MünchenEichenriedEnglish

Where once the cows grazed

Cows were still grazing here more than 25 years ago – today,stars like Martin Kaymer and Rory Mcllroy play at the facility in northernMunich. The history of the GC Munich Eichenried and its 27-holecourse is short and steep. The 1st BMW International Open was playedalready in 1989 at the still young golf course. Today, the 25th jubileetournament will again take place at this park-like course that is “Homeof the BMW International Open”. Owing to this single tournament,Eichenried is a course with highest international publicity of allcourses in the German PGA European Tour. The course encompassesthree nine-hole links (A1-9, B1-9 and C1-9) and a public 6-hole shortcourse. We are presenting to you 18 holes where pros will be playingin June, among them a hole that is activated only during the BMWInternational Open.

The course is constantly being optimized, as the manager of the club KorbinianKofler says: “The A2 and the A6, for example, will receive new championshiptees. Thereby, both tracks will be extended for 15 and 45 meters.” Last year theEichenried enlarged its pond on C3, the 16th hole of the BMW International Open,horseshoe shaped around the green; a pond enlargement of the 18th hole at theC9 was done this year.

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Hole 1 (A 1): A demanding Par 4 for the beginning where drives that go too far to the right make the second stroke more difficult. Putting green is a long way ahead even after a good drive. If a direct stroke to the green is not possible, the right side is then the safer one. Bunkers on the left before the green should definitely be avoided! It is important to pay attention to the flag position because the green has a rather strong wave	Hole 2 (A 2): A difficult Par 3 fortified by bunkers in the front and to the left. Depending on the wind and the weather everything from a long iron to a 3 wood is possible. Since most of the danger resides before the green a longer club is probably the correct choice. The stroke has to be long enough in order to go beyond the two side-bunkers. Above all, the left off shore bunker should be avoided.	Hole 3 (A 3): The most difficult Par 4 on the course. After a successful drive you still have a long way to go to reach the narrow green. The stroke to the green should be directed to the right. It should not be too long because the green-bunker on the right side can be a problem then.
Hole 4 (A 4): The relatively short Par 4 requires a well-placed drive, and you only need a wedge to the green then. Too short balls over the water will be mercilessly swallowed. This hole gets difficult after reaching the short but wide green which is protected by water from the left side and by a bunker on the right.	Hole 5 (A 5): The drive is the deciding stroke here too. A good drive opens the possibility for a drive. The green is big but flat.	Hole 6 (A 6): The first Par 5. Two roughs require a tactical game; the first is dangerously near for the somewhat shorter drives. The second stroke should be placed safely on the right side of the fairway in order to get away from the water obstacle and to be able to reach the green with a short iron. One should carefully choose the right iron for the kidney shaped and wavy green.
Hole 7 (A 7): The toughest Par 4 on the course. Only a remarkably good and straight drive leaves the opportunity for a successful putt after the second stroke. The two bunkers at the height of the drive do not make the track easier. The green is very deep and has two levels which make putting harder. Attention: there is a little bunker in the back right, which is not visible from the fairway because of its depth.	Hole 8 (A 8): A hard to play Par 3.again. Two bunkers to the right and an undulated green cause, depending on the pinposition, a lot of troubles. Should the flag be too short, a too long stroke will lead to a difficult putt downhill across the waves in the middle of the green.	Hole 9 (A 9): A long Par 5, that is, even for extreme long-hitters, hard to attack with the second stroke because of the rough before the green. After two solid strokes before the rough you will need a mid-iron to the green. Apart from that, the green is pretty large and one should pay attention to the flag while choosing the iron.
Hole 10(B 1): A Hammer-Par 4. The majority of golfers play this track as a Par 5, and even then it is hard enough. Only a successful and really long drive allows a direct attack on the green. Otherwise, it is better to direct the second stroke to the left before the green in order to avoid the green-bunker on the right of the green. A bogey here is very respectable.	Hole 11 (B 9): A straight drive is half of work here. A good second stroke brings the Par within reach. The second stroke should land left of the fairway-bunker but also significantly before the water obstacle. It is a pure “transport-stroke” and is perhaps because of that so difficult. The really large green is then attackable by the third stroke.	Hole 12 (C 1): A gratifying Par 3 as an opening. A safe mid-iron and two solid putts should secure the Par. It is better to approach the green from the green from the left because a bunker and a tree are on the right side. Too long strokes find no obstacles behind the green and are easy to return to the green with a chip. Therefore the motto is: “better too long than in the water”.
Hole 13 (C 2): A relatively short Par 4. The danger does not lie in the bunkers on the right side. A well set drive is half of work here too. The green is altogether leaning in the direction of the fairway. This makes the too long strokes hard to be returned by a chip.	Hole 14 (B 2): A relaxing and easy Par 5 on the condition that no headwind enters the game. A solid drive and a well placed second stroke grant many golfers a real chance for a birdie. In order to avoid difficult long putts on the multilevel green, one should pay close attention to the position of the flag on the green.	Hole 15 (B 8): The “green in regulation” is possible with a straight drive above the trench. The green is very long and when reaching the green one should pay attention to the flag position. The link side of the green is safer due to few bunkers.
Hole 16 (C 3): A Par 4 again, where a good drive is crucial. Probably the most beautiful hole visually can turn into a disaster really fast. After the pond has been enlarged it is now affecting the game on the right and in the front. Additionally, a deep bunker lurks in the landing zone of the drive. The island green that descends to the lakesides is safely playable with a wedge.	Hole 17: Eichenried‘s Rosebud-hole, a Par 3, which was closed with the extension of the golf site to 27 holes in 2002, is being reawakened only during the BMW International Open. It is here where the hole-in-one award is given, a valuable BMW car. The fairway is limited on the right side by a water obstacle which readily devours balls.	Hole 18 (C 9): A classic at the end of the round – the keyhole of the BMW International Open. This Par 5 – a dogleg to the left – is another thrill ride. First the water on the left at the drive, then a stream across the fairway and water to the right of the green require highest concentration for a successful conclusion. The pond was pulled in front of the green in 2013 for the 25th BMW International Open. In this way the spectators can expect more excitement.