Holledau??? Where is that?
The Holledau motorway junction probably knows those sorely afflicted by traffic jams when they are on their way from north to south, via Ingoldstadt and Munich to Austria, Italy or Croatia.
The Holledau (or Hallertau) is also familiar to most beer drinkers, because at 2,400 square kilometres it is the largest contiguous hop-growing area in the world.
In former times the hilly area between Ingoldstadt, Landshut, Freising and Schrobenhausen was a poor country, which the farmers cultivated in arduous work. Grain and wine were cultivated on the loess soils, hops only as a medicinal plant. It was only when word got around in the 18th century that hops have a preservative effect and are responsible for the bitterness of beer, that hops began to be cultivated on a large scale.
Today the 7-metre-high hop poles characterise the cultural landscape and there are countless opportunities to taste the palatable beer in cosy inns. The Holledau is still more of an insider tip than a holiday and leisure region that has retained its naturalness and charm.
And there is another reason to go there: the golf courses!
We visited 3 of them. First the
GC Holledau (Par 72, 5980 m from yellow)
The 27-hole course extends over 180 ha in the old Bavarian hilly landscape characterised by hop gardens. The first impression is good: No parking problems, a nice reception in the bright clubhouse, a well-assorted pro shop and spacious practice facilities. We play the two 9-hole loops “Wehrerhof” and “Pumpernudel” (a wonderful name, isn’t it?).
For Tee 1 we have to cross the street and climb a small hill. Awaiting us are varied courses with old trees, streams and ponds. Wide fairways in optimal condition and great greens, very true to gauge, just a little too slow.
The “Pumpernudel” courses are more strenuous. Partly it goes steeply up or down with lateral inclinations. Some courses are difficult to estimate because of the hilly course including doglegs. Who is not so good on foot should treat himself to a cart.
The course was really fun and on the sun terrace in the yard we had our well deserved beer.
If it’s Friday when they get here, I have another restaurant tip for you: In Rudelzhausen, which is 7 km away, the “Maierwirt” (Bahnhofstr. 19, Einzelhausen, Rudelzhausen) opens its doors only on this day from 8.00 to 14.00 o’clock, to bring its widely praised Weißwurst, produced according to an old family recipe, to the table. The many cars in front of it show that you appreciate the quality and sometimes take long ways to get there.
Now it is almost 40 km to our next destination, the
GC Reichertshausen Castle (par 71, 5859 yards from yellow).
From the car park on the road up to the modern clubhouse. We are the first players here to play with the LeisureBreaks voucher book. The club has only recently joined. From this a nice chat with the club secretary develops.
The course has 2 faces: 9 holes flat along the river Ilm, then 9 mountainous holes in the hills in the hinterland.
But first down to the frontnine: here you will find wide fairways in a super condition, as well as the greens. Sand bunkers clean fair and filled with fresh sand. Praise to the greenkeeping team. It could hardly be better. On the holes 1-3 you need a good range from the tee, on the holes 5 – 7 precision is needed because water comes into play. Course 5 is a short, difficult par 4 surrounded by water. Hole 7 (par 5) is a dogleg with a pond in the bend and 100 m before the green another stream crosses the fairway. Many trees provide shade and unfortunately sometimes also act as an obstacle when the shot is not sitting!
After hole 9 you pass the clubhouse again and now everything changes, because you need to be fit! The backnine is very demanding with many slopes and partly blind shots. A real challenge. Praiseworthy and helpful are the tips for guest players on the tee boards. Course 12, a par 5 with 90 degree dogleg, water on the left, trees, bunkers and steeply rising terrain requires the whole repertoire of the player. The same applies to hole 16, where the tee shot is downhill through a tree line into the valley, hopefully not ending up in the stream that crosses the fairway and then played with a long shot uphill towards the green. Anyone who achieves this with 2 strokes can pat themselves on the shoulder. Hole 18 is played downhill towards the clubhouse with a lake to the left of the green.
Done! The calves are burning, but this was also a great course.
Now we feel like a shady beer garden and we don’t need to drive far to the monastery inn of the Benedictine Abbey of the Holy Cross in Scheyern. We review the day once again with a quaffable monastery beer. Our hunger is satisfied with hearty snacks and homemade bread or an oven-fresh roast pork in dark beer sauce. Wonderful!
The next day it is only 10 km from here to our last golf course, the
GC Gerolsbach (Par 72, 6057 m from yellow).
The course is located on 80 ha in the district of Pfaffenhofen, near Schrobenhausen, known for its excellent asparagus.
From the spacious parking lot you walk past an old oak tree through an archway and reach the clubhouse, which is housed in a former stable building of a four-sided farm. The secretary’s office with proshop and the restaurant “Stegerhof” with its old vaulted ceiling and large sun terrace with a wide view are located here.
Friendly reception, free range and interesting green fee conditions. The club is popular and a tee time reservation is recommended.
The course is beautifully situated in the countryside. Gentle hills, large trees, water, slopes, wide fairways, large bunkers, very long par 5 and challenging par 4 holes characterize it. The greens are interesting: sometimes you play them over a water hazard, sometimes they are situated on a hilltop, sometimes they are an atrium and sometimes even surrounded by hills, so that you have to play more or less blind. Those who can read breaks are of advantage.
At hole 1 we are welcomed by the Marshall, who competently controls the flow of the game on the round.
We’ll play one more hand today, and we’re playing Black Peter. This is a card given to the player who needs 3 and more putts on the green. It is always passed on to the next unlucky player and whoever has it in his pocket on hole 18 is responsible for the drinks after the round.
The first course is the longest hole for the men with 485 m, but it is flat and without great difficulty.
On hole 2, the tee shot goes over a pond and then up the hill.
Hole 7 is a long par 3 downhill with frontal water in front of the green.
From hole 11 it gets more hilly with sloping terrain, but the most beautiful holes come at the end: hole 17 downhill with water hazard on the right and the green rises on a plateau that you have to play more or less blind. I only need 2 putts, the “Black Peter” goes to Chris. Now the 18, a par 3 downhill over water. I lie on the green, a long putt that remains 60 cm from the hole. I am already jubilant inside and then – flipped out! Check, please.
