Time seems almost irrelevant at the Magyar Golf Club – dating back to 1911, this is Hungary’s first 18-hole par-72 course, and while the facilities here are considerably modernized since the greens were first hewn over a century ago, the peaceful environment remains virtually unchanged after all these years.
Surrounded by the Danube River and dramatic foothills of the Pilis and Börzsöny mountain ranges, the forested Magyar Golf Club is sited on over 24 acres of diverse terrain at the northern end of Szentendre Island, just outside of Kisoroszi. Though it only takes about half an hour to drive here from central Budapest, it’s easy for guests to feel far removed from all pressures of contemporary civilization once they pull up to the rustic clubhouse, change into their spiky shoes, and stroll over to the first tee enveloped by lush greenery and fresh air.
From the very beginning, it is clear that this is not a simple course – the par-4 first hole has a gently curving dogleg fairway, with a large bunker right in the inside bend and two more sand traps blocking the elevated putting green. When Magyar Golf Club was established, only the elite of Hungarian society could play here, so it was not designed for duffers… however, nowadays everyone is welcome at these links, and the bucolic setting makes it a pleasure to sit for a spell while experienced locals play through.
The next four holes are more straightforward stretches, although the thick underbrush that flanks them makes this potentially expensive territory to shank in. It’s worth taking a brief rest at the hilltop tee of the sixth hole – this short par-3 is characterized by a steep downward slope that presents challenges when choosing a club, but also provides a stunning view over summits of the Danube Bend. The particularly sylvan setting of hole seven – the other par-3 of the front nine – is completed with a giant tree directly in the middle of the fairway; we regrettably trimmed quite a few leaves with our flying Titleists.
After sinking our putts in the relatively unobstructed greens of holes eight and nine, we regretted that there was no time to play holes 10 through 18 – the generally longer fairways of the back nine are flatter and less wooded than most in the first half of the course, although some severe doglegs looked particularly formidable. However, the laid-back spirit at Magyar Golf Club left us feeling relaxed enough to put off such challenges to the next round – for now, we were happy to leave all hazards behind and enjoy the terrace at the 19th hole.
To reach Magyar Golf Club, drive north from Óbuda along the riverbank on main road 11 past Szentendre until reaching the bridge at Tahitófalu, taking a right turn to cross the river toward Tótfalu. Take the second (very sharp) left onto Kisoroszi Way and keep following it northward for about five kilometers until signs appear for the golf course on the right. Check out www.magyargolfclub.hu for complete information.
