Golf and geysers

Golfing adventures don’t come more exotic than a visit to the North Atlantic country of Iceland. With its geothermal springs, erupting geysers and volcanic history, it makes for some pretty special rounds of golf.

Shortly after sunrise in the world’s northernmost capital city, and a few kilometers beyond the neat rows of brightly painted homes that climb the hills outside of Reykjavik, we limbered up on the elevated 1st tee of Reykjavik Golf Club’s Grafarholt course, surrounded by extensive views and air so crisp and clear it was like breathing pure oxygen.

A golfer tees off on the elevated tee of the par-4 15th at the Westman Islands Golf Club.

ENCHANTED COURSES

Luckily, the downhill 299-meter par-4 opening hole, which dog legs from right to left, was a fairly benign start to our Icelandic golf journey, one that would embrace untouched, enchanting and spectacular landscapes with nature at its core. This is a land of fire and ice; of spouting geysers, thermal pools, active volcanoes, tumbling waterfalls, vast lava fields, lagoons and mystical lakes.

Golfers head towards the green of one of the most picturesque holes at Reykjavik’s Grafarholt course (the par-4 7th).

Iceland has more than 50 golf courses throughout the country. Some are no-frills nine-hole courses in remote outposts, while the greatest concentration is to be found in the southwest corner of the island, near the capital. Golf can be played from May through September and in the summer there’s 24-hour golf, compliments of the midnight sun. At Akureyri Golf Club, the northernmost golf course in the world, the Arctic Open Golf Championship (a 36-hole open international midnight tournament) is held at the end of June each year.

WARM AND WELCOMING

After our first round, it was time to check out the country’s number one visitor attraction. A 47 km drive south of Reykjavik, in the center of one of the country’s main volcanic areas, is the Blue Lagoon Geothermal Spa, where both locals and tourists come to swim and relax in the warm, mineral-rich seawater that offers many health benefits. The seawater originates 2,000 meters beneath the ground where it is heated by earth’s natural forces to a perfect 37-39°C. Immersed in the turquoise-colored waters in a natural Icelandic landscape is a surrealistic boon for the body and soul.

People come from around the globe to bathe and relax in the mineral rich waters of the Blue Lagoon.

HEADING FORE THE LAVA FIELDS

On our return journey to Reykjavik, we had enough day light to fit in the unique front nine of Keilir Golf Club, some 10 km southwest of Reykjavik. When the club was formed in 1967, the course consisted of nine holes but local architect Hannes Þorteinsson, who routed the new front nine through rugged lava fields known locally as “Kapelluhraun” extended this to 18 holes in 1994. If you stray off the fairway you are guaranteed a tricky recovery shot and a scratched pitching wedge as we soon discovered.

In the late afternoon light, a group of golfers head up the fairway towards the 9th green of Keilir Golf Club. (a 398-metre par-4).

The toughest hole on the card is the 350-meter par-4 2nd, where a decision must be made on the tee; you can either play safe down the left side with a rescue club or fairway metal leaving a longer approach to a green not much larger than a tablecloth, or take the Dustin Johnson line by aiming right, over a lava ridge to a tight landing area leaving an easier shot in.

The back nine is not as unique but features some good holes. The original course was built on old farmland beside the Atlantic Ocean so water comes into play on many holes. The 16th is a lovely 160-meter par-3 played toward the sea and beautiful Snæfellsjökull, the glacier where Jules Verne’s Journey to the Center of the Earth took place. Another good golfing option in the area is Sudurnesja Golf Club, five minutes from the international airport, a true Icelandic links course and very challenging.

The excellent par-3 third at Suðurnesja (Keflavík) Golf Club (only a five-minute drive away from Iceland’s International airport).

THIS IS ICELAND

The next day we followed Highway 1 inland from Reykjavik to experience the “Golden Circle,” a 300 km circular route that encompasses a cross-section of Iceland’s history, geology and natural wonders. In the world-famous geothermal field known as the Geysir Region, we wandered along walking paths, past steaming vents, bubbling hot springs, vibrant mineral rich mud pools and an erupting geyser.

A geothermal landscape of mineral rich hot pools and the geyser Strokkur in the distance in Iceland’s Geysir region (another highlight on the Golden Circle tour).

Another Golden Circle highlight is Gullfoss (Golden Falls). Just a short walk from the visitor’s center is the viewpoint where we witnessed the spectacular 32-meter double cascade, tum bling into the churning Hvítá glacial river. On this crisp sunny morning, it was a spectacular sight with a cloudy mist surrounding hammering falls endowed with several rainbows.

VOLCANIC ISLANDS

After admiring Gullfoss, we had a flight to catch further down the south coast, from the tiny airstrip of Bakki to the Westman Islands for our final round. With our golf clubs stored safely in the hold of the eight-seater plane, we were ready for one of the world’s shortest flights. There’s no inflight service of entertainment on the trip to the Westman Islands, and at only six minutes in length, there’s was barely time to buckle-up before the plane hummed low across the Atlantic and angled in toward the island’s runway.

Westman Island Golf Club’s short but tricky par-3 14th.

There are some places in Ice - land that simply have to be experienced, and by virtue of their natural beauty and by being historically and geologically one of the country’s most distinctive destinations, the Westman Islands are one of them. Of the 15 islands that make up the archipelago, Heimaey, the main island (population of about 5,000) is the only inhabited one.

BIRDIES IN THE WESTMAN ISLANDS

The Westman Islands are simply buzzing with sea and birdlife, and the islanders have made their living from the sea since the days of the first settlers in 930 A.D. Today, the perfect natural harbor and soaring cliffs teeming with multitudes of seabirds such as fulmar, guillemot and puffin are both important factors in the community’s prosperity.

But we’re hoping to get different birdies today as we head over to the Westman Island Golf Club (the third oldest in Iceland founded in 1938) and host to the annual Volcano Open. Nestled in the crater of an extinct volcano, it’s a wonderfully quirky and demanding test of golf, especially the back nine. There are no obsessively manicured fairways here, but there’s a series of spectacular holes that play along side and across the ocean.

A BEAUTIFUL FINALE

As we prepared to hit our drives from the tee of the par-4 15th, the sun cast long shadows across the velvet green fairway bordered by sea cliffs on one side and a ridge of lava on the other. A backlit red flag fluttered on the distant green set against a backdrop of soaring volcanic walls glowing pink and gold in the late afternoon light. Leaning on our drivers, we allowed ourselves a moment to take in this gorgeous scene—one that provided a fitting finale to our Icelandic golfing journey.

Gullfoss Waterfall - one of the highlights on the Golden Circle trip.