It’s easy to fall for a place full of friendly people, magnificent medieval architecture and a fascinating history. And beer.
In my humble and well-tested opinion, the Czechs do the best beer in the world, but more on that in a moment.
WHY PRAGUE?
Czechia’s capital city is located at the heart of Europe, the very sweet spot where you could combine it with other cultural highlights such as Vienna, only 3.5 hours south by train or car, or Munich, Germany, which is about the same distance.
Prague is one of the most affordable cities. You’ll pay around $3 for a large glass of that delicious beer while dinner with drinks — a block away from the tourist traps — will set you back only $20 a head.
I based myself in the Hilton Prague Old Town, perfectly placed for exploring the old and new towns. As a person might expect, it’s uber-comfortable. Each morning, my driver would pick me up at the appointed hour and whisk me off to the day’s golf course, never more than a half hour away.
PRAGUE CITY GOLF
I started with Prague City Golf, just 15 minutes southeast of the city. It’s a surprising palate of links-like swells, sporty greens and water.
Being a Scotsman, I get a bit antsy when courses refer to themselves as links or even attempt to emulate a seaside track hundreds of miles from the sea. But here, Alex Cejka, the Czech/German tour pro who won the 2023 Senior Open, along with British architect Jeremy Ford created something akin to a Scottish coastal course. Key to their success was hiring Scotsman Mick McShane as the shaper, the Michelangelo of sinewy fairways who worked on the likes of Kingsbarns and The Castle Course in St. Andrews, along with The K Club in Ireland.
There have been changes since I last visited. They’ve added a sleek new clubhouse but the newly-formed first hole didn’t bring back any memories nor reflect the quality of the rest of the course. As soon as I hit the second, I was back in familiar territory. Open to the wind, Prague City packs a punch with 130 bunkers, many of the pot variety. It’s a steady, feisty, zesty little test that you’ll do your level best to beat.
OAKS GOLF
I should have left my next course to the last as it’s that good. The fact that management company Troon is operating Oaks Prague pretty much says it all. I’ve visited a number of Troon properties such as The Grove near London, Costa Navarino in Greece, Pronghorn and Tetherow in Oregon, and The Tiburon in Naples, Florida. You just know you’re in the best of hands. Oaks Prague — or the PGA National Czech Republic as it’s also called — is no exception.
As I stood on the putting green waiting for my flight — they usually team you up with others to make a 4-ball — a lovely young lady came by and bid me “Good morning.” She was playing on her own. I watched her tee up and could tell straight away that she knew what she was doing. I wish I had had the guts to abandon my prearranged game and tag along with her. But that might have proved embarrassing for me. The starter told me she was on the LPGA.
As it happened, I played with a lovely English couple and a Chinese gentleman who couldn’t speak a word of English, but could smack the ball a country mile. We had a great round, me opening with a birdie — I knew I should have played with the pro — and a small handful of pars. The course is perfectly formed, running through trees for the opening and closing holes with a wider, more open stretch in the middle. It’s not long off the yellow tees and you get that flattering feeling that you’re playing well, which I think is always a sign of a well-considered course design. The course hosted the Czech Masters for the first time in August (2024). The field included Jason Dufner, Luke Donald and Francesco Molinari.
Back at the clubhouse, the food was fabulous, the beer delectable and the service impeccable. Every golf operation should aim at emulating the Troon way of doing things.
ALBATROSS GOLF RESORT
My final round on this short visit was Black Bridge, which was fine, but has nothing on the Oaks, which is an instant A-lister. On previous visits, I played Albatross, another premier venue that’s hosted the D+D Real Czech Masters and as fine an inland track as you’ll find anywhere in the world with service and amenities to match. You can play the Albatross for around $120, a steal for a course of this caliber.
If you come on a golf package, you’ll actually end up paying less with a cart included. There’s a lot of water out there, but the quality of fairways and greens is exceptional as are the superb clubhouse facilities and food.
CITY LIFE
Being this was my third time to Prague, I was beginning to get the hang of the city. It’s perennially popular and you can easily get hung up with the huddle of humanity flocking along the town’s more popular quarters like the Old Town, or the Charles Bridge or Prague Castle. There’s nothing wrong with that, but once you’ve seen the sites — which you really must see —take a turn for the better and discover a much more serene and relaxed city one or two blocks on either side of the mainstream. It really is most pleasant for food and drinks, the prices and quality more in line with local expectations.
And the beer. In Prague, I do as the locals do and enjoy the freshest, frothiest pilsner on the planet. Czech people are the world’s top consumers of beer, which they serve with an extra large head, which, as a Scotsman, I’m a bit suspicious of but at the ridiculously low prices, but who’s going to complain.