When you think about a golf trip in Europe, Finland probably isn’t the first country that springs to mind. Spain, Portugal, France, Ireland and Scotland tend to be the go-to for many golfers.
But can Finland challenge the traditional European golf destinations? How different is it to a typical golfing hotspot? Mike Robertson and Tom Bullough took the plunge as part of NCG Top 100s 48 hours in series.
The Nordic nation may be better known for its lakes, forests, saunas and association with Lapland than its golf courses, but the latest 48 Hours In trip revealed a country with a surprisingly deep golfing offering.
With around 150 courses across Finland, there is no shortage of options with a mixture of championship and resort golf.
“It’s probably somewhere I would never have thought to come and play golf,” Robertson said. “This is a place that feels a little bit different, because I don’t know anyone that’s been here and played golf.
“So you get to tick something off your bucket list outside of just golf. It makes for a really good trip.
“You get a really cool set of golf courses that are all unique in their own way. You get to play through some beautiful nature, pine trees, wooden areas, and it does feel as though you could be anywhere in the world.
“There’s also a real mix of different things to do away from the course. The food’s great, we’ve dabbled in some of the local stuff, like saunas, and the people have been very friendly.
“I would put it on the on the map for people to have a think about basing their next trip here.”
Why Finland is an emerging golf destination
For a lot of us, golf trips mean flying somewhere warm to play 18 or 36 holes and then head back to the hotel. But, in Finland, the landscape is a huge part of the experience and the appeal too.
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“It’s really cool (in relation to the scenery),” said Bullough.
“You’ve got sheer rock faces with fully grown trees coming out of them. I don’t think it’s your standard golf trip abroad. If you’re interested in coupling travel with other bits like a lot of sightseeing and taking in a pretty unique culture alongside some spectacular golf, then I’d recommend Finland.”
If there’s one feature of playing golf in Finland that gives it the edge over other Northern European venues it is the long hours of sunlight. The northern summer brings extraordinarily long days, allowing golfers to play well into the evening.
During their trip, the NCG team played at Linna Golf Club, a European Tour destination, with an 8pm tee time.
“It’s unbelievable and it’s kind of trippy,” Robertson explained. “It still feels like it’s about four or five in the afternoon, and it’s 10 o’clock. We’re only halfway through our round, so we’re pushing midnight when get our round in. That in itself is a unique selling point of Finland. Where else in the world are you able to do that on a golf course?”
“This is awesome,” Bullough added. “Just a really cool experience. I would definitely recommend it. I would definitely do it again.”
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