Vision – Leading Golf Course
Starting signal for the further development of the golf course

Tuesday, 13 Sep 2022

In the context of the anniversary tournament 50 years GCC Schloss Pichlarn on June 11, 2022, owner Georg Imlauer presented the plan within the next few years to raise the quality standard of the golf course noticeably to be included in the elite circle of the Leading Golf Courses of Austria.

As a first step, an 8-member “Leading Golf Course” committee was formed. This includes Georg Imlauer (Owner IMLAUER Hotel Schloss Pichlarn), Friedrich Kaltenbrunner (President GCC Schloss Pichlarn), Manfred Marko (Water Expert), Erich Pötsch (Forest Expert), Rudolf Horn (President Leading Golf Courses), Christian Seiringer (Property Manager IMLAUER Hotel Schloss Pichlarn), Rene Huber (Headgreenkeeper GCC Schloss Pichlarn) & Johannes Baltl – Einhauer (Golf Manager GCC Schloss Pichlarn). The outcome of the first meeting was to have a master plan for the golf facility (golf course and practice facility) created by internationally recognized golf course designers.

On July 12, 2022 in Pichlarn, the master plan preparation was agreed with Olazabal Design (Anton Ortner – Lead Architect) and furthermore with TAS (Turfgrass Agronomy & Services) a detailed analysis of the golf course maintenance, drainage system, irrigation system, other golf course issues and machinery was agreed by the respective T.A.S. experts. The results of the T.A.S. are strikingly incorporated into the master plan and lead to a holistic approach to improving the quality of the golf facility. T.A.S. will support the golf facility for the next 3 years.

Intensive work on the master plan has been underway since July 12. The architects Anton Ortner and Snorri Vilhalmsson have already been on site several times and are working on the master plan and the first concrete measures in a lively exchange.

On the part of T.A.S. Sylvain Duval was in Pichlarn for 3 days at the beginning of August. Sylvain Duval has implemented many Jack Nicklaus Design Group projects across Europe and has consulted on golf courses for major tournaments (including LE Golf National Paris – Ryder Cup 2018). Sylvain looked in detail at green quality, tea quality, fertilizer use, maintenance programs, among others. The following week, Luis Doncel, specializing in golf course irrigation (also lead on the 2018 Ryder Cup), was in Pichlarn for 3 days. Both appointments were very informative, instructive and will bring concrete suggestions for improvement.

In the course of the fall, the first draft of the master plan will be created and worked on and sharpened in a workshop in Pichlarn with the committee. Subsequently, the first small measures will possibly go into implementation in the fall, winter.

These are exciting times for our golf facility and we will keep you posted.