This week sees Estonia play host to its first ever individual professional golf event on the HotelPlanner Tour, the Infortar Estonian Challenge, in a landmark moment for the country and the Tour. Here’s all you need to know…
A new stop on the Road to Mallorca
Estonia has hosted some of the biggest amateur golf events on the calendar, including most recently the 2026 European Team Championships. That was hosted at this week's venue, Estonian Golf and Country Club, which also played host to the 2009 and 2011 Golf World Cup European Qualifiers, a professional team event. Although Estonia has hosted an individual professional event on the Nordic Golf League, this is their first at the HotelPlanner Tour level. This milestone comes at the same time as one for the Road to Mallorca, which travels to the 52nd country to ever host a HotelPlanner Tour event.
Estonian Golf and Country Club, located just east of Tallinn, the capital city of Estonia, makes up part of the European Tour Destinations network of venues around the world. European Tour Destinations owns 27 world class golf venues, in 16 different countries spanning three continents, and Estonian G&CC is certainly one of these.
The Sea Course reaches more than 7,000 yards, meandering through virgin forest which reaches out to a spectacular outlook over the Baltic Sea towards Finland, which is impressively framed on the signature 3rd hole. The course ranks among Continental Europe’s best resorts, according to Golf World’s 2022 rankings. It also boasts a nine-hole sister layout, and excellent practice areas that make it one of the nation’s first-class golfing facilities.
Tallinn's historic UNESCO World Heritage Site
Although all eyes will be fixed on the golf course, it would be remiss of the players to not take a trip into Tallinn’s famous Old Town, located less than half an hour from Estonia G&CC. The town is a beautifully preserved medieval city centre, recognised as an UNESCO World Heritage Site, with cobblestone streets, historic buildings, and vibrant cultural experiences.
The origins of Tallinn’s Old Town date back to the 13th century, when a castle was built there by the crusading knights of the Teutonic Order. Bordering the Baltic Sea, the city developed as a significant northern European trading city. The combination of the upper town on the high limestone hill and the lower town at its foot with many church spires forms an expressive skyline that is visible from a great distance both from land and sea.
Estonia's up and coming talent
Although a relatively inexperienced golfing nation in the professional game, Estonia is starting to produce some exciting and talented young players. This has been led by Richard Teder, who rose to fame when he holed out from 90 yards at West Lancashire to progress through Final Qualifying for The 153rd Open Championship. In doing so, Teder, aged 20 at the time, became the first Estonian golfer ever to play in a Major Championship.
Alongside Teder will be those who joined him on the national team that finished runner up at the 2026 European Team Championship. This includes Kevin Christopher Jegers, Ralf Johan Kivi, and the Varjun brothers Mattias and Markus, all who ranked inside the top 550 of the World Amateur Golf Rankings and have competed on the Road to Mallorca this year. Carl Hellat was the final Estonian silver medal winner, with the six participants now turning professional before this week’s event. The European Team Championships were played at Estonia G&CC, the host for this week’s brand-new event, so will give the home favourites an advantage over the rest of the field, in a big week for Estonia’s potential future stars.
