An Expat's Guide to the Best Golf Courses in Ljubljana and Slovenia

Golf Arboretum, Ljubljana

Golf Club Arboretum is an 18-hole championship course that winds its way through a mix of parkland and woodland holes. The well-designed course has breathtaking views of the Kamnik Alps and runs next to the Volčji Potok Arboretum.

It’s easy to lose your focus and get lost in the beautiful scenery of this short course! The course plays through dense forest over rolling terrain with narrow fairways and some major elevation changes.

Golfers will find that each hole provides its own unique challenge that will test your strengths but show your weaknesses. Players of all levels will find that the course offers an enjoyable round and experience.

The golf club also features a well-stocked pro shop, a driving range, and a putting green so you can warm up and practice before tackling the course.

Fortunately, this course is located near the city center, so after your round, you can visit the main attractions.

Diners Cubo Golf Course Ljubljana

This 18-hole course is a quick 15-minute drive from the city center and a mere 10 minutes from Ljubljana Airport. The course is very well-planned and is a paradise for golfers who love hitting drivers on long holes.

The course provides a challenging and enjoyable golfing experience, as it features a mix of holes that will test your skills with the driver, iron, and putter. Golfers will find that the course has the feel of a links course, with wide, forgiving fairways, large greens with gentle contours, and strategically-placed bunkers.

Holes that golfers will find memorable are the par-4 5th, par-5 7th, which is protected by water hazards, and the par-4 11th, which is double dog-legged.

After your round, head to the clubhouse, where you can relax and have a delicious meal at the club restaurant. With so many nearby attractions, you can then head back to the city for some more adventure.

Go explore Metelkova Mesto, former military barracks that have been turned into works of art. You can walk the streets while admiring the sculptures, art, graffiti, and musicians. Then stop and have a drink at one of the local bars.

Royal Bled Golf Course, Slovenia

Royal Bled Golf Club is rich in history, as it's the oldest golf course in Slovenia. The King’s Golf Course is an 18-hole course surrounded by stunning views of the sweeping valleys, Julian Alps, and amazing views of Lake Bled. This beautiful course should be on every golfer's bucket list of courses to play!

This is not an easy course, and golfers will find that it challenges every aspect of their game. It's a long, demanding course with several long par fours that require your iron game to be on point, but golfers will have a lot of fun navigating them.

If you want to score well, then you’ll need to be strategic and precise with your shots, as the greens and pin placements are challenging. You may want to pack an extra sleeve of balls when playing this course.

It’s worth booking into the boutique hotel for a few days, as you’ll be able to use both the 18- and 9-hole golf courses. It will also allow you to explore attractions close by, like Bled Castle and Church of the Assumption of Maria, or schedule a tour of Triglav National Park.

Make sure to treat yourself to a cup of coffee and a traditional slice of local cake called kremšnita. You won’t regret it!

Golf Grad Otočec, Slovenia

Just an hour's drive from Ljubljana, in the heart of the picturesque Dolenjska region, lies one of Slovenia’s longest courses.

The 18-hole championship course is well-maintained throughout the year, and golfers can expect nothing less than top-notch conditions. The layout of the course is good, and it features rolling hills, elevated tees, lush demanding fairways, elevated greens, and uphill and downhill lies.

This provides each hole with a unique challenge and a variety of obstacles and hazards, strategically-placed bunkers, and thick roughs. It would be best to use a golf cart instead of walking the course, as the rolling hills will get the better of you.

The club is located close to Otočec Castle, which is the only castle in Slovenia that’s situated on the water. It’s also worthwhile to go into the city of Nove Mesto, where you can explore World War II sights or visit the largest castle here, the Grad Grm Castle. This makes it ideal for those looking for a day out in the countryside.

Lipica Golf Course, Slovenia

Situated in the heart of Lipica lies a beautiful 9-hole course that offers an enjoyable challenge for golfers of all skill levels. The golf course is a long par-36 at 3,471 yards (3,174 meters), and is one of the few golf courses that you can play year-round.

Although it only has 9 holes, golfers will find that the course provides a worthwhile test of their skills. This is thanks to the narrow fairways and fast greens, which are guarded by large, strategically-located bunkers.

The terrain is flat, but the course will require you to play with precision, as an errant shot could place you in the rough or in one of the sand traps that guard the front of several greens.

Once you're done with your round, go and take a tour of the stud farm. With only about 11,500 pure-blooded white Lipizzaner horses left worldwide, you’ll be in for a treat. The stud farm has about 443 years of history, and it’s the true home of the Lipizzaner horses.