Opened in 2005 but with history dating back 5000 years, Estonia Golf and Country club is set above the Baltic sea approximately 30 minutes from the city of Tallinn.
Under the umbrella of European Tour courses, the Sea course is a challenging 18-hole course that leads down from the iconic clubhouse towards the sea and around some notable boulders relocated the area during the ice age.
The turf is crispy and sand based so the course plays like a parkland/links hybrid, but the design is that of a parkland course. Spread over a large area of land, the Sea Course presents several signature holes that will get the attention of your golf and your camera.
The par-5 opening hole leads you from the former limestone sea wall down between the forest land to a green protected by water. Undoubtably you will stand on the second tee already entertained and exhausted by the shots and challenge the first hole requires of you.
The picturesque third hole is a straight away par-4 that guides you from the high-up forest terrain to the edge of the Baltic sea where the course gets its name.
The remaining holes mix twisting par 4s and 5s leading back and forth from the hole upon which the clubhouse sits proudly atop, with flat holes nearer the sea that offer a more gentle challenge, both on your body and your scorecard.
The one feature missing from the course is a set of signature par-3s. For a course designed relatively recently, it offers 4 par-3s that lack the drama and character that the course deserves. The group of short holes are fine holes but will not be the first topic of conversation as you marvel at an Estonian sunset on the second floor of the clubhouse.
The remote location of the course and relatively small, but growing, golfing interest in Estonia does offer two benefits for visiting golfers. First is an affordable and enjoyable test of golf, second is the service offered by the club which is exceptional.