Travel Lifestyle Golf: Where to golf in the Alps

Best known for its ski heritage, Verbier is opening it’s doors to the wider sporting tourist community, with golfers being on the hit list.

But golfers aren’t the only ones Verbier is attracting. With 21 marked running routes, 668km of mountain bike trails and 500 km of hiking trails, coupled with the fresh Swiss Alps air and a location already tried and tested as a visitors paradise, there really is something for every outdoor body.

Getting there from the UK is a short airplane ride, then you’re into the throes of the super efficient train network, which waits for no-one. Stepping off the train at Le Chable, you can choose either the scenic gondola ride or a taxi.

Verbier is located in the Swiss alps, the road leading to the town is as winding as Stelvio Pass, with its hairpin bends and not so gradual ascent. Once there, stereotypical Swiss buildings - wide, wooden, shallow pitched buildings dominate the hillsides with flowers dripping from their abundant flower boxes.

Wide open roads means you don’t feel closed in and there is an overriding feeling of cleanliness about the town. Eateries are plentiful, from staying at the hotel for dinner to eating at the clubhouse and many options in between.

Located in the centre of Verbier, is the newly renovated Hôtel de Verbier. As ‘swiss chalet’ as they come in its external appearance. The small reception area gave way to various rooms with our’s being a compact cosy room overlooking the main square.

La Nonna is the Italian restaurant in the hotel, and after meeting on the terrace, a large amount of tasty food was consumed - another hazard of the fresh mountain air, we think!

As our room overlooked the square, any thoughts of noisy late night revellers were quickly dispelled as this healthy nation clearly went to bed early. I can’t vouch for the level of the noise in the ski season, but then I guess you could always close the windows! On the summer stay we had, the windows were wide open with the fresh mountain air helping us along our way into a deep comfortable sleep.

July 2023 marked the 30th anniversary of the Verbier Music festival. With a cast of musical artists returning to mark this special anniversary, Im sure it set the hills alive! Whilst conversely this years Palp festival celebrates a rather more taboo topic; that of death. Wandering around the host village of Bruson, death didn’t exactly prevail more acknowledged. In some cases celebrated in weird, unique and wonderful ways. Bruson itself is what you might term as a typical Swiss Alps village, crooked wood buildings perched high on slabs of stone, clinging to the hill. With seemingly few foundations, its a wonder the village manages to survive the ravishing harsh winters the Alps must dish up. And whilst so very quaint, it has opened its door to showcase death - and peoples interpretation of death. I’m not talking sordid gallows and dripping blood, this is a far more arty affair, and I will be honest, one which was a bit lost on me. Mind you, I did like the quirky library. Almost a throwback from something out of Roald Dhal’s mind, angular shapes greet you as you journey around the mind of a cubist, stacked with books all at odd angles, anyone not into reading, is sure to be after visiting here.

Verbier has arguably two golf courses, but really there is only one. The main one being a par 69 18 hole full course and the second being another 18 hole par 3 course which zig zag’s up the hill.

The par 3 course, Les Moulins is crafted out of a strip of land which rapidly climbs the hill The golf holes make their way up like a reverse marble run game, to come quickly down for the few closing holes. It is in amongst the houses, some sunken tee boxes and the ever present lupins adding shape and texture to the strip of land. A fun course, which could be used to hone your skills of the short game or one you could learn to play golf on - lets face it, if you can cope with a steep climb like that and still score OK, you can cope with most courses! A fun little course which is sure to cause lots of bragging rights in the pub that night.

The main course, Golf Club Verbier, is higher up the mountain climbing to about 1750 meters above sea level. A buggy/cart is a must for the first is a short hike and will challenges you from the outset. A stream dissects this opening par 3, 98 to 160 meter hole. When I say stream, we’re not really talking babbling brook, more a torrent which has gathered speed and picked up more water as it carves its way downhill, and through the golf course. We met with a lot of water on the front nine particularly! On the day we played there was plenty of water coming off the mountains, so if your ball went in, it is likely to be at the bottom of the hill before you can get to retrieve it!

It is like few others I've played. Clambering up to start the game then coming down through clearings in alpine woodland, with the course owning the space during the summer months. Often we talk about golf course views, you can only but imaging James Bond on his ski’s swishing his way down the hill through the narrow cut fairways between the alpines. From a golf hole perspective, it added not only height and distance vista views, but of course the downhill, the woodland and if you’re lucky some water too! Certainly a pretty course with Mont Blanc in view -well not on the day we played, as it was a bit misty!

You could be forgiven that as skiing is the main pull for the area that the golf course was a little neglected - not at all. The sometimes large shapely greens didn’t really conform to one size or shape fits all, they took the shape of the natural flat areas, often perched high, and usually with a great view.

The red flag fluttering in the wind was a pleasing sight. As a artist might paint, the red, green and blue golf palette offset the white snow capped mountains in the background. Despite the June weather the snow was still in view on the higher mountains, with seemingly streams of icing sugar snow dripping down the crevices. But it wasn’t cold on the golf course!

Dining out in Verbier is as diverse as you’d like it to be. We we invited to experience 67 Pall Mall Club, with an extensive wine menu to match the ever so tasty courses being served. I’ve got to admit, I always love a wine/food experience, there’s always more to learn. W Hotel, on first appearance looks like a corporate hotel, but is really one that allows space and comfort at every turn, albeit a bit quirky with the odd unexpected art instalments to get the brain boggling. Amazing food served in a restaurant with a view and a half. And of course we ate at the clubhouses too, both fantastic and both readily accessible for good variety and taste experiences on the alps.

When checking into the Verbier accommodation, you are given a Verbier Infinite playground pass, which gives you access to the gondolas and a variety of other things in the area to enjoy. We also took the opportunity to go cycling in the alps - on e-bikes. I've been on an e-bike before, but these were serious machines, but of course making the whole experience much more enjoyable - with less resistance than a regular bike, but with all the enjoyment. There really was quite a heavy drizzle by the time we got on the bikes, so meandering around the woods uphill was as good as an umbrella. A quick stop in a cafe for the obligatory hot chocolate, and square of
toblerone before the easiest bit of all, cycling downhill and back to the hotel.

If you’re after a healthy break from the norm, if you like golf but also like to experience what a country can offer in a small geographical area, then Verbier could well be on your list - we would definitely go back.