Bades Huk – Rebirth of a golf pearl at the Baltic Sea by EIGCA members Christoph Staedler and Achim Reinmuth

Golf has no history in Eastern Germany. Before World War II, there were only a handful of golf courses in that area. When the GDR was founded after the war, these courses were abandoned and used for other purposes because golf was not compatible with the ideology of the workers’ and farmers’ state. Golf had ceased to exist there – until the reunification of the two German states in 1990.

In 1991, a Lübeck merchant (and avid golfer) recognized the opportunity to lease land for a golf course at a reasonable price and found a suitable site in a very exposed location on a peninsula jutting out into the Baltic Sea west of Wismar, providing a sea view from all the holes. He had the first golf course built on the soil of the “new federal states”.

The budget was limited because the construction quality was simple: tiny push-up greens and tees, small flat bunkers, and fairways without shaping. Maintenance was also limited to the bare essentials which had a negative impact on the quality of play. The golf course was unable to attract enough members and did not have enough green fee players to operate successfully economically. By the end of 2018, operations and maintenance ceased. The golf course became overgrown and lay abandoned. Some holes were only recognizable by the trees and hedgerows on their sides and almost had the character of “lost holes”.

In 2019, the Austrian investor, Oliver Soini, had a vacation residence development built in a corner of the golf grounds and needed the golf course renovated so the resort could function. A design competition was held which German office Staedler & Reinmuth Golfdesign won.

EIGCA Past President, Christoph Staedler, who designed the routing, disregarded the original layout to create completely new, more challenging holes. In doing so, he made optimal use of the gently rolling topography, characterized by moraines, and ideally suited for golf, and of the beautiful tree stands which had grown up over the last 3 decades.

The construction of the golf course was commissioned to EIGCA Bronze Partner, Josef Poetter Golf, one of the leading golf course construction companies in Germany. It implemented Staedler’s plans perfectly, with special attention to the sustainability aspect.

Under the construction supervision of co-designer, EIGCA member Achim Reinmuth, a completely new, highly attractive 18-hole course has been created on the old site. With a length of 5,780 m, it is been specifically designed for vacation and recreational golf. Due to the undulating terrain with many slopes and because of the small greens which are well defended by bunkers and ponds, even ambitious golfers will find appropriate challenges and a lot of fun to play.

What makes the Bades Huk golf course special are the panoramic views over the Baltic Sea, the scenic beauty and the exceptional tranquillity – three trump cards that are rarely found together and give hope for a high popularity. An important contribution to achieve this will be the future golf hotel and clubhouse which should be built by the end of 2025.

This new golf resort will form another important link in the chain of golf courses on the coast of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern – a new point of attraction for golf tourists.