Engadin Golf & Hotel Guide 2017 EN

ALL IN ONE Even more beautiful when it's dark.

Engadin Golf & Hotel Guide 2017 Boutiques OMEGA Zürich • Genève • Luzern • Interlaken • Bern • Crans Montana • Zermatt

English edition

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Well worth a read…

Contents

3

Of cows, dogs and James Bond

8

Engadin has a lot to offer golfers

Stimedas golfistas e stimos golfists

15

Golf Season 2017

Chers amihs dal gö da golf

18

St.Moritz Gold Cup

21

International Swiss Senior Amateur Championship 2017

22

International Autumn Golf Week & Seniors’ Golf Trophy

27

Hotel Suvretta House und Suvretta Golf School

31

Switzerland’s most historic golf course

35

Golf Special 2017: The Golfing package deal!

38

Engadin Golf Center

42

Interview with Alessandro und Kilian

47

Golfcourses for children and adults

51

Golf Clinic «The Highest Heights»: Exclusive to Engadin

stay, not just on the course.

53

GolfersChoice® Engadin Pro Am

Now in its 12th edition, our all-in-one

55

A perfect foursome: Audi and Engadin Golf:

57

Engadin St.Moritz Mountains AG – Chesa Marguns: a hot tip

courses in Samedan and Zuoz-Madulain.

58

Travel Porsche-style to the fantastic Curtinella piste

We look forward to welcoming you to our

63

RE/MAX – Swiss real estate market still performing stably

Que am es ün grand plaschair da pudair bivgnanter ad Els in nom dal Engadine Golf Club e pudair preschanter la 12 evla ediziun dal Engadin Golf & Hotel Guide All in One! Welcome to the Engadine Golf Club, the oldest golf club in Switzerland and one of the most venerable in continental Europe.

Discover our unmistakable fairways amid the imposing backdrop of the Alps. Surrounded by 700-year-old larch trees, you can breathe deeply and concentrate fully on your game. Come and enjoy playing golf in a traditional setting. You can forget about your troubles throughout your

Engadin Golf & Hotel Guide provides an overview of golfing in Engadin. There is plenty for golfers to discover besides our

part of the world, and we hope you enjoy reading the Guide and visiting Engadin!

Fin bainbod in Engiadina!

Ramun Ratti Managing Director Golf Engadin St. Moritz AG

2

Of cows, dogs and James Bond

In 2018 we will look back at 125 years of the Engadine Golf Club.

And take note – nowhere else does a golf course witness such incredible stories as here in Engadine.

By Tomas Niederberghaus Imagine, you arrive on the course in the morning to play a tournament. Perhaps you watched the James Bond classic “Goldfinger” the night before, where Sean Connery plays a match with Gerd Fröbe. At the 1st tee you face a man, wearing the same red glove as the Bond actor and who greets you with the same words from the film: “How do you do?” (film original!!) And then it dawns on you that in this tournament foursome you really are playing the famous Scottish actor Sean Connery.

Adriano Testa smiles mischievously as he recalls the encounter on 25 July 1981.

Checking the list of participants in Samedan that day you actually find, in 9th position, Team Sean Connery and Adriano Testa. “He was very nice and totally at home with golf etiquette”, says Adriano Testa, then vice president of the Engadine Golf Club. Above all, Connery has a sense of humour, bigger than the 18 holes of the course. “He constantly told jokes while playing.”

When in 2018 the Engadine Golf Club looks back on its then 125-year-old history, one thing will be sure: the course in Samedan is not only the oldest golf course in Switzerland and one of the highest situated in the country, it is also the setting of events that don’t happen like this anywhere else. It first got mentioned on 14 June 1893 in “The Alpine Post”. The author, who visited shortly after the opening, is enthusiastic about the “curly, meagre grass” and the broad bed of a nearly dried up stream, which “practically winds through the terrain, nearly as if it thought it was its life’s task to contribute to the design of this course in the best way possible.” That was a time when one liked to wash down their sandwiches at breakfast time with a Lanson Extra Dry, vintage 1895.

A lot has changed since, of course – too much to be mentioned in this article.

