Bjaavann Golfklubb

Located on the sunny southern tip of Norway, the Robert Trent Jones II-designed Bjaavann Golfklubb is a rare inland course set along a fjord that is an extension of the North Sea. The gently rolling terrain is interspersed with natural springs, rock outcroppings, a rock island, a meandering stream, and mature stands of birch and pine.

Challenges of the Course

One of our challenges in designing the golf course was to create a routing that makes the best use of beautiful Bjaavann Lake, the major topographical feature of the site. Additionally, holes had to be routed over, around, and through many rock outcroppings (and even an ancient rock wall) to avoid massive blasting during construction.

Another challenge was to design and build several holes on the back nine that play through a peaty bog. The land in this section of the course actually floats high on the aquifer, making excavation or filling difficult. We solved this conundrum by placing a layer of geotech fabric-the same kind used to provide stability underneath roads built in wet areas-underneath the golf holes. We covered the fabric with light fill and capped it with rich soil to minimize weight pressure on the land.

Revealed Natural Beauty

The resulting 6,889-yard course, which sits beautifully in its natural setting, provides a serene and intimate golf experience. Robert Trent Jones, Jr. has said of the golf course, “The good people of Bjaavann Golfklubb provided us with a wonderful canvas on which to create golf art. The extraordinary site embodies the many beautiful characteristics that Norway is blessed with. Our job was merely to discover and unveil a great golf experience while respecting Mother Nature.”