Geysir Golf Course

Geysir Golf Course is literally next door to the Great Geysir hot spring area, a roughly 70 minute driving distance from Reykjavik. The Geysir area is Iceland’s most popular attraction and is a part of the ever popular Golden Circle route that also includes the neighboring Gullfoss waterfall and the ancient parliament site, Thingvellir.

Geysir Golf Course has 9 holes, par of 36. The name of the course and club derives from the name of the world-renowned geothermal spring that shoots boiling water high up in the sky at frequent intervals – less than a golf shot away from the clubhouse. The Great Geysir attracts about 70 percent of the total number of tourists who visit Iceland annually.

Since opening in 2006, Geysir Golf Course has established recognition domestically for the quality of its pure fescue greens. The course layout, as designed by Edwin Roald, is L-shaped with the holes routed in an out-and-back fashion similar to the Old Course at St. Andrews. On the inward holes, the player is guaranteed to witness at least one eruption from the impressive Strokkur geothermal spring. When inside the clubhouse, more eruptions can be viewed from the table side.

Two rivers dominate the site and come into play on every hole. The fairways are bordered by the native roughs sporting shrubs and heather. The style of bunkering is unique in Iceland, where the heather creeps around the rough edges, giving a natural feel and character to a course that was laid out with minimal disturbance to the existing terrain.

This is an integral part of the club’s concept. The main design features remain the unpredictable landforms that were allowed to shine through from tee to green. There is no artificial mounding and the greens rely totally on hints from the natural undulatoins that were found on the site.