But there are a few characters and moments in the history of the Engadine Golf Club, that can’t be left out.

Above all the numerous celebrities that have come here to play. Prince Max of Baden for instance, the Bishop of Colchester, or Prince Henry of Prussia,

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1893

Engadine Golf Club founded

4

1902

Swiss Golf Association founded

1947

1950

International Amateur Championship Samedan Golf Club founded

who became a club member. Not forgetting either the Duke of Windsor and the Aga Khan, who founded a tournament followed by many prominent championships. After the first amateur golf tournament of Switzerland in 1893, which is still played each year as the Engadine Amateuer Championship, the Swiss Open followed in 1923. During WWII all tournaments were put on hold – the lack of guests lead to a financial bottleneck for the Engadine Golf Club. Luckily the Palace Hotel stood in to advance some funds. Its owner, Hans Badrutt, was a great supporter of the Club anyway and – like his son Andrea later – its long-standing chairman.

On old photos one still recognizes the odd celebrity player, turning up with their dog. Lord Tyrrell for example, the British ambassador in Paris, always strolled across the fairways with Mike, his British bulldog. During the 1980s dogs were banned from the course. At the same time the cows also disappeared thanks to a deal with the local farmers. They had traditionally brought their animals onto the course for a few weeks after snowmelt each year, as the land was officially common. The greens had to be protected by electric fence to avoid them being trampled, and the fairways had to be cleared of dung on a daily basis, as the grass would otherwise become burned. “The costs were high. So high, that it became cheaper to offer the farmers 3.50 francs per animal each season and let them graze somewhere else”, says Mario Verdieri, who signed the deal with the farmers. As an architect, Mario Verdieri redesigned the course during the 70s and is responsible for the new clubhouse from 1983.

The golf course in Zuoz is also due to do a deal with a local farmer. He didn’t have a successor and when he closed down his business, he offered his land to the other farmers to rent, so that they could release their own land for the golfing business which became today’s course. When the course was opened on 7 June 2003, the “Engadiner Post” wrote about “many visitors, who came despite the rain”, and about the great number of balls that got lost on the first day of play “in the high rough”. But even then it was obvious – the 2nd course made Engadine a golf destination. Three Years later the Samedan Golf Club, founded in 1950, and the Zouz Golf Club merged into the Engadine Golf Club, which made it one of the clubs with the largest membership in the country. There are around 1350 members today, 850 of them actively playing.

The number of youth players is also unusually high. The juniors include 150 boys and girls, among them Alessandro Visinoni and Killian Hagen (you can find the charming and amusing interview with the two boys on page 42).

1960

1968

H.R.H. The Duke of Windsor visits the course International Amateur Championship

1983

1984

1989

Cows cleared from the course New clubhouse in Samedan opened

2003

2006

2014

2016

1st International Swiss Senior Amateur Championship Samedan Golf Club, held Zuoz Golf Club and 125 new Engadine Golf Club larch trees merge into Engadine planted Golf Club

Zuoz golf course opened Irrigation system installed

Promoting the juniors is a high priority within the EGC. Young talent receive financial support and training regarding rules and etiquette. The latter has been a concern from the beginning. On 28 July 1908 “The Alpine Post” mentioned the “thrill” without which golf would be as boring as croquet. “Nevertheless”, it continues, “this individualism, that is demonstrated by mad zeal, must be guided in the right direction. The player has to know that there are others to be considered whilst playing.” Consideration is often not top of the list for players today – in Alfi Stoisser’s experience. He has been working for the club for 27 years. As head greenkeeper, his working day starts at 4am, when he starts taking care of nature, trimming the greens. On more than one occasion, the ball of an inattentive player has missed him by inches.

Dumeng Clavuot, the current president of the EGC, has known the course in Samedan since he was a child. He remembers the smell of the wooden staircase in the old club house exactly, the secretary Anni Grass, who sat, all done up with glasses and pearls, behind a little screen and erased the results on the used score cards to hand them out a second time. But most of all he remembers a man, who became a legend at the Engadine Golf Club: John Plant, an Englishman who taught Latin and Greek and came to St Moritz for three months each year to stay at the Palace Hotel. He supported the club over many years with his knowledge. Dumeng Clavuot often joined him as his caddy. “John”, he says, “was something like a grandseigneur of golf. He was tall and handsome, always wore highly polished black shoes and even at the age of 70 had a handicap of 5.”

