There's nothing on earth quite like the Arctic Open, and there's no other tournament staged farther north. SI Contributor Art Stricklin writes on his Icelandic adventure.
AKUREYRI, Iceland – Golf is full of memorable experiences. But if you really want to stamp a memory that is unique, thrilling and cold (in July!), there's nothing better than the Arctic Open. I made the journey and survived to share the tale.
It's a 36-hole tournament played in Akureyri, 17,000, open to all, and it recently completed its 35th year of existence, drawing 285 golfers, including me, from Iceland, Europe, America and Mexico.
It's nicknamed the Midnight Sun Open because this time of year the sun is out at midnight, and just about any other time of day. Iceland gets 23 hours of summer daylight and about 30 minutes of darkness, which looks more like dusk, (it nearly reversing the trend in the winter). These days there is plenty of time for summer golf.
Arctic Open tee times start at 11 a.m. for two days and continue until 11:30 pm., with the last golfer completing the par-3 18th hole around 4 a.m., with plenty of light to get back to the clubhouse for a late-night snack, perhaps Icelandic Lamb and the traditional dessert, Happy Wedding Cake.
The R&A considers Akureyri Golf Club the Northernmost 18-hole regulation golf course in the world.
“Why do I like it?,” asked Lisbet Hannesdottir, who lives just off the 5th green at Akureyri Golf Club and played in the tournament for the third time. Her husband is a client of tournament sponsor Icelandair and while he is more into hunting and fishing, she is captivated by golf, especially the Arctic Open at her home club.
“I like all tournaments because it gives you a purpose, a part of something bigger than yourself,” she says.
“We see lots of smiles in the Arctic Open, which means lots of happy golfers, which is what we want,” adds Akureyri Golf Club Manager Steindor Ragnarsson.
The 2024 Arctic Open was like the United Nations of Golf, late night version. There were teams from Canada with matching Maple Leaf T-shirts, two father-and-sons from New York who had read about the tournament years ago and decided it would be fun. Plus, four gents from Scotland with matching Kilts parading to the first tee together. The starter, who doubles as the 19th-hole lounge singer, was waiting for everyone with a traditional toast of Iceland Whiskey.
AGC is famous enough that Jack Nicklaus gave a 1992 clinic here and was awarded an honorary membership. Photos line the clubhouse walls and helped spark local interest in the game. Now experts say golf is tied with handball as the second-most popular sport in Iceland —growing but still behind perennial favorite football (soccer).
There are about 70 golf courses in Iceland, the majority of which are nine-hole tracks. There are 17 18-hole regulation golf courses in the island nation.
The golf season runs from early May to October—weather permitting, of course. In early June, two weeks before this year’s Arctic Open, the area was hit by four inches of snow plus a week of ice. While conditions warmed somewhat for this year’s event, (temperatures hovered in the 40s and 50s) the greens stimped at about a 4. It was a bit different from the greens at Pinehurst U.S. Open, shown here on TV here, which stimped at 14.
But that didn’t slow down any of the players in the 36-hole tournament, which uses Stableford Scoring for both gross and net divisions along with the over-55 and team competitions.
“Akureyri is a fine town, but this is a very big event for us along with car races last week” says retired police office Halldor Hjartson “We have a lot of enjoyment for golf and fun and friends.”
Indeed, there is an opening lunch, a closing banquet and lots of time for drinks and fellowship. And more drinks.
“It’s a thirsty group,” one local observed.
The local beer is called Gull and plenty is consumed, but any kind of beverage to ward off the summer chill is readily available and happily toasted.
The course itself is championship caliber. There are majestic tee box views of snow covered mountains on many of the holes, and the area is home to the largest ski resort in Iceland. The par 72 layout rolls up and down the natural landscape with lakes, creeks, sand, plenty of trees and tangled foliage.
Walking is encouraged, but carts are also allowed. Push carts tend to be the transport of choice, and they include a large umbrella-holder to shield from frequent rain.
Hot dogs are served on the front nine, hot chocolate and open-face ham sandwiches on the back. The main perk is being together at the top of the world, just south of the Arctic Circle, for golf and fellowship, Gull and fun.
“We had 250 players last year, 280 this year, we want to keep growing and let people know Iceland is a great place for golf,” Ragnarsson says. “You can stop over from Europe, make the trip from America for an unique tournament experience. We’re already signing up players for 2025 so come and join us.”
In the capital city of Reykjavik, famous for a chess duel between Bobby Fischer and Russian Borris Spassky, and a political one between Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev, golf is popular here as well.
The highest-ranked layout is the Korpa course, home course of Icelandair executives and those who just want to try out the 27-hole complex named Sea, River and Land.
The North Atlantic Sea rolls up next to several of the holes on the Sea nine and offers stunning views from the fairway and greens. It’s one of 10 golf courses in the capital region where most of the Iceland population lives. There is Dominoes, Pizza Hut and Subway sandwiches here, but no Starbucks or McDonalds.
Of course, you can’t come all the way to Iceland, a 5 ½ direct flight from the East Coast of the U.S., for golf alone. There are thermal baths of every shape and size located in towns of less than 500 people near the Reykjavik International Airport.
A warm soak or quick plunge in the cold tub will do wonders for your Iceland golf experience. There is also close-up whale watching in small Zodiac rubber boats, a thrilling and scary experience which will make a missed three-foot putt seem inconsequential
There is hiking and mountain biking, skiing, ice skating, soccer and dining in the quaint towns and shopping in the interesting villages in the north of Iceland and elsewhere.
But for a true golf experience, what the game is best at producing, the Arctic Open is—you could say—a cool bucket-list experience you won’t soon forget.
This article was originally published on www.si.com as The Arctic Open In Iceland Is a Bucket-List Experience of a Lifetime.
