Zala Springs Resort

Overview: Zala Springs Resort presents an 18-hole, par-72 course in the Zala Valley near Lake Balaton. Robert Trent Jones Jr. shaped the layout to championship standards, using lakes, natural reserves, vineyards, rolling ground and broad fairways to create a course with several strategic routes to the greens. The longest published distance is 6,351 metres, approximately 6,945 yards. Tight mowing around many of the greens makes ground approaches possible, while the water and changing contours punish a shot that ignores the angle of play.

History: The entire 18-hole course was completed in September 2015 as the centrepiece of a purpose-built golf and residential resort. Jones's design was intended to serve a wide range of playing abilities without losing championship scale, and the course was built to full USGA specifications. The resort has continued to invest in the facility, including its clubhouse, drainage, bunker sand and practice areas. That combination of new construction and ongoing maintenance has helped Zala Springs become one of Hungary's most visible modern golf destinations.

Did You Know? Zala Springs is Hungary's only course designed by Robert Trent Jones Jr., according to the resort. The site covers roughly 160 hectares and includes vineyards, lakes and natural reserves around the playing corridors. Several holes can be approached through the air or along the ground, making the closely mown surrounds an active part of the design rather than a simple margin around the greens.