Austria is one of the great undervalued golf countries of Europe, where alpine drama meets serious design, from the championship courses near Vienna to the mountain layouts of Tyrol and Salzburg. Here are the ten we rate most highly, ranked, with our verdict on each and how to play it.
Photograph: Golf Club Adamstal Franz Wittmann, Golf Club Adamstal Franz Wittmann, via Google
Austria rewards the golfer who looks beyond the obvious European destinations. The country splits into two distinct golfing worlds. Around Vienna and through Lower Austria sits the serious championship golf, the modern, manicured layouts of Fontana and the Diamond Country Club, which hosts the Austrian Open on the DP World Tour, and the spectacular Adamstal in the hills to the southwest. West into Salzburg and Tyrol, the game turns alpine, with courses laid through mountain valleys and up onto high plateaus where the scenery does as much work as the architecture, from Gut Altentann near Salzburg to Eichenheim above Kitzbuhel.
We weighed design quality, conditioning, championship pedigree and the sheer pleasure of the setting, and we leaned toward courses a travelling golfer can realistically arrange to play, almost all of which welcome visitors. Every fact here, from designers and host events to locations, was checked at the time of writing; where we could not confirm a designer or opening year we describe the course by its setting and character rather than guess. The verdicts and the order are our editors' view, so reasonable people will reorder the list. If you want any of these built into a costed trip, that is exactly what our concierge does.
Routinely rated the best course in Austria, a dramatic Jeff Howes design that flows through pine forest and rocky hillside in the hills of Lower Austria, southwest of Vienna. Bold elevation changes and a string of memorable holes make it as thrilling to look at as it is to play, and the 27 holes give plenty of variety. A welcoming club that has become a genuine destination round for visiting golfers.
A polished, championship standard course at Oberwaltersdorf just south of Vienna, designed by Canadian architect Doug Carrick and opened in 1996, with a five year Carrick renovation completed more recently. Water, mature trees and immaculate conditioning give it a tour grade feel, and it has long set the bar for manicured parkland golf in Austria. A private club with visitor and corporate access by arrangement.
Austria's tournament course, a Jeremy Pern design opened in 2002 at Atzenbrugg in Lower Austria that has hosted the Austrian Open on the DP World Tour since 2010. The Diamond Course wraps around a large central lake and tests the field with water, long carries and demanding approaches, complemented by shorter layouts and a smart clubhouse. The most accessible way to play a European Tour venue in the country.
The first course Jack Nicklaus designed in Europe, laid out on the outskirts of Salzburg amid rolling countryside with the Alps beyond. A classic Nicklaus test of strategy and shotmaking in a beautiful setting near Mozart's home city, it remains one of the most prestigious clubs in the country and a fine pairing with the cultural draw of Salzburg itself. Visitor access by arrangement.
The signature alpine round of Tyrol, a Kyle Phillips design opened in 2000 above the glamorous resort town of Kitzbuhel. Carved through rugged mountain terrain with narrow fairways, dramatic elevation changes and panoramic views of the Kitzbuhel Alps, it pairs serious architecture with a setting few courses anywhere can match. An upscale resort course that combines golf with one of Austria's great mountain destinations.
One of the most popular golf bases in the Austrian Alps, with two full courses near the lake at Zell am See in Salzburgerland, set against a backdrop of high peaks and the Kitzsteinhorn glacier. Walkable, scenic and welcoming, it is the heart of a classic alpine golf and lakes holiday and an easy place to build several relaxed rounds into a mountain trip.
A high plateau course on the Seefeld plateau near Innsbruck in Tyrol, laid out through alpine meadow and forest with mountain views in every direction. The altitude makes the ball fly and the setting is glorious, a memorable holiday round in one of Austria's best loved mountain resort towns, easily combined with the wider Tyrolean golf circuit.
One of the longest established championship courses in Austria, a mature parkland in the Mur valley north of Graz in Styria that has a strong tournament history and a reputation as a stern, classical test. Tree lined and well conditioned, it offers a more traditional, lowland contrast to the alpine courses and anchors golf in the southeast of the country.
A scenic resort course in the Ennstal valley of Styria, set beneath the Dachstein massif beside a historic castle hotel. Rolling, parkland golf with a dramatic mountain backdrop, it is the kind of relaxed, beautifully framed round that makes an Austrian golf trip feel like a holiday, with a fine spa hotel on the doorstep.
A valley floor course on the flat of the Zillertal in Tyrol, framed on both sides by steep mountain walls, one of the most photogenic settings in Austrian golf. Accessible and enjoyable, with the peaks rising straight from the fairways, it is a popular round for visitors basing themselves in the Zillertal for a mix of golf and alpine scenery.
Designers and host events verified June 2026 where stated; courses without a confirmed designer are described by their verified setting and character. Course profiles are added across the site as the directory grows. Always confirm visitor access and fees directly before booking. Check tee time availability.
Tell us which of these are on your list, the championship courses near Vienna or the alpine rounds of Tyrol and Salzburg, and roughly when. One concierge arranges the tee times and base and costs the trip to the head, with no obligation.
Golfclub Adamstal in Lower Austria, the dramatic Jeff Howes design in the hills southwest of Vienna, is regularly rated the best course in the country, with Fontana near Vienna and the Diamond Country Club, host of the Austrian Open, its closest rivals. Reasonable people reorder the top five, but those anchor any serious list.
Yes, almost all of them welcome visitors with advance booking, which is part of what makes Austria such an appealing golf destination. The championship clubs near Vienna such as Fontana take visitor and corporate golf by arrangement, while the alpine resort courses of Tyrol and Salzburg are geared toward holiday golfers. Always confirm access directly before booking.
The Austrian golf season runs roughly from May to October, with the alpine courses opening later and closing earlier than the lowland layouts near Vienna. High summer, from June to September, is the prime window in the mountains, with long, settled days and the scenery at its best. Spring and autumn are quieter and beautiful in the valleys.
Two regions stand out. Lower Austria around Vienna holds the championship golf at Fontana, Diamond and Adamstal, while the alpine west, through Salzburg and Tyrol, offers spectacular mountain golf at Gut Altentann, Eichenheim, Zell am See and Seefeld. Many trips pair a couple of championship rounds near Vienna with an alpine week in the mountains.
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Researched and written by the GolfForKings editorial desk. Course designers and host events verified June 2026 where stated. Last reviewed June 2026.