Le Kempferhof

Overview: Le Kempferhof is an eighteen-hole parkland course in Plobsheim, south of Strasbourg, set across 85 hectares of wooded Alsace landscape. Robert von Hagge designed the course in 1990, using mature oaks, beeches and poplars as the framework for a route with broad earth mounds, large moving greens and water hazards that frequently influence the line of play. The profile is par 72 and 6,580 yards. The course feels more sculpted than a traditional forest layout, but its best holes remain tied to the natural character of the site and the nearby Rhine. A drive may appear to have plenty of room, only for the next shot to be shaped by a mound, a water edge or the angle of the green. Kempferhof rewards a golfer who combines imagination with disciplined course management.

History: The course was created in 1990 by American architect Robert von Hagge, who took inspiration from the landscape and the atmosphere of the Rhine. The official club description presents the course as a parkland setting among established trees, with the design using natural surroundings alongside shaped landforms and hazards. Le Kempferhof later developed as a golf resort with accommodation, restaurant and practice facilities, but the eighteen-hole course remains the centre of the property. Its location near Strasbourg gives it a distinct Alsace identity, while von Hagge's earth shaping and green contours give the route a more dramatic architectural signature than the surrounding woodland first suggests.

Did You Know? The official course description counts fourteen water hazards at Kempferhof. They are not simply decorative features: their placement changes the safe side of several fairways and makes the approach angle part of the decision from the tee.