succinctly: “There is plenty of water.”

However, the flat 18th is what all 18s should be like – and on this course feels like the friendly post-fight hug between two heavyweight boxers after 12 gruelling rounds. Here a good-length drive will leave you with a reachable green overlooked by a gallery that will be packed to the rafters when the sun is out. There is a small amount of water in play here on the right, but there are no excuses if you do find it as there is plenty of room to aim left. Le Kempferhof really is a course that draws you in and leaves you thinking about it for a long time after your last putt on the 18th.

Apres golf there is superb food and drink to be enjoyed. Traditional bar food is on offer if you fancy a quick refreshing beer and hamburger to recharge your batteries. But this is France after all, so why not do as the French do: take your time, order a great local Alsace white wine and browse the hotel’s excellent menu. Michelin-starred chef Jean-Yves Schillinger has designed the menu and trained the kitchen staff specifically, so you can dine with complete confidence.

Getting to Le Kempferhof couldn’t be easier. You can fly into Strasbourg and get a taxi for the short transfer. Alternatively, if, like me, you prefer a bit of comfort and “me time”, then the Eurostar is a much more salubrious option. Head to London St Pancras, have some champagne and oysters in the station, check your golf clubs in for free a mere 30-minutes before departure and have a bon voyage to France – without being hassled to buy  a single scratch card by an orange-clad stewardess. An easy switch to a TGV at Lille, and Strasbourg’s a breeze.

The course’s on-site hotel is located in a 17th century castle with modern annexes, offering four superb suites and 23 – and I use the term reluctantly – ‘standard’rooms. All the annex rooms have a private patio and overlook the splendid par-three seventh hole and its Canadian-style Great Lake!

Le Kempferhof uses the natural beauty of an area that doesn’t quite get the credit it deserves to create a quite stunning golf course with a hotel to match. And although this part of the Franco-German border hasn’t enjoyed the most settled of pasts, this is a place that is sure to stand the test of time in the future.