Resort spotlight: Gorki Golf, Russia
The back story
Sergey Koldin made his money in air conditioning (Russia does get warm in the summer…) but like many successful men, he has a restless mind. So after scaling one mountain in business, this all-round sports nut – and relatively recent convert to golf – decided to start ascending another peak by building his own course.
The architect
Koldin chose Lassi Pekka Tilander to design his course for him. The Finn played for his country’s national team as an amateur and is a member of the PGA, but designing courses – rather than playing them – is now his main passion. With an already solid back catalogue of designs, he then really made a name for himself with the outstanding Parnu Bay in neighbouring Estonia.
The course
Koldin provided Tilander – who lives across the Gulf of Finland in Helsinki – with a gently undulating but flat site an hour from the centre of St Petersburg. The architect, a links golf fanatic, has added dune ridges to add definition to the holes but they feel very natural and so is the rest of the shaping. Tilander’s philosophy centres on wide fairways and exacting greens, and Gorki follows that route with elan. A high-class modern course.
The accommodation
Right next to the handsome clubhouse sits a neat four-star hotel boasting 26 standard rooms, four family rooms with loft, two junior suites rooms with living room and bedroom, as well as two luxury suites. The two-bedroomed suites boast stunning views over the course.
The city
You will love the course and hospitality at Gorki, but spending time in St Petersburg is absolutely essential. It is a city of stunning architecture, rich history, lively bars, and amazing restaurants. And make the unique Hermitage Museum the centrepiece of your visit – you will be wide-eyed for the entire duration you explore it.
The cost
You can get one night and one round from €125 per person. That is for a single room with a Garden View, from a Monday to a Thursday. It’s €191 to add an extra round, and just €6 more for a Golf View, which I’d recommend.
For more information, visit the Gorki website.
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Chris Bertram
Chris Bertram is a specialist in all things golf courses.
He was born and brought up in Dumfriesshire and has been a sports journalist since 1996, initially as a junior writer with National Club Golfer magazine.
Chris then spent four years writing about football and rugby union for the Press Association but returned to be Editor and then Publisher of NCG.
He has been freelance since 2010 and spends the majority of his time playing golf and writing about the world’s finest golf courses.
