Golfclub Swarco Amstetten-Ferschnitz

Golfclub Swarco Amstetten-Ferschnitz is an 18-hole course in Ferschnitz, Lower Austria, designed by Francois Bouchard — a student of Jack Nicklaus — in what was his first solo design project. The course expanded from a compact 9-hole parkland layout of 18 hectares into a generous 65-hectare pre-Alpine course. The transformation changed its character entirely: tight tree-lined fairways and small bunkers gave way to open, rhythmic holes that work with the natural landscape — solitary trees, ditches, ridges, and woodland edges all woven into the routing. Bouchard placed the new nine as the front nine, with the redesigned original holes forming the back nine. The greens tell the two halves apart: the older holes retain flatter putting surfaces, while the new holes feature pronounced breaks, waves, and ridges. A modest elevation change of just 30 metres across the course keeps it accessible for golfers of all ages and handicaps, with slopes tackled directly so awkward sidehill lies are rarely a problem.