Great Northern: 2026 Update
Denmark's most ambitious modern course, a Nicklaus Design layout on the island of Funen, takes a real step forward in 2026 with a new hotel and spa and a national championship. Here is where Great Northern stands and how to play it.
The news: a resort comes of age
Great Northern opened in 2017 near Kerteminde on the island of Funen, a Nicklaus Design project laid out across gentle rolling farmland and built around a series of lakes that bring water into play on a large share of the holes. From the start it was the most ambitious new course in Denmark, but for several years it was essentially a day round in a quiet corner of the country.
That changes in 2026. The venue is opening a new on site hotel and spa in the spring, turning Great Northern into a genuine stay and play resort, and the championship course is set to host the Danish Golf Championship during the season. For a course that always had the architecture to anchor a trip, the missing pieces, somewhere to stay and a reason for the wider game to look its way, are finally arriving together.
The course, and the property around it
The headline 18 is a par 72 of roughly 6,775 yards from the back tees, with a nine hole academy course alongside it that makes the site 27 holes in total. The Nicklaus team used the lakes as the defining hazard: precise tee shots and committed approaches are rewarded, loose ones are punished by water, and the course asks more strategic questions than its open, parkland setting first suggests.
It is the youngest of Denmark's headline names, sitting in the same conversation as the established pair of Himmerland on the Jutland mainland and the heathland and parkland of Royal Copenhagen near the capital, with Lubker rounding out a strong national set. For the hole by hole detail and the facts box, see the full Great Northern course profile.
How to play it in 2026
Funen sits in the middle of Denmark, easily reached from Copenhagen and from Odense, which makes Great Northern simple to add to a trip rather than a long detour. The course plays best from late spring through early autumn, when the long northern days stretch the golfing hours and the parkland turf is at its firmest. With the new hotel and spa opening for the 2026 season, a one or two night stay now makes sense on site.
The smart 2026 plan treats Great Northern as the modern centerpiece of a short Danish tour, paired with one or two of the country's other leading courses, and timed for the long summer evenings that make Scandinavian golf such a pleasure. High season visitor green fees are indicative and sit in the low to mid four figures in Danish kroner, so treat any quoted figure as a 2026 guide and always confirm directly before booking. See our ranked guide to the best golf courses in Denmark and our feature on summer golf in Scandinavia.
Our take
Our take is that 2026 is the year Great Northern becomes a destination rather than a round. The architecture was always there; what it lacked was a base and a profile, and the new hotel and spa plus a national championship supply both. For golfers building a Scandinavian itinerary it is now a far easier course to justify a stop for.
For 2026 the advice is to play it on the way through Denmark rather than as a stand alone trip, use the new on site stay to take in the spa and a second loop, and combine it with the country's other strong courses for the long summer days. It is the most contemporary golf experience in Denmark and, with these additions, one of the most complete.
Plan your Denmark golf trip
From Great Northern on Funen to Himmerland, Lubker and Royal Copenhagen, tell us roughly when and who is travelling and one concierge builds and costs the trip, working the right channels, with no obligation.
Questions
Who designed Great Northern and when did it open?
Great Northern was designed by Nicklaus Design and opened in 2017 near Kerteminde on the island of Funen in Denmark. The property has 27 holes: an 18 hole championship course of par 72 at roughly 6,775 yards from the back tees, plus a nine hole academy course. Nicklaus created several lakes across the site, and water is in play on many of the holes.
What is the news at Great Northern for 2026?
Great Northern is opening a new on site hotel and spa in spring 2026, turning the venue into a true stay and play resort rather than a day round, and the championship course is set to host the Danish Golf Championship in 2026. Together these give the youngest of Denmark's headline courses a much stronger case as the anchor of a golf trip.
How do you play Great Northern in 2026?
Great Northern sits on Funen, reached easily from Copenhagen and Odense, and plays best from late spring through early autumn when the Danish days are long. With the new hotel and spa for 2026 a one or two night stay makes sense, paired with other Danish courses on a wider trip. High season visitor green fees are indicative and sit in the low to mid four figures in Danish kroner; always confirm directly before booking.
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. Course facts, design credits and 2026 plans verified June 2026 from club and golf travel sources; Great Northern was designed by Nicklaus Design and opened in 2017, with a new hotel and spa due in spring 2026. Conditions, access and green fees change, so always confirm directly before booking. Last reviewed June 2026.