Mathieu Wood
On first sight, it is undeniable that there is a 'wow factor' about Great Northern - host venue of the Danish Golf Championship.
Developed in 2016 and then opened for play in July 2017, the course was purpose-built for championship golf and this week marks the biggest platform for it to be viewed on an international stage as the DP World Tour comes to town.
Located in Kerteminde - referred to as "the garden by the sea" - on the island of Funen, approximately two hours from Copenhagen, Great Northern becomes the 466th different venue on the DP World Tour since its inception in 1972 and the fifth first-time venue this season.
While the Nicklaus Design layout has hosted an event on the ECCO Tour for the past five years, this is an exciting milestone for the venue and one that is a long time in the making despite its infancy.
"We talked to Mikael Eriksson, the [Danish Golf Championship] Tournament Director, in 2018 about being able to host the tournament at some point so with this being like the ten-year anniversary of our opening is just amazing," said Kenneth Stoumann, Event Manager at Great Northern.
"We have tested the course out in professional tournaments, but not at the biggest stage. So, we're very much looking forward to seeing how the best players play the course."
Great Northern is the passion project of Thomas Kirk Kristiansen, a fourth-generation member of the family behind the Lego Group.
Since opening, the venue has earned recognition as one of the premier golf courses in Northern Europe and is ranked as the best course in Denmark by Top 100 Golf Courses, a leading global community of travelling golfers.
Such is the standard of the day-to-day presentation, built on fast-draining sandy soil, the course has been ready for many weeks over to stage the tournament.
Featuring dramatic elevation changes and with water in play on as many as nine holes, what awaits is set to be a memorable challenge for players and a compelling watch for television audiences around the world.
Outlining the background behind the course's development, Stoumann, who has been involved at Great Northern since its opening, said: "They [the Kristiansen family] played a lot of golf around the world, and Kristiansen and his friend wanted to build an extraordinary course in Kerterminde, which was the only municipality in Denmark that didn't have a golf course.
"They said when we build this course, we want to do it right and build the best possible course. They talked to different designers and felt Nicklaus Design was the right fit for how they wanted to build the course."
The scale of the construction is not to be downplayed: more than 3.4 million tonnes of earth were moved, seven lakes were created and significant elevation changes were introduced to transform the landscape into the 18-hole championship course seen today.
The highest point on the course is 40 metres above sea level, near the 12th green and 13th tee box, offering breathtaking views across the Great Belt strait between the Danish islands of Zealand and Funen.
The ninth and 18th are signature holes, with both featuring island greens. Inspiration was taken from both Le Golf National and TPC Sawgrass, while comparisons to Liberty National and Oakmont have since been drawn.
As if the challenge of such a hole wasn't enough, there is little rough of note around the edge of the green so precision will be vital or anything slightly off line will be punished.
To avoid building hospitality stands in front of the clubhouse, the two nines have been flipped at Great Northern for the penultimate event of the DP World Tour's Closing Swing on the 2026 Race to Dubai.
As a result of this, the field will face something of a golfing rarity - a par three as the closing hole.
Venues on the DP World Tour to finish with a Par 3
| Course | Country |
|---|---|
| Great Northern | Denmark |
| Kitzbühel-Schwarzsee GC | Austria |
| Golf de Saint-Nom-La-Bretèche | France |
| Diamond CC | Austria |
| Forest of Arden Marriott Hotel & Country Club | England |
| Close House GC | England |
| Pula GC | Spain |
| Golf de L’Océan | Morocco |
| Arlandastad Golf | Sweden |
| The K Club | Ireland |
| Westin Resort Ta Shee G&CC | Taiwan |
*Records since 1999, when hole-by-hole data started
Surrounded by water, the green - narrow and shallow - approaches from a slight diagonal angle from right-to-left relative to the tee box and bridge access.
"With the prevailing western wind, it can play maybe 190 yards into the wind from the right," Stoumann explains of the challenge the hole poses.
"The angle of the green is similar to the 12th at Muirfield Village and 12th at Augusta. If you're holding on to the shot with a bit of a fade, it comes up short very easily.
"It's a very small target on a hole that can be easily be influenced by the wind. It can generate birdies but it can also generate double bogeys very easily."
Awareness of the course has grown internationally over recent years, aided in part through exposure gained through a visit by No Laying Up as part of a wider trip to Scandinavia in 2022.
Reflecting on the impact of their platform to reach new audiences, Stoumann said: “There are a lot who don't watch golf on television, but they watch a lot of YouTube and that's their introduction to golf.
"The No Laying Up guys are great ambassadors for showing you how fun golf can be.”
Danish stars Rasmus Højgaard, champion in 2023, Thorbjørn Olesen and Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen are the leading home hopes in a global field that also features Eugenio Chacarra, third on the Race to Dubai Rankings Delivered by DP World, along with Major champions Henrik Stenson and Bubba Watson.
With excellent practice facilities, and on-site accomodation, the Højgaard twins have come to train at the venue, with two-time DP World Tour winner and former Great Northern head professional Søren Hansen a key influence for Rasmus and Nicolai during their careers.
Other Danish stars such as Neergaard-Petersen have also been part of a three-day training camp earlier in the year, held by the Danish Golf Union.
Asked where he believes players will face the toughest stretch of holes, Stoumann said: "Five of the toughest holes are now on the back nine. The downhill par three 12th, then we have the 13th with water on both sides, we have the 14th with water on the right, and then we have 15 with water on the left and up towards the left of the green.
"Then you have a bit of a breather with a driveable par four 16th, and then you have par five for the 17th before a very difficult last hole over water and typically into wind."
It seems safe to say Great Northern is primed to make a big impression on golf's world map, with the potential for a thrilling climax full of jeapordy.
