One of the unsung stars of Nordic golf, Lyngbygaard is a 27-hole facility situated less than 10km from the center of Aarhus, Denmark’s second biggest city. The course was chiefly designed by American Rick Baril, with help from Danish legend Thomas Bjorn who was also a founding member of the golf club.

Lyngbygaard was built across a former cornfield at the end of a tiny village, and can be very difficult to find for first-time visitors. Those who persist and stumble across the course are in for a pleasant surprise, with some of the nicest golf visuals and most enjoyable holes in this part of Europe. There remains an open, farmlike feel to the holes nearest the clubhouse, with the construction team using heather, tall fescues and rugged bunkering to provide a naturalistic tone to this part of the property. The rest of the course is set within an undulating forest. Bunkering is the key feature throughout, as even the flatter holes are elevated through the use of large wasteland traps and gnarly bunker edges. This bunkering is especially effective on the par threes, and some of the heavily wooded holes on the second and third nines.

About the only knock on Lyngbygaard is that, like elsewhere in Denmark, they decided to cram 27 holes into a property more suited to 18. Had they opted for a short third nine or par three course instead they might have had more space for the ‘main 18’. As it stands, the routing is a touch busy for the space allocated.

These issues aside, the golf course at Lyngbygaard comes recommended for both the aesthetic quality of the holes and features on the ground as well as the simple fun of trying to find the club in the first place.