The Wittelsbach dynasty ruled as Kings in Bavaria for the duration of its existence until 1918, so the Wittelsbacher Golfclub would undoubtedly be the Royal Bavarian Golfclub if it were in England. But in contrast to the typical Royal Club of today, the honor is not just one of association, but one of outright ownership. And the aspirations are accordingly, since the club threw its hat into the ring as prospective Ryder Cup venue. While the Ryder Cup course was going to be a new build, the existing layout is definitely made from the same mould. The back tees are brutal for average players and mostly utilised in professional tournaments. But the everyday tees are also too long for the backbone of every membership: the older players. Plans to shorten a few holes are being considered and would certainly have the potential to make the course vastly more interesting to play.

However, the layout has a lot to offer as it is. First and foremost the greens - they are truly sophisticated without being gimmicky in any way. Many putting surfaces have seperate plateaus, so there is an element of strategy involved even when chipping or pitching. Most holes are also somewhat open in front, except - inexplicably - the long 13th, where average hitters will always have to lay up even after their Sunday best off the tee. Nevertheless, this is just one hole and the other 17 green complexes all have various challenges and options. There are also hardly any forced carries off the tee and the fairways are wide, but some angles are usually closed off by solitary trees. Commendably, all the undergrowth has been cleared and it seems very hard to lose a ball, but very easy to get snookered. This is the recipe for strategic play and it is surprisingly prevalent on such a long course, while weaker players will have no problems getting around. The fine conditioning and uncomplicated routing do their parts as well, so overall this should be a good experience for all.