Golf goes concert
Salzburg is celebrating its 200th anniversary as part of Austria in 2016 and this occasion is also bringing golfers a real treat called "golf goes concert".
Hans Schinwald, President of the Salzburg Cultural Association and Club President of the Leading Golf Course Gut Altentann, together with Artistic Director Elisabeth Fuchs, has now put together a three-day program that premiered in May this year: golfing on two of the best 18-hole courses, the GC Mondsee and Gut Altentann, a reception and guided tour of the Festspielhaus in Salzburg with the Felsenreitschule and Haus des Mozart as well as a concert there and accommodation at the Romantikhotel Gmachl in Elixhausen. Finally, a chamber music concert at the Altentann Golf Club with an exquisite menu. A real treat for every lover of classical music and Austrian cuisine. After the premiere in June, there will be a second edition in September.
Golf by the lake and Beethoven in the Festspielhaus
There are golf courses that you never forget. Be it because of the layout, the heart-stopping holes, the beautiful surrounding landscape or the outstanding gastronomy. The Golfclub am Mondsee with its 18 holes par 72 has it all. It is now 30 years old and has become even more interesting after an effective renovation - but also more difficult, say the pros. We enjoy the fantastic lake landscape at the foot of the Drachenwand, which comes into play impressively. However, the 7 with its peninsula green and the 9 where the Drachensee lake comes into play are a little scary. The 15th, the so-called "signature hole", also requires a direct water shot onto the green, while the 18th, a par 5 along the lake, finally brings the much-vaunted 19th hole into view. There you will find Austrian delicacies at their finest, all of which have the potential to make you forget a bad score and missed balls.
After this golfing highlight comes the cultural one:
Igor Stravinsky's "Firebird" and Ludwig van Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 3 in C minor at the Großes Festspielhaus. There is really nothing more to say about this listening pleasure, except to ask yourself why you don't treat yourself to something like this more often - as a culture vulture! But the evening doesn't end there. At the Arthotel "Blaue Gans", a festival menu awaits even late at night and one of the most innovative restaurateurs in the festival city - Andreas Gfrerer. The food was not only a firework display for the palate but also a sensory delight par excellence thanks to the location itself. This is partly due to the special atmosphere of the 660-year-old patrician house, one of the oldest hotels in Salzburg, in whose historic stone vaults from the 14th century many events still take place today.
Jack Nicklaus sends his regards
Admittedly, Gut Altentann was notorious as a celebrity golf club for many years. This was, of course, also due to the fact that it was able to claim the title of "1st European Jack Nicklaus Golf Course". So it's no wonder that celebrities from the worlds of politics and art sought to become members. Above all, however, it is the divine design that makes the course one of the Leading Courses of Austria. Unspoiled nature, small lakes with swans and waterfowl, gently rolling hills with flowering shrubs and margarite meadows as rough. Small lakes and ponds often come into play, but without any challenge for the players. Jack Nicklaus has immortalized himself as a nature lover!
President Schinwald and his greenkeepers do everything they can to keep it that way. Oh yes - and the romantic atmosphere of the estate is complemented by excellent cuisine, a well-stocked pro store and a varied tournament and music program. On this evening there is a gala dinner with chamber music performed by Trio Negro - a feast for the eyes and ears of the guests.
History meets zeitgeist
Anyone wondering why a hotel in Elixhausen of all places, around 10 minutes' drive from the city of Salzburg, was chosen as the location for this golf and culture program will receive an immediate answer. Not only is the "Gmachl" known as a golf hotel, it also has a number of other accolades to defend:
Founded as a small country inn in 1334, the family-run business is now in its 23rd generation. Of course, there have been some careful changes during this time, but without losing any of its historical charm. Visitors experience both: a 4-star superior hotel with 73 rooms and suites, partly in a cozy country house style in the main building and timelessly modern in the annex. Wood panelling on the walls and comfortable upholstered furniture exude a rustic feel, while splashes of purple and pink and antique accessories from earlier times add a personal touch.
The Pamorama Spa is a purist experience high up on the roof of the "Klosterhof" with a breathtaking view of the Salzburg mountains. In the middle of it all is an open fireplace and cozy beds to relax in. Yoga fans can get fit in the morning. Golfers are drawn to the sauna area or to massages and beauty treatments. Gmachl's own natural cosmetics "Wundervoll" with rose petals, lavender, olive oil and alpine herbs scent the whole house.
But also the delicious award-winning cuisine of the young chef Christian Kastenmeier, who serves his Austrian cuisine with a modern twist in four cozy dining rooms. For example: Two kinds of suckling pig with herb dumplings and a lukewarm bacon and cabbage salad or saddle of Salzburg venison with root vegetables, morels and cherries. In addition, a roast prepared according to a tried and tested recipe is served every Sunday.
Brand new: the country butcher's shop
What is mincing, seasoning or sausaging? Interested guests can now take a look behind the scenes of the in-house butcher's shop and help out themselves. If you want to experience real "local delights", you can visit the butcher's shop every Tuesday and Friday early in the morning for around two hours with senior boss and master butcher Fritz Gmachl. This country butcher's shop has been around for around 550 years.
Back in 1888, the hard-working innkeeper and farmer Johann Gmachl offered his guests sausages and chicken after a refreshing dip in his swimming, standing and sitting pool. Today, in addition to various specialties, there is also marinated grilled meat, lamb specialties and boiled sausages from his own production. Fresh herbs come from their own herb garden and fresh fish from the trout pond. You can spend balmy summer evenings by candlelight under the old chestnut trees, in winter by the open fire with fine wines in the hotel bar.
Prices and booking at: www.kulturvereinigung.com www.gmachl.com www.gutaltentann.com www.salzburgerland.com
Text: Elsa-Maria Honecker
