The Frankfurt area is blessed with a lot of golf courses and there are two or three that stand even apart because they are not just fine courses, they are brilliant ones. Frankfurt Golf Club is one of them and Golf Club Hanau-Wilhelmsbad, just outside Frankfurt, is another.

Hanau is a small town located in Frankfurt’s east and the course is a beautiful parkland styled course. But in contrast to Frankfurt, there’s plenty of water coming into play. So there’s lots of woods and trees, water hazards and, if that’s not enough, for the Hanau Masters today we all had to play from the white tee boxes! My first time by the way!

The course is in perfect condition, the fairways are a bit lush after the recent rain period but the whole site with all its facilities makes a very nice impression. I really could imagine becoming a member and playing this course regularly. The layout isn’t easy at all, playing white tee boxes was tough and, another premiere, the tournament was played in stroke play. So there is this easiness lacking that you have with stableford! But the course was fair enough…

My game wasn’t that good today. I shot some nice drives with my new driver, shot some awful ones as well. Playing from the champions tees on a course that you see the first time, having a 3.1 and 4.1 handicapper in your group who really get pissed for every bogey they play, I can tell you, that’s not easy! I got frustrated too, got caught by the bad mood and my game was suffering from it as well. Needless to say that I wasn’t able to reach the buffer zone and that I worsened my handicap to 17.1… too bad! At least the 3-course dinner we had afterwards was an appropriate compensation.

Wwe had some drizzle during the play but it was mostly dry. Arrived at the 18th, I pulled my approach shot to the green into the woods and lost my first ball. Otherwise I’d finished with the same ball I started with – normally a good sign.

The Golf Club Hanau-Wilhelmsbad is member of the Leading Golf Courses of Germany; a certification label of the finest golf courses we have in Germany and a true  mark of quality. This is including the course, the arrangements next to the course, club house facilities, restaurants but as well things like etiquette, dress code, rules and so forth. So playing in a club that was honored with such label, is a pleasure for the most part. Only 34 German golf clubs can praise themselves with this emblem.

To sum up: This round today was definitely not the last! It’s an expensive course but worth every cent.