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Aalborg Golf Klub.
Eugen Schmidt founded Denmark’s second oldest golf club, Aalborg Golf Klub in 1908. The first golf course was set up in the eastern part of Aalborg at Signalbakken.
A sulfuric acid factory had bought the area Bakkegården in 1911 and had exploited the chalk quarry, and in the late 1920s they wanted to dispose of the golf course area. The number of members at the golf club was very modest and hence the club found itself in a very difficult situation.
In 1937 a new course was opened at Sohngårdsholm, an area which was used as an airfield from 1910 up to the 1920s and which in winter, still today, is used for skiing and sledding.
At the same time Major C.A. MacKenzie, the brother of world famous golf architect Alister MacKenzie, had just designed and built the new Rungsted Golf Klub north of Copenhagen. C.A. Mackenzie was then approached by Gorm Bremmer from Aalborg GK, who was also a member at the new Rungsted GK, to draw plans for the new golf course at Aalborg line. This all happened in collaboration with Rungsted's professional Billy Keppie soil samples were sent to MacKenzie, who then instructed in terms of grasses and fertilizers. The construction work itself was done by the Aalborg city gardener.
The course was laid out on terrain which was very hilly in several places, most fairways and the greens were strongly exposed to wind, especially from the west. There was a deep grassy gravel pit in front of the fifth hole, called the robber hole. At the sixth and eighth fairways, there were little trees, and there was a lake at the eighth green. The ninth green was in front of the clubhouse. The earth was filled with small stones that the members helped to collect up, and the greens were for many years filled with weeds. Hatch wives from Vejgaard and members knelt in a row and cleared the grass. The clubhouse was located at the highest point of the course. Architect Carlo Odgaard drew it and it was quickly enlarged with a large terrace with roof, which shielded against the westerly wind. The house had a large living room with fireplace and a large angled window overlooking the course and exit to the terrace. There were changing rooms for gentlemen and ladies.
Aberdeen Evening Express Wednesday 8 November 1939. Image © D.C.Thomson & Co. Ltd. Image created courtesy of THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD.
During 1961, it was stated that the city had plans to move to Sohngårdsholm and that the golf course had to be abandoned. This caused consternation as the course had now been there for 25 years, been cared for, nurtured and planted. The clubhouse was expanded over the years and appeared beautiful both from outside and inside. Only a few member remembered the agreement with the municipality from the 1930s regarding the use of the land as a golf course ”for an undefined number of years” –The members hoped to get a few more years and action was started to look for a piece of land large enough for an 18-hole golf course.
In 1968 the club then moved to its present location in the southwest of Aalborg,in order to make room for the University of Aalborg, as these were the plans of the city. Today’s course was initially opened at Jaegersprisas a 9-hole course and later extended to 18 holes in 1976. Today’s course has been diligently used for both national and international championships.
It seems that just recently a small public golf course has been opened on part of the land used by Aalborg GK up to 1968 at Sohngårdsholm.
Course plan and scorecard.
Clubhouse in the late 1930s.
Recent picture of the former clubhouse.
Article courtesy of Christoph Meister April 2021.
Google Map below shows the location of the golf course.