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Golfing With Haydn
By Bob Enzel
Well! Not in person
exactly, but certainly in spirit.
Tucked away in the
western-southernmost portion of Austria
about an hour's drive from Vienna is
Haydn-country, officially known as
Burgenland.
Flat as your
stomach--perhaps--but impeccably designed
for a challenging round amidst gorgeous
scenery is the Golf Club Neusiedlersee
Donnerskirchen. However, before I entice
you to play golf in Austria in this lovely
corner of the world allow me to tell you
of a few of its side benefits.
Joseph Haydn was
fortunate to have Prince Paul Anton and
later his brother, Nikolas I of the
Estérhazy family as his benefactor--
sponsor if you will. The Estérhazy family
were quite wealthy, loved the music
composed by Haydn and thus housed, fed and
as the tale is told, supplied him with
four litters of Burgenland wine per day.
Their generosity was obviously successful
as Haydn not having to be concerned about
his bread and butter was able to compose
many world famous classical delights and
is now considered as the "Father of the
String Quartet". As you are playing your
round of golf there is music in the air
(pardon the plagiarism) and excellent
Burgenland wine to satisfy your thirst.
You see, Burgenland wine is not exported,
because the "locals" like their wine so
much there is not enough to ship
elsewhere.
Proof of how delicious
the wine is, I personally (and several
others) tasted five varieties over a
leisurely dinner. To progress the evening
we began with Grϋner Veltliner Brut1,
a pre-dinner lightly sparkling gem. For
the meal, we started with a Grϋner
Veltliner Bergweingarten 20122,
which went quite nicely with the
endive-walnut salad. The second course of
poached asparagus spears was accompanied
by a lovely Neuberger Pinot Blanc 20113.
This was followed by an all-too-quickly
consumed red Blӓufrankisch
Hochӓcker,
20104, for the main course of
beef rouladen, and to go with the apple
strudel desert was a slightly sweet
Sauvignon Blanc Beerenauslese, 20115.
My personal friends, some of which believe
I consume a lot of wine also acknowledge
that I have acquired a certain expertise
as a oenophile. Thus, I have no qualms in
recommending the above Burgenland wines
after, or perhaps before the round (s).
As to the golf. It's
an 18 hole, par 72, with four tee box
choices: 5285 (5780), 5511 (6026), 5957
(6514) and 6163 (6739). meters (feet) in
length. The course requires a precise
game, therefore not easy to play for those
that hit a long ball with non-consistent
accuracy. There is an abundance of
water--that has a taste for poorly hit
golf balls--with natural areas that are
home to a variety of water fowl. The
course, although flat may deceivingly look
easy, but without accuracy it will be long
day, so bring extra balls
Practice facilities
available are: Driving range, putting
green, pitching and chipping green, a
practice bunker and a 3-hole short course.
There is a small fee for the driving range
and balls. There is a lovely Club house,
restaurant, pro shop, rental equipment and
carts are on the premises. A handicap of
under forty-five is required (if your
handicap is 45 bring lots of balls), as
are soft spikes. Interestingly, dogs on a
leash are permitted. The 18-hole green fee
is 50 Euros, Monday-Thursday, 60 Euros on
Friday and 75 Euros Saturday, Sunday and
Holidays.
Check it out at
www.gcdonnerskirchen.at or contact
them at
golf@gcdonnerskirchen.at/
Full name and vintner of the five wines
are:
1. Grϋner Veltliner Brut, Winery Szigeti,
Gols/Neusiedlersee
2. Grϋner Veltliner Bergweingarten 2012,
Sommer Winery, Donnerskirchen
3. Leithaberg DAC white (Neuburger, Pinor
Blanc) 2011, Winery Erwin Tinhof,
Trausdorf
4. Blaufrӓnkisch
Hochӓcker
2010, Mittelburgenland DAC, Vereinte
Winzer Horitschon, Mittelburgenland
5. Sauvignon Blanc Beerenauslese 2011,
Winery Angerhof Tschida, Illmitz
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