Lucka and I had never played golf, and my idea of it was that it’s a very expensive sport reserved for a chosen few who have plenty of time and money to spend all day standing on the green, hitting balls into the distance. How wrong I was!
For our very first encounter with golf, we headed off at the invitation of Martin Kopčák to the nine-hole course in the little village of Hořehledy, which lies within the Brdy nature reserve. The course at Golf Hořehledy is part of the PilsnerGolf Resort, which also includes the Hotel pod Kokšínem, where we stayed.
It’s an ideal spot for a weekend full of sport, cycling, and exploring the surrounding landmarks and nature trails. Besides golf, the area also offers a tennis court, a chateau, a natural swimming biotope, and plenty of hiking and cycling routes.
A Romantic Weekend for Two with Golf
You can choose from several stay packages, focused either on golf or on hiking and cycling. The golf packages include unlimited access to the course, and the romantic package even throws in a candlelit dinner right on the golf course.
With these packages, you can spend either a weekend or a whole week at the resort. Each package also includes half board, tickets to nearby attractions, and unlimited access to the tennis court next door.
- Romantic package for 2 people – €260 / 2 nights
- Golf package for 2 people – €220 / 2 nights
- Beginner package for 2 people – €560 / 5 nights
- Introduction to golf for 2 people – €260 / 2 nights
- Family golf package for 4 people
How Much Does Golf in Hořehledy Cost
Unlike the golf courses around big cities, Hořehledy makes a real effort to bring golf within everyone’s reach. The prices reflect that.
- An all-day pass costs €12 on weekdays and €28 at weekends
- Practice on the driving range and the chipping/putting areas is free — you only pay around €0.04 per ball
- You can rent a full set of clubs for €8, or a single club for €2
- Buggies are also available, from €16 to €32
Forgive our dress code — it was our first time on a golf course 🙂
Comfortable Accommodation at a Great Price
Right on the golf course sits the Hotel pod Kokšínem, which offers affordable accommodation (from €36) along with its own restaurant. You can pick from rooms of various sizes, from a single room all the way up to a multi-room royal apartment.
The hotel is dog-friendly, which we made the most of ourselves. 🙂
The restaurant focuses mainly on meat dishes, which — according to other guests and online reviews — are excellent. We’re vegetarians, and although the menu only had a handful of vegetarian options, the chef happily put together a luxurious three-course candlelit dinner for us.
About the Golf Course
The whole resort sits in the hilly landscape of the Brdy hills, surrounded by nature and tiny villages. For golfers, it’s certainly a welcome change — at many courses you find yourself looking out over tower blocks and bulky urban buildings instead.
The course was built twenty years ago and is immaculately maintained. The greenkeeper, Martin Kopčák, actually lives right on the grounds and you’ll find him out on the course every single day.
Thanks to the terrain, almost the entire game is played on a gentle slope — which, depending on how you look at it, is either a pleasant bit of variety or a fun challenge.
SPÁLENÉ POŘÍČÍ Golf weatherFree Golf Lessons
If you book one of the stay packages, you’ll get several hours of coaching with an instructor for free. That makes it perfect for complete beginners who want to find out whether golf is the game for them.
Day Trips in the Area
The Chateau in Spálené Poříčí
This Renaissance chateau dating back to 1617 is flanked by two extensive parks, and although the complex is mainly used by the local secondary school these days, you can still visit the chateau with a guide.
The real highlight is the ceremonial hall with its beautifully restored Renaissance ceiling. The chateau has served many purposes over the years and, in the 18th century, it even briefly guarded the St Vitus treasure.
The “Following the Millers to Bradava” Nature Trail
This four-and-a-half-kilometre nature trail leads you from Hořehledy all the way to Spálené Poříčí. It follows the little Bradava river, and along the way you’ll pass six different mills that once used the river’s power to grind flour.
The Natural Swimming Biotope at Jince
Not far from Hořehledy you’ll find a natural swimming pool. Special plants have been planted in the water to purify it naturally, without any chemicals. In summer it gets fairly busy, as it’s a favourite spot for locals to cool off on hot days.
The Brdy Protected Landscape Area
The surrounding countryside falls within the Brdy Protected Landscape Area, which is criss-crossed with hiking and cycling trails. From Hořehledy you can set off on a new trip every single day, and even after several days you’ll still be spoilt for choice.
How to Get to Hořehledy
Getting there: Hořehledy lies in the west of the Czech Republic, just south of Plzeň (Pilsen). If you’re flying in from the UK, the easiest route is to fly into Prague — there are direct flights from major UK airports such as London, Manchester and Birmingham — and then pick up a hire car. From Prague, take the D5 motorway and leave at EXIT 62 towards Rokycany (remember you’ll need a Czech motorway vignette to use the D5). Continue towards Spálené Poříčí on road no. 117, then in the village of Lipnice turn left towards Těnovice and Hořehledy. The resort is on your left just before the village — follow the local signs.
From Plzeň (Pilsen): take the E49 expressway and road no. 19 towards Spálené Poříčí and Hořehledy. The resort is on your right just past the village. Follow the local signs.
Tips and Tricks for Your Vacation
Don’t Overpay for Flights
Search for flights on Kayak. It’s our favorite search engine because it scans the websites of all airlines and always finds the cheapest connection.
Book Your Accommodation Smartly
The best experiences we’ve had when looking for accommodation (from Alaska to Morocco) are with Booking.com, where hotels, apartments, and entire houses are usually the cheapest and most widely available.
Don’t Forget Travel Insurance
Good travel insurance will protect you against illness, accidents, theft, or flight cancellations. We’ve had a few hospital visits abroad, so we know how important it is to have proper insurance arranged.
Where we insure ourselves: SafetyWing (best for everyone) and TrueTraveller (for extra-long trips).
Why don’t we recommend any Czech insurance company? Because they have too many restrictions. They set limits on the number of days abroad, travel insurance via a credit card often requires you to pay medical expenses only with that card, and they frequently limit the number of returns to the Czech Republic.
Find the Best Experiences
Get Your Guide is a huge online marketplace where you can book guided walks, trips, skip-the-line tickets, tours, and much more. We always find some extra fun there!
