Munich vs the Black Forest: Which Golf Trip Wins?
Bavaria's capital plays the championship card: Eichenried, home of the BMW International Open, plus a ring of clubs that share half price green fee days. The Black Forest answers with spa towns, hilltop views and Germany's third oldest club. Our verdict up front, then the table.
Photo: Golfclub Munchen Eichenried via Google.
The verdict
Munich wins on golf, the Black Forest wins on holiday, and the gap on both counts is honest rather than huge. The Munich case rests on Golfclub Munchen Eichenried, Kurt Rossknecht's 27 hole, water laced parkland that has staged the European tour's BMW International Open for decades. Guests pay 120 euros midweek and 180 at the 2026 weekend, can book at most two days ahead, and need a handicap of 36 or better; around it, the Munchner Kreis scheme groups clubs with 31 courses around the city offering reduced green fee days, Eichenried's being Tuesday at 60 euros. Add beer gardens, the Alps an hour south and a real city between rounds.
The Black Forest is a different trip: golf stitched into Germany's classic spa and scenery country. Golf Club Baden-Baden, founded in 1901 and the third oldest club in Germany, plays a short, steep, charming par 64 over 4,260 meters in the hills three and a half kilometers above the most elegant spa town in the country. Der Oschberghof at Donaueschingen brings the modern resort golf, and Hochschwarzwald's course in the Altental valley near Titisee takes all comers without a club membership. Choose by appetite: tournament pedigree and city life, or vineyards, thermal baths and fairways with a view.
Head to head
| Munich | The Black Forest | |
|---|---|---|
| Headline golf | Eichenried (Rossknecht, 27 holes), host of the BMW International Open; the Munchner Kreis clubs ring the city | Golf Club Baden-Baden (1901, Germany's third oldest), Der Oschberghof resort at Donaueschingen, Hochschwarzwald in the Altental valley |
| Indicative cost | Eichenried guests 120 euros midweek, 180 weekends (2026); 60 euros on the club's Munchner Kreis Tuesday | Generally below Munich's headline rates; resort and hotel packages do the heavy lifting, club rates published locally |
| Season | May to September is prime across southern Germany; April and October are playable shoulders, winters closed or restricted | |
| Access | Members clubs welcoming guests with a 36 handicap; Eichenried takes guest bookings at most 2 days ahead, tighter around the tournament | Relaxed; Hochschwarzwald requires no membership at all, resorts book with the room |
| Getting there | Munich airport; Eichenried is 20 to 30 minutes from both airport and city | Karlsruhe/Baden-Baden, Basel or Stuttgart airports; a car is essential between valleys |
| The vibe | Big city trip with serious golf bolted on: beer gardens, museums, the Alps an hour away | Spa town wind down: thermal baths, forest drives, golf as the morning's work |
| Best for | Tournament course collectors, city break golfers, corporate days | Couples, mixed groups, golfers pairing fairways with the Baden-Baden baths |
Course facts verified June 2026 from club published rates and club records. Green fees move by season and day; always confirm directly before booking.
Who should pick which
Pick Munich if the golf has to stand on its own. Eichenried is the only course in Germany where you can walk fairways the European tour plays every summer, and the supporting cast around the city is deep enough for a five round week without repeating. Book guest times early, carry your handicap certificate, and avoid the BMW International Open week in early summer unless you are going to watch. The wider national picture is in our Germany golf guide and the best courses in Germany ranking.
Pick the Black Forest if the trip matters more than the scorecard. The pattern that works is two bases: Baden-Baden for the historic club, the casino and the Friedrichsbad baths, then south to Der Oschberghof or Titisee for resort golf and lake country. Nobody flies in for the Black Forest's golf alone, but as a golf flavored week for two it beats Munich comfortably. Undecided between German trips and a bigger stage? See how England vs Scotland frames the same trade between golf weight and holiday charm, or compare the Alpine alternative in Sporting Club Berlin country.
Build a German golf trip
Munich's tournament parkland, Baden-Baden's spa country, or both with the autobahn in between. Tell us roughly when and who is travelling and one concierge costs it to the head, with no obligation.
Munich vs Black Forest questions
What does golf in Munich cost?
Eichenried, the benchmark, charges guests 120 euros for 18 holes midweek and 180 at weekends and holidays in 2026, with 9 hole rates from 75 euros. Its Munchner Kreis day, Tuesday, drops the 18 hole fee to 60 euros. Other clubs around the city sit mostly below those numbers. Always confirm directly before booking.
Do I need a handicap certificate to play in Germany?
Generally yes. German members clubs commonly ask for proof of handicap, and Eichenried caps guests at 36. Resort courses and the Hochschwarzwald course near Titisee are more relaxed; carry your certificate or app and you will have no trouble anywhere.
Which is the oldest golf club in the Black Forest?
Golf Club Baden-Baden, founded in 1901, which also makes it the third oldest club in Germany. It is a short par 64 of about 4,260 meters in the hills above the spa town, more charm and history than championship test.
Can you combine Munich and the Black Forest in one trip?
Easily. The drive between Munich and Baden-Baden runs about three and a half to four hours, so a week splits naturally: three nights of city and tournament golf, then three nights of spa country. A car is essential on the Black Forest end.
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Researched and written by the GolfForKings editorial desk. Course facts and indicative fees verified June 2026, including Eichenried's published 2026 guest rates. Last reviewed June 2026.