The golf course of Samedan with its larches and special perspectives touched John Plant deeply. So deeply, that the former operations manager Carl Chasper Lüthi one day received a letter from John’s niece. She wrote that her uncle had died and in his will he had asked to be buried on the course. Carl Chasper Lüthi didn’t hesitate. He asked her to bring the ashes. When she did, they drove up to tee 14 and scattered the ashes from the cart. Carl Chasper Lüthi says: “Shortly after we arrived back at the club house, a thunderstorm gathered. The sky turned black in a moment. Then the rain fell and John’s ashes disappeared into the ground.”

5

From Sils to Zuoz

Engadin has a lot to offer golfers

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Engadin has just about everything a golfer could want – apart from Florida’s alligators and palm trees, perhaps. Whether you are a beginner or an expert, a passionate player focused on training or a more laid-back type who enjoys soaking up the atmosphere on a gentle nine-hole round, you will find what you are looking for here. What is more, both of our courses are easy to get around in a golf cart.

Samedan Built in 1893, the Samedan course is the oldest in Switzerland and one of the most venerable in continental Europe. Take a deep breath and feel right at home as you play on this classic course surrounded by the captivating mountain landscape of Upper Engadin. Standing amid the many larch trees, some over 700 years old, is not something you will forget in a hurry.

Facts & Figures 18-hole championship course, par 72, 6,217 m total distance. Clubhouse with restaurant, shop with rental clubs and Academy Engadin Golf Center with three PGA Teaching Pros offering individual and group lessons. Spacious short-game area with water hazards and bunkers and driving range with 30 mat and turf tees, some covered, for extended training sessions.

Bodmer Performance Center for swing diagnostics featuring TrackMan, FlightScope, RoboGolfPro and SAM Putt Lab – the full ranging of golfing expertise.

For details of play, tournaments and more, see www.engadin-golf.ch

Clubhaus

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Clu l bhaus

Zuoz-Madulain Head just a few tee shots’ distance down the valley, and you will find the grandson to Samedan’s “granddaddy”: the Zuoz-Madulain course, opened in 2003. You will need good course management and a lot of precision to master this complex challenge. As well as the sophisticated design of the holes, Zuoz also offers diversity in its natural backdrop, not least in the form of colourful mountain blooms nestling along the edge of the fairway.

Facts & Figures 18-hole championship course, par 72, 6,007 m total distance. Restaurant, pro shop and Academy Engadin Golf Center with three PGA Teaching Pros.

Chip and putt area and driving range with 40 mat and turf tees, some covered, offering an ideal training environment.

For details of play, tournaments and more, see www.engadin-golf.ch

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GOLF ACADEMY

Golf Academy by Parkhotel Hotel Margna Ready to try your hand at golf for the first time, or simply keen to play a few relaxed holes while enjoying the calm of the Sils plain? Whatever you are looking for, you are sure to find it here: six-hole Executive Golf Academy with driving range, putting and chipping green and PGA Teaching Pros.

For details of play and tournaments, see www.margna.ch 13

Kulm Golf St.Moritz The newly designed nine-hole Kulm Golf St. Moritz course (par 27) opened in summer 2001. One of the highest courses in Europe at 1,860 m above sea level and featuring curtailed holes in a hilly setting, it poses a challenge for any golfer and is great for honing your short game. The imposing view of the mountains and the unique lake-filled plateau below is a treat for the eyes.

Facts & Figures Nine-hole executive course, par 27, with driving range and PGA Teaching Pro.

For details of play, tournaments and more, see www.stmoritz-golfclub.ch

2017 Golf Season

The Highlights

Well over 100 tournaments are scheduled for the various Engadin courses this year. From a classic strokeplay competition to an innovative “Tiger & Rabbit� challenge over nine holes, there is something on offer to suit every golfer. Below is a small selection from the wide variety of events coming up in the 2017 season. Find out more at www.engadin-golf.ch.

