Golf in Sweden

I have had a relationship with Sweden now going on 20 years. Actually, my GolfDash partner, John, was my boss way back then and sent me to Stockholm as kind of a “work exchange” program. Since that time I have made a number of good friends there and a few really close ones.

I would say I have been there now going on 7-8 different occasions – from when I was a young bachelor to bringing over my wife and family a few years back.

So I have always kept my eye on Swedish golf and there seem to be so many top golfers coming from such a tiny country whose population is a little over 9 million people (compared to 10 million who live in Manhattan)

These include professionals like Daniel Chopra, Anna Nordqvist, Robert Karlsson, Peter Hanson, Carl Pettersson, Henrik Stenson, Frederick Jacobson, Jesper Parnevik and, of course, the legendary Anna Sorenstam.

Sweden has a lot of people who enjoy playing the game of golf. About 6% of Swedes play golf, the highest percentage in the world. And of the half a million Swedes who play golf a third are female.

So why are there so many good Swedish golfers? Because they have a grassroots system that introduces kids to golf early through a family-based approach. The Swedish Golf Federation also has a number of supportive programs to recruit and support young players and bring them up the ranks.

My perception is also that Swedes are very pragmatic, disciplined and efficient and keep their emotions in check (pretty much a perfect combination for golf!). They know what needs to be done and they do it. Not a lot of fluff. It helps also that they are very “outdoorsy” and health conscious. Go almost anywhere in the summer and you will see seas of bicycles everywhere.

On one of my recent visits I played the Fullero GolfKlubb in Västerås which is about an hour outside Stockholm and where we stayed with our Swedish friends. I was scheduled to play one of the top courses in Sweden, the amazing links course Falsterbo Golf Club in Skåne but I ended up injuring myself and had to cancel.

One of the cool things about playing golf in Sweden in the summer months is that is stays light almost all hours of the day and the farther North you go, its almost 24 hours of light.

Above the Arctic Circle, Björkliden GolfKlubb – the northernmost golf course in Sweden – is a favorite of midnight golfers in summertime. By the way, if you come in the later in the year, you should book a night in one of Sweden’s “coolest” hotels, The IceHotel, in Jukkasjärvi.

Andreas Josefsson, marketing manager for the local tourism office, says: “Midnight golf is one of the things people come here to do and we’ve had quite a few players this year. And we have 24-hour greens fees.” Nothing like having a tee-time at midnight! Truly the land of the midnight sun.

Sweden truly is a beautiful country and one where you’ll find quality golf courses almost everywhere – and where else can you book evening tee times?

Related posts:

1. Golf in Scandinavia

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