DESTINATIONGOLF . TRAVEL
Aerial of Zala Springs
here ,” says Damian on the clubhouse terrace after our round . “ For example , all guests receive an attractively packaged Callaway golf ball with the Zala Springs logo on arrival . We also want our guests to have member ’ s rights and to be able to play unlimited golf , and perhaps we will introduce a ‘ Meet and Greet ’ with a professional to provide tuition as you play .”
Aerial of Zala Springs
then you get a mulligan on the opening hole ,” says Damian with a wry smile , as we prepare to hit our drives from the yellow tees of the 495-metre 1st - a testing double doglegged par-5 , with the fairway curving right then left to a blind green . Other memorable holes on this excellent par-72 , 6351-metre course include the photogenic short par-4 6th , with a creek snaking across the fairway , and the signature 167-metre par-3 12th , requiring a full carry over a lake to a narrowangled green . The 18th is a challenging 558-metre par-5 , a genuine three-shot hole played to an elevated green , with a scenic lake and fountain to one side and the beautifully appointed clubhouse beyond . “ Moving forward we have all kinds of concepts we want to introduce
“ Another one of our aims is to familiarise our golfing guests with Hungarian wine culture since it is such a key aspect of the region ,” continues Damian . “ For instance , every month we host wine dinners out on the course - combining golf with wine from one of the country ’ s 23 wine regions . Guests drive in carts to the first green to enjoy a cold starter paired with the first wine , then it ’ s off for a warm starter , another wine and some tee shots at the par-3 12th , before finishing with a main course and dessert paired with more wines back at the clubhouse .”
Staying on the subject of wine , well worth a visit is Laposa Borbirtok – a wine estate situated along the southern mountainside of Badacsony , approximately 50 km from Zala Springs . This family-owned business produces mainly white wines , using traditional , local grape varieties typical of the Badacsony region ’ s volcanic soils : Welschriesling , Rhine Riesling , Pinot gris , Kéknyelű , Furmint and Juhfark are all bottled here . There ’ s nothing better than sitting on their terrace sampling excellent wines accompanied by cold delicacies from local producers while taking in the stunning scenery of Lake Balaton . Guided wine tastings are also available where you learn about each wine , plus more about the Laposa family and the Badacsony region .
In addition to boat and sailing trips on Lake Balaton , another key attraction of the region is nearby Lake Hévíz , located in the spa town of Hévíz near the western end of Lake Balaton . Lake Hévíz is the largest biologically active , natural thermal lake in the world . Widely used since Roman times , the bathing facilities at Lake Hévíz were first established by the Count György Festetics 1st in the 18th century . Today , some 3,000 people visit the lake every day ( made up of roughly a third Hungarian , third German and a third from the rest of the world ) and most people spend about 20-25 minutes bathing in the medicinal waters with curative properties , rest for about 30 minutes and then go back in again .
Wine , cold cuts on the terrace at Laposa Borbirtok
23