Kraków Valley Golf & Country Club

Overview: Krakow Valley Golf & Country Club is a full-size championship course set in the Jurassic landscape near Krzeszowice. Californian architect Ronald Fream fitted the 18 holes into a site of rolling ground, broad fairways, deep bunkers and dense woodland. The layout's visual appeal comes from the contrast between open playing corridors and the surrounding forest, while its strategic challenge comes from the changing lies and approach angles created by the terrain. It is a substantial inland course with a clear relationship to the hills and valleys around Krakow.

History: The course was developed as an 18-hole, par-72 project and opened in 2002. Fream's design was built to USGA standards, with the official course information describing approximately 80 hectares of golf land and a professional length of about 6,532 metres. The venue has also played a role in Polish tournament golf, including the 2008 European Senior Open and the 2017 European Junior Team Championship division two.

Did You Know? Ronald Fream began his architectural career in 1966 in the team of Robert Trent Jones before establishing his own design practice. Krakow Valley therefore carries a direct link to one of the major American schools of golf architecture, expressed through its broad landforms, strategic bunkering and careful use of the forest edge.