Sporting Club Berlin Faldo Course
Nick Faldo built his first continental European course at Bad Saarow, beside Lake Scharmutzel an hour southeast of Berlin, and the Faldo Course that opened in 1997 plays remarkably like a Scottish links transplanted to Brandenburg. A par 72 of about 6,490 yards, rippled and open with 133 pot bunkers, it is widely rated among the very best courses in Germany.
Photo: Golf Club Bad Saarow GmbH via Google.
The verdict
The Sporting Club Berlin, now part of the Bad Saarow golf and resort complex by Lake Scharmutzel, was conceived as a destination resort, and Nick Faldo's contribution is its standout. Opened in 1997 as Faldo's first design in continental Europe, the course imports the look and the strategy of a British links onto a sandy, open site, all humps and hollows, fescue and pot bunkers.
It is the bunkering that defines it, a reputed 133 deep revetted pots that punish the loose shot and demand a thinking line off every tee. The fescue runs firm and fast in summer and the wind off the lake is a genuine factor. For a links lover marooned inland, the Faldo Course is the closest thing to seaside golf within reach of Berlin, and an easy pairing with a city break.
Sporting Club Berlin, Faldo Course at a glance
- Opened
- 1997
- Designer
- Nick Faldo, 1997
- Type
- Inland links style
- Par
- 72
- Yardage
- About 6,490 yds
- Green fee
- From €95
Designer, opening year, par and yardage verified June 2026 from the club and leading course databases. The Faldo Course at Sporting Club Berlin, now Golf Club Bad Saarow, was designed by Nick Faldo and opened in 1997 as his first continental European course, beside Lake Scharmutzel an hour southeast of Berlin. A par 72 of about 6,490 yards, rippled and open with a reputed 133 pot bunkers, it plays like a Scottish links and is rated among the best in Germany. Indicative fees change by season and year, so always confirm access and any green fee directly before booking.
The holes worth the trip
The Faldo Course asks for strategy from the first tee. The fairways are wide but the pot bunkers are placed exactly where the careless line finishes, so the round becomes a series of decisions about which side to favour and which hazard to flirt with. The open, treeless character lets the wind off Lake Scharmutzel shape every shot.
The greens are firm and subtly contoured, links style, rewarding the runup and the controlled trajectory over the high target shot. Faldo built in plenty of half par temptation, short par 4s that tempt the driver into the bunker country, and longer holes that simply ask for patience.
It holds its character to the close, the revetted bunkering and the breeze never letting up. The Faldo Course rewards the player who plays the percentages and keeps the ball out of the sand, and it gives back the rare experience of true links golf an hour from the centre of Berlin.
How to get on
| What to know | Detail |
|---|---|
| Access | Open to visitors as part of the Bad Saarow resort; book a tee time in advance, especially at weekends |
| Green fee | Indicative weekday 18 hole rate around €90, a little higher at weekends (indicative, recent seasons) |
| Booking | Reserve through the resort or club; golf and stay packages with the lakeside hotel are available |
| On the day | Walking or cart on the open links terrain; bring wind layers as the site is exposed by the lake |
| Getting there | Bad Saarow is about an hour southeast of central Berlin by car or rail |
| Best months | May to September for the warm, firm conditions when the course runs at its links best |
Access arrangements verified June 2026; policies change, so always confirm directly before planning a visit with the club or your trip planner.
Where to stay nearby
Most visiting golfers stay at the lakeside resort at Bad Saarow itself, which puts the Faldo Course and its sister Palmer layout on the doorstep along with the spa and the shore of Lake Scharmutzel. It is a relaxed, water based base an easy drive from the capital.
The natural pairing is a Berlin city break with golf, splitting time between the museums, restaurants and history of the capital and a day or two of links golf out at Bad Saarow. It makes an easy long weekend for travelling golfers who want a city alongside their courses.
Looking for a base? See our recommended hotels and resorts near Sporting Club Berlin, Faldo Course.
Build a Berlin and Bad Saarow golf trip
We secure the Sporting Club Berlin, Faldo Course tee times where access allows, pair them with the best of the region and book the lodging around them. Tell us roughly when and who is travelling and one concierge costs it to the head, with no obligation.
Sporting Club Berlin, Faldo Course questions
Who designed the Faldo Course at Bad Saarow and when did it open?
The Faldo Course at Sporting Club Berlin, now Golf Club Bad Saarow, was designed by Nick Faldo and opened in 1997 as his first design in continental Europe.
What is the par and length of the Faldo Course?
The Faldo Course is a par 72 of about 6,490 yards, a links style layout with a reputed 133 pot bunkers, playing longer from the championship tees.
Can visitors play the Faldo Course?
Yes. The Faldo Course is open to visitors as part of the Bad Saarow resort; tee times should be booked in advance, particularly at weekends.
Why does the Faldo Course feel like a links?
Nick Faldo built it on an open, sandy site with rippled fairways, fescue and deep revetted pot bunkers, so it looks and plays like a traditional British links despite being inland near Berlin.
Related
The Tee Sheet
Tee time windows, course access changes and the trips worth taking. Every other week.
Researched and written by the GolfForKings editorial desk. Designer, opening year, par and yardage verified June 2026; indicative green fees verified June 2026. Last reviewed June 2026.