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➜ The 50th Koller Cup – the oldest sponsored tournament in Samedan and a firm fixture on our calendar. Witness three generations of the Koller family joining forces in the fight for low scores.

Samedan, Saturday, 3 June 2017. ➜ GolfersChoice® Engadin Pro Am – Play golf in a team with Pros from Switzerland and abroad and enjoy three exciting golfing days! We play 36 holes on both courses, Samedan and Zuoz-Madulain.

Save the date: 28 – 29 August 2017! ➜ The Engadine Amateur Championship – the oldest golf tournament in Switzerland and a real classic for serious amateur golfers. Now played in strokeplay format over 54 holes with scores counting towards the World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR), it is in a class of its own.

Samedan, Friday - Sunday, 30 June - 2 July 2017 ➜ Fiirabig Matches by Skiservice Corvatsch – During five 9-hole singlestableford games on the Zuoz-Madulain golf course, the winner of this can be determined. Enjoy straightforeward tournament golf followed by communal dinners in the rustique buvette.

Every second Freitag in June & July on Zuoz-Madulain golf course. ➜ 4th Int. Swiss Senior Amateur Championship – back in town! A European championship over 54 holes in strokeplay format for the best amateur seniors aged 50 and over with a maximum handicap of 12.0, competing for honour and WAGR points. Some 100 competitors from Switzerland and abroad will demonstrate the outstanding finesse that comes with experience.

Samedan Golf Course, Tuesday, 11 to Thursday, 13 July 2017 ➜ 7th Moon & PARs – a moonlight affair. Golfers and non-golfers enjoy a balmy summer’s evening together. Played in “Tiger & Rabbit” format over nine holes. The idea is for everyone to have fun – out on the course and at the party afterwards. Don’t miss it!

Samedan golf course, Friday, 21 July 2017

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Thursday to Sunday, 6-9 July 2017

47th St.Moritz Gold Cup Golf in a traditional setting!

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The 47th St. Moritz Gold Cup in July 2017 will stay true to its heritage as an extraordinary alpine golfing event, the only one of its kind, where you can choose between the advanced competition – a four-day tournament for the coveted St.Moritz Gold Cup – and the more relaxed option involving four days of exciting and diverse competition under a net stableford system for the Silver Cup. 5 tournament days and 4 nights from CHF 1’004.– The “Gold Cup Package” features: ➜ 5 days of golf ➜ 4 nights including breakfast ➜ give-away ➜ daily pre-round and half-way refreshments ➜ welcome cocktail ➜ players night’s dinner ➜ farewell snack and awards ceremony These hotels in St.Moritz are offering the Package: Badrutt’s Palace Hotel*****s from CHF 1’276.– Kulm Hotel *****s ab CHF 1’276.– ***** Hotel Suvretta House from CHF 1’125.– Crystal Hotel****s from CHF 1’004.– Art Boutique Hotel Monopol**** from CHF 1’004.– Hotel Schweizerhof**** from CHF 1’004.– Please contact your chosen hotel directly.

You can find all the contact details you need on www.engadin-golf.ch. Please note that you can book the complete Gold Cup package – hotel and golf – via our partner hotels.

St.Moritz Gold Cup match and green fee Match- and green fee (Gold or Silver Cup) CHF 520.– Active members of the Engadine Golf Club CHF 280.– (Gold or Silver Cup)

Juniors (under 21) Prices include VAT and related events.

Rules Play is subject to the rules of the R&A of St. Andrews, the local rules of the Samedan and Zuoz-Madulain courses and the EGA rules.

Programme and further information You can find more information on the tournament week as well as the detailed programme for the Gold Cup and the Silver Cup at any time at www.engadin-golf.ch.

Partners of the 47th St. Moritz Gold Cup

Contact:

Golf Engadin St. Moritz AG, A l’En 14, CH-7503 Samedan Tel. +41 (0)81 851 04 66, fax +41 (0)81 851 04 67, samedan@engadin-golf.ch, www.engadin-golf.ch.

CHF 210.–

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Tuesday to Thursday, 11-13 July 2017

4th International Swiss Senior Amateur Championship