My in-laws live in south Germany and we visit them from time to time over the weekend, as you do. This time, they weren’t even there but we went there anyway (for other reasons) and I brought my golf clubs to play a round.

The area near Ulm is beautiful but not at all blessed with many golf courses. So it was easy to pick a course. After I played GC Ulm last time, I went for GC Donau-Riss, a 15min ride from where we stayed.

The course is equipped with an 18-hole course, a large range, decent training facilities and a short course. The overall appearance of the track is rather open. What I mean by that, it’s not your typical parkland course, on the contrary, without many obstacles you can overlook big parts of the course. Not all of it, but it is rather open, you get what I mean.

It was early Oktober and during the round I hated me that I didn’t wear shorts. It was really hot, the sun was burning and it felt like a little reward for the bad summer we had so far.

I started my round on the 10th. No intentionally, but because I followed two youngsters which intentionally started on the 10. I just realised when my GPS watch made no sense whatsoever for my approach shot.

The course wasn’t overly packed but after some holes I got in traffic and joined another couple’s group, played along for 6 or so holes, played alone again, got in traffic again and joined another golf buddys’ group for the last 2.

All in all a fun round in just over 4 hours. The course was nice, while not extravagant. Holes which are worth noting:

• 1. Split fairway.
• 4. Double fairway, meaning you can decide to play left or right around an area of rough and trees.
• 9. Uphill par-4 with a huge biotope area which you have to lay up for.
• 15. Huge biotope again.
• 17. Short par-3 with liver-shaped green. I couldn’t putt straight to the hole and had to putt “around the corner”.

So when you are in the area, give the course a chance. It’s not worth a huge travel but definitely is much fun to play. I had a great day on the course.