Bergisch Land means "mountainous country" and that may be a slight exaggeration, but "hilly" certainly fits the bill. The first 13 holes are the classic stretch by John Morrison, the last 5 holes were designed by Bernhard von Limburger after Morrison's death and on a different property to boot. So this really feels like two courses with a pronounced walk between them.

The Morrison course is the highlight. It was started right in the middle of the Golden Age and continued after the second World War, thus making it a true Colt & Company job. It is quirky and wild, but always clearly laid out in front of the golfer, so that even elite players will not complain about unfairness. The only really confusing part is finding the fifth tee, which, oddly enough, is hidden right behind the first green. Speaking of the putting surfaces, they are interesting, but not over the top and the day's stimp reading is posted as well. The signature hole is the 13th that plays from a panoramic tee back down to the clubhouse. The one complaint about Morrison's holes is that while they all look very different, they do not always play very different. A number of approaches (including the tee shots on some of the par 3s) are of a similar length.

Holes 14 and 15 are rather ordinary, it's almost as if a third architect was at work here, who didn't know that golf is not just about hitting it as far as you can. Gladly, the final three holes carry some interest again and will ask for a bit of strategic thinking as well. So there are 16 very good holes on offer and despite the hilly site the layout is very walkable and always in good nick.