Frankfurter

The club used to be a regular German Open venue (most recently in 1989) and it was once one of the longest courses in Europe with par set at an incredible 78. Today’s par at Frankfurter is between 69 and 71 depending on which tees are selected. Their youth program is one of the foremost in Germany, so betting against a 14-year-old lad heading for the back tee is probably a bad idea.

Christoph Städler has been remodelling the bunkers and greens in 2007 to mixed reactions. In his own words: “For many years these old topsoil push-up greens have shown increasing problems with fungi and poa annua. They no longer measure up to modern playing standards. Thus the members have recently decided to renovate the greens. I have played about 20 Harry Colt courses and I’m a great admirer of his ingenious layouts, routings and undulated greens. Surprisingly the greens at Frankfurter Golf Club are relatively flat in comparison to his other courses and they have lost their challenge over the years when approach shot lengths have become shorter and shorter. A couple of greens are still appropriately contoured but we will provide the majority with bolder shaped surfaces and surrounds, very much in the typical Colt style.”

While the rebuild has certainly improved the quality of the putting surfaces, it didn't exactly promote the ground game. Some critics feel the bunkering and green surrounds show little sympathy for Colt and the elaborate mounding is more in tune with the modern American style made popular by Robert Trent Jones.