UNIQA Ladies Golf Open presented by Raiffeisen
Golfclub Föhrenwald,
Wiener Neustadt, Austria
September 7th – 13th
The tour was heading into the finishing stretch. With three weeks to go on the itinerary I will admit that I was counting down the number of travel days we had left. As far as journeys are concerned, our trip to Austria was easy and uneventful; we (and our bags) made the flight. Entering into the belly of Vienna airport, the usual suspects were milling about waiting for the bus which would make the hour journey east. On arrival, low-lying mountain ranges surrounded the horizon but perched from the hotel’s rooftop patio, we could see that the terrain between us and them was exceedingly flat. The houses, treetops, and the telephone poles were measured to the inch for miles. It was strange that my idea of Austrian topography was not nearly so uniform or so flat. I’ve been wrong about these things before.
Fohrenwald Golf Club, renovated and added to by Jeff Howes, lies in the heart of the Austrian countryside midway between Graz and Vienna. It was to be my fourth playing of this notoriously “merry” event. Previously my record here hasn’t been up to par but as any tour player will tell you, one’s luck on the course can change in a flash. While I would not describe the course as stunningly picturesque, it has its quirky charms and boasts (in my humble opinion) the most unique range picker I’ve come across in my travels. I believe they rescued it from a pile of cars slated to be destroyed on the monster truck circuit.
As the natural terrain would dictate, the course plays exceedingly flat with very few changes in elevation. However the few variances it does have makes for some of the better holes on the course, most notably the pair of dog-legged par 4’s found near the turn. The large waste area guarding the right side of the fairway on the 7th is largely an illusionary obstacle. The fairway bunkers on the right of the 8th are much more daunting. Both holes play from two elevated tee-boxes which makes hitting driver all the more appealing. Even a power fade can traverse the distance with ease. It is always here that I take pause. Legend has it that the battles of World War II took place just on the other side of those low hills.
It was unfortunate that we were faced with the dilemma of how to occupy ourselves on Saturday after a few sloppy bogeys complimented the two unfortunate doubles in my last nine holes. The magnificent cultural history of Vienna, Austria’s crown jewel, was an appealing alternative. The composers calling her home are legendary: Mozart, Hayden, and the poor guy from Amadeus whose name escapes my mind. “If you go,” we were advised by our Austrian playing partner Eva, “walk around the castle and have an eis (ice cream), they are excellent.” The chance to try another Viennese delicacy, boiled beef, was also a tempting motivation to jump on the train and head for the city.
Our local town of Neudorf was having its annual tractor festival that same night and while the pull of the capital was strong, the tug of our locale was even stronger. The main street was closed off to traffic on both ends. White tents and awnings had been spread out by local merchants and VFW’s. Picnic tables flanked the sidewalks on both sides. By nightfall there would be just as many people sitting, nursing a drink with friends, as there would be roaming the street under the glow of the old-fashioned Christmas lights strung from the lamp posts. As the air grew cool, we grabbed our hoodies and went out to survey the scene for ourselves. It was the racks of roasting rotisserie chickens that persuaded us to stop for dinner. Sitting down at a splintery wooden table to eat, our conversation was instantly swallowed by the rambunctious laughter and noise of the Austrians. The world isn’t all that different here than anywhere. Except that the Austrians really know how to throw a party.
Loading ...
