Destination Golf Global (Autumn 2019) * | Page 32

Capitals Golf Club Trakai Island Castle Palace, the Jewish Quarter & Ghettos, Chapel of the Blessed Mary and the Gates of Dawn. A lovely meal of homemade meatballs at Zoe’s Bar & Grill with cathedral views rounds off an excellent first day. Day 2- The V Golf Club After a hearty buffet breakfast of fresh juice, fruit, yoghurt, bread, cheese and strong coffee, in less than the blink of an eye we are driving in a golf cart to the V Golf Club’s warm-up facilities, which includes a 250-metre driving range with 20 undercover bays, a putting green for chipping and putting and another green with two bunkers for bunker practise. Situated in the scenic surroundings of the Vilnius Grand Resort, the V Golf Club is a 7,690 metre, 18-hole USGA standards layout built by architect Bob Hunt, and is widely recognised as the best in the Baltic States. The course weaves its way among beautiful lakes, taking the golfer through spectacular birch trees and majestic pine forests interspersed with bullrush-fringed wetland areas and wild flower meadows. 32 Destination Golf .TRAVEL Englishman Johnny Fleming, who is spending a few months at the V Golf Club as part of his Applied Golf Management Studies Degree at Birmingham University, joins us for a few holes and gives us some tips about the course. “The four, strong par-5s, namely the 7th, 9th, 12th and 15th are the key holes and it’s all about hitting your ball in the right spots,” says Johnny. “There’s also plenty of marshy areas to watch out for, and if your ball goes in, then it’s usually a goner.” Although it’s a excellent track, the V Golf Club is also a challenging test. According to professionals like Johnny Fleming and Karl Grundin, if you manage to complete your round with the same golf ball, then it’s an achievement to be proud of. Like many players we lose plenty of balls, and we quickly go from using pristine Titliest Pro V1’s, to that last, cracked, cream-coloured Dunlop discovered in the dark recesses of the golf bag, to looking in the trees for any kind of ball to complete the round. The lesson here, is to pack plenty of balls for your Lithuania golf trip! During a post-round lunch at the resort’s Le Paysage Restaurant, there’s the opportunity to sample some local dishes. Lithuanian cuisine features products suited to