Golf holiday in Austria

In the overview of destinations in the book these regions are listed for Austria.

• Lower Austria
• Tyrol
• Salzburg region
• Carinthia
• Vorarlberg

Why you travel to Austria in summer

In 2017 a study on the travel behaviour of golfers was presented at the trade fair IGTM. Among golfers from Germany, Austria came second among destinations abroad. 29 percent named the country and only Spain was ahead with 32 percent. The study is now a few years old, but it shows the place the neighbouring country holds for golfers from Germany.

In Austria golf is played in summer. In winter play stops on the golf courses in the mountains and some fairways even turn into ski slopes. The 9-hole course of Golf-Club Arlberg in St. Anton, for example, lies in the ski area and is played on a ski slope in summer. The summer months are also the time when golfers from Germany like to choose destinations they reach without a flight. In winter they more often fly south.

For a trip to Austria your own car is therefore often enough. The golf bag travels with you at no extra charge and on site you move between the golf courses of a region without a transfer. That way even a long weekend can include two or three rounds.

• SeasonDepending on their location the golf courses open in March, April or May and close in October or November.
• ArrivalBy car you take your golf bag, trolley and shoes with you without a fee for sports luggage.
• LandscapeThe golf courses lie in valleys, on high plateaus and by lakes such as the Wörthersee and the Millstätter See.

When the golf courses are open

When you can play in Austria depends on altitude and weather. Golf courses in the valleys of Carinthia open as early as March, while courses in the high mountains only start in May or June. Winter decides when the season ends. In autumn 2026 Golfclub Schladming-Dachstein closed on 2 November after an early onset of winter, and Golfclub Montafon went into its winter break on 4 November.

These dates are guide values, because late snow in spring or early frost in autumn shifts them. At Golfclub Bludenz-Braz some frozen spots were closed during frost in early November 2026, although the course was open. For a trip at the start or the end of the season it therefore makes sense to ask the golf course about its opening or closing day.

The green fee also follows the season. At Golfclub Goldegg a round over 18 holes costs 95 euros in the main season from June to September and 80 euros in May and October. At Golfclub Radstadt the price is 109 euros in the main season and 94 euros in the low season. Golf Eichenheim near Kitzbühel charges 135 euros in the main season from 22 May to 30 September and names 75 euros for autumn 2026 until the end of the season. In Velden on the Wörthersee an autumn green fee of 55 euros applies from 12 October 2026.

In the mountains the main season begins in June. In May and October you usually play there for less.

The golf regions in Austria

In the overview of destinations in the book „Golftourismus: Dein Guide für Golfreisen“ five regions are listed for Austria, namely Lower Austria, Tyrol, the Salzburg region, Carinthia and Vorarlberg. The table shows the middle price for 18 holes in each state and the number of golf facilities whose price list is available.

Carinthia

Three golf courses lie close together on the Wörthersee. Kärntner Golf Club Dellach in Maria Wörth was founded in 1927 and runs over gently rolling ground with moderate slopes. Then there are Golf Velden Wörthersee and Golfanlagen Moosburg-Pörtschach, whose fairways pass old trees, ponds and biotopes. For guests, clubs such as Dellach and Schloss Finkenstein sell the Alpe-Adria-Golf-Card, with which three green fees cost 240 euros.

West of Villach, Golfclub Schloss Finkenstein lies where Austria, Italy and Slovenia meet. Its panorama course with a view of the Karawanken has few changes in height and is therefore easy to play on foot. At Golfclub Klagenfurt-Seltenheim, by contrast, water is in play on almost every hole, and on hole 8 you play over 131 metres onto an island green.

Tyrol

Around Kitzbühel several golf courses lie a short distance apart. On the Kitzbühel-Schwarzsee-Reith course the front nine are flat and the back nine hilly. The par 3 on hole 16 is called Mausefalle, the mousetrap, and is played over a small gorge. Golf Eichenheim runs along rock faces, streams and deciduous woods, adding up to 116 metres of climb on one round. By the Wilder Kaiser, Golfclub Wilder Kaiser Ellmau has 27 holes made up of three nine-hole courses that can be combined freely.

Salzburg region

The Salzburg region is home to the golf course that the book names as an example of a truly unique golf course. At Golfclub Radstadt the cable car Birdie Jet takes you 250 metres up from the 11th green to the 12th tee. From there you play more than 100 metres down into the valley, and the 13th tee lies at almost 1,000 metres above sea level. Further west, at Golfclub Zell am See-Kaprun-Saalbach, you play on flat, park-like ground with a view of the Kitzsteinhorn, which is 3,203 metres high.

Vorarlberg

In Vorarlberg mountain valleys alternate with the Rhine valley. Golfclub Lech is played on nine flat holes along the river Lech and its season only lasts from early June to early October. At Golfclub Bludenz-Braz the course climbs the slope in stages and passes hay barns, streams and alpine huts. The club reckons with four to five hours for 18 holes. In the Rhine valley, by contrast, Golfpark Rankweil lies on level ground with lakes, streams and island greens on holes 14 and 18.

Styria

In Styria, Golfclub Schladming-Dachstein lies flat in the Enns valley and water is in play on 11 of its 18 holes. At the foot of the Dachstein, the organic golf course Kobaldhof in the Ramsau is maintained without chemicals and without fertiliser. Its holes are between 90 and 350 metres long.

What a round costs in Austria

For a round over 18 holes the middle price in Austria is 92 euros on weekdays and 95 euros at the weekend. The figures come from the price lists of 135 and 132 golf facilities, as of August 2026. The middle half of the golf facilities charges between 76.50 and 100 euros on weekdays.

The range between golf facilities is wide. On weekdays you can play at Golfclub Herrensee in Lower Austria for as little as 30 euros. At the top end is Golfclub Fontana, also in Lower Austria, with 165 euros on weekdays and 205 euros at the weekend. In Tyrol and Vorarlberg the middle price is around 100 euros, in Lower Austria and Burgenland it is 80 euros on weekdays.

If you start only in the late afternoon, you pay less. For a twilight green fee over 18 holes the middle price is 59.50 euros, calculated from 68 price lists. For 9 holes it is 46 euros on weekdays and 49 euros at the weekend.

Mirco’s tip

Guests of partner hotels pay less on some golf courses. At Golfclub Radstadt two hotels give a 33 percent reduction on the green fee and other houses 25 percent. On the Millstätter See the guests of the founding hotels also pay a reduced green fee. When choosing a hotel it can therefore be helpful to ask about such a partnership.

What buggy, trolley and driving range cost

Depending on the golf course, further costs come on top of the green fee. The table shows the middle price from the price lists of the Austrian golf facilities, as of August 2026.

On the mountain courses a look at the buggy is worthwhile. Golf Eichenheim adds up to 116 metres of climb on one round, and at Golfclub Bludenz-Braz the club reckons with four to five hours for 18 holes. The book notes that the topography of a course is one of the most important reasons for playing with a buggy or on foot. On flat courses such as Schloss Finkenstein or Kaiserwinkl Golf Kössen you get along well on foot.

Rental clubs cost 25 euros on average. If you arrive by car, though, your own golf bag travels with you at no extra charge, so renting is mainly worthwhile on a trip by train or by plane.

What the clubs want to see from you

In Austria, Germany and Switzerland the Platzreife, the basic golf certificate, is a fundamental requirement for playing on club golf courses. In Austria the card of the Austrian Golf Association serves as proof, in Germany the card of the German Golf Association. As a guest from Germany you therefore show the card of your golf club at reception.

In addition the golf courses ask for a handicap up to a certain limit. On most courses in the following table it is 54, some set it lower.

There are golf courses for you in Austria even without a handicap. The 6-hole course of Nassfeld Golf in the Gail valley can be played without a handicap and without the Platzreife. On the 6-hole course of Golf & Countryclub Lärchenhof in Erpfendorf the course permit is enough, and Golf Club Brand lets guests onto the course with handicap 54 or with the Platzreife.

If you want to take the Platzreife on holiday, the middle price for a course is 349 euros, calculated from 45 price lists. In Tyrol it is 419 euros, in Upper Austria 251.50 euros. A private lesson of around 60 minutes with a golf pro costs 75 euros on average.

Mirco’s tip

The card of your golf club shows the handicap from the day it was printed. It therefore makes sense to add a current proof of your handicap to your travel documents, so that you have both to hand at reception.

How you travel to Austria

A golf trip usually begins in your home country and, depending on the distance, leads to the destination by car or by plane. For Austria the car is the obvious choice, because the golf bag then travels free of charge and you can move between the golf courses on site. For a longer journey there are airports in six cities.

Some hotels lie directly on the golf course. The Hotel Grand Tirolia Kitzbühel with 147 rooms and suites lies on Golf Eichenheim. In Radstadt the Hotel Zum Jungen Römer is at the start and finish of the championship course, and on the Millstätter See golf carts take guests from the Hotel Das Moerisch in Seeboden to the course.

If you choose a hotel in a place without its own course, the driving time is worth a look. From TUI BLUE Schladming it takes around 7 minutes by car to Golfclub Schladming-Dachstein and around 21 minutes to Golfclub Radstadt. From TUI BLUE Montafon in Tschagguns it is around 4 minutes to Golfclub Montafon and around 20 minutes to Golfclub Bludenz-Braz.

Golf trips with your golf club

Golf facilities in Germany also offer their members trips to Austria. Golfclub Düsseldorf-Grafenberg, GolfRange Hamburg-Oststeinbek and GolfPark Augsburg list the same three short trips to Carinthia and Styria.

The trips last two or three nights and so fit the short golf trips that golfers from Germany take in summer. According to the book these trips often run from Monday to Thursday or from Friday to Sunday. If your own golf club offers such a trip, it can be helpful to ask early about the dates and the free places.

How you plan the trip to Austria

A trip to Austria is easy to plan. A few things are best settled in this order.

1. RegionFor a week it makes sense to choose a region with several golf courses a short distance apart, such as the Wörthersee in Carinthia or the area around Kitzbühel in Tyrol.
2. Travel timeIn May and October the green fees in the mountains are lower. In return the risk grows that frost or snow closes individual holes.
3. Tee timesIt is advisable to settle the tee times before the hotel is fixed. Several golf courses offer online booking for this.
4. HotelWhen choosing the hotel it can be helpful to ask about a reduction on the green fee, such as partner hotels in Radstadt and on the Millstätter See offer.
5. DocumentsYour travel documents should include the card of your golf club and a current proof of your handicap.

If you arrive by car, the question of luggage remains. Golf bag, trolley and shoes fit into the boot, and how you secure them there is explained in the guide By car on a golf trip.