After more than four years of permit review, actual design of the new Moarhof Golf Club in Walchsee, Austria has begun. Scot Sherman, ASGCA, and Champions Tour player Anders Forsbrand are collaborating on an 18-hole golf course to be built at the base of the 6,500-foot Kaiser mountain range.
The property sits in a valley near the German border just north of the noted ski destination of Kitzbühel.
“This site is one of the most beautiful I have ever seen anywhere,” said Sherman. “We are lucky to work with land where many golf holes are just there – which is quite unusual for such a mountainous area. The property is characterized by good contours, wide open grassland and mountains on all sides. We even see heather has taken hold nearby, so that could be an interesting look around our bunkers. All things considered, the goal here is to place the course onto the land and play golf within the site’s natural state.”
The layout is being developed by the owner of the Moarhof Hotel where visitors have access to many year-round activities. Guests of the boutique lodge already enjoy skiing, hiking, biking, horseback riding, and swimming in Lake Walchsee – full scale golf will now be an added attraction.
“The folks in Austria understand a good site is the key to building something that will be long lasting and an enhancement to the environment,” said Sherman. “Anders has done great work in this regard as he has guided the owner for years in selecting just the right property – we think this will be very evident when the project is completed.”
Moarhof Golf Club will be constructed over multiple seasons with work beginning as early as this fall.