Golf travel in Europe regret: not spending enough time in Hamburg, Germany

Debuting this week on GolfEurope.com is my feature on Hamburg, Germany, written based off a trip I took to the northern region earlier this summer (click here for a previous column on golf in the region).

You may notice the article is not epically long. And that’s the problem. One of the great cruelties of this job is that often times we are invited to some of the most beautiful places in the world…And we’re shown the destination so swiftly it’s as though we’re tweaked out contestants on Supermarket Sweeps.

Perhaps more than any other trip I’ve been on, this was unfortunately the case with Hamburg. We only spent about six or so hours in the city center, followed by a morning at the nearby Treudelberg Country Club the following morning. But we didn’t get to play the course because of an outing (I should mention I did receive one of the best lessons of my life there with the help of Dylan Bawden, an English transplant who got my grip right after years of it being too strong, and thus solved a lot of issues with my swing, which I’m reaping the benefits of now).

But from what I saw of the city, it looks like another one of those great European cities we don’t hear as much about as the likes of Paris, Barcelona or Rome. Hamburg’s St. Pauli District is a gritty, rockin’ good time, full of lively bars blaring some awesome music, and some very interesting personalities walking the streets. One of those faces included a famous German transvestite leading a tour of a disturbingly large group of tourists. Rest assured, that’s about as weird as it gets. You can also visit old Beatles stomping grounds or just pound beers amongst an eclectic, energetic crowd.

The next time I’m backpacking through Europe, I am certainly booking a train to Hamburg to spend several days there living up the scene. I also received an email from a German tour operator describing there are many better golf courses in the area than Treudelberg, some of which are included in the feature.

So check it out on Hamburg if you’re in the market for a trip to continental Europe. Just remember that I can’t wait to get back and see more.