Geysir Golf Course opened in 2006, adjacent to The Great Geysir, the world renowned hot spring and Iceland's most popular tourist attraction. The golf course has nine holes and a driving range, meandering around and between summer cottages.
The course was laid out with minimal disturbance to the existing terrain. It is a policy that was shared by all those involved; the developer, the local authorities and the designer.
The course area is L-shaped, with the holes routed in an out-in fashion similar to the Old Course at St. Andrews. Two rivers dominate the site and they come into play on every hole. The fairways are bordered by the native roughs sporting shrubs and heather. The style of bunkering is unique in Iceland, with the heather creeping around the rough edges, giving a natural look.
Still, the main design features remain the unpredictable natural landforms that were allowed to shine through from tee to green. There is no artificial mounding as seen on so many modern courses and the greens rely totally on hints from the natural undulations that were found on the site.
Every hole is named after the geysers at the geothermal area such as Geysir, Strokkur Sódi (the sod), Smiður (the carpenter), Fata (the bucket), Óþerrishola (the non-draught-hole, or the rainmaker), Litli Geysir (the small Geysir) and Litli Strokkur (the little Strokkur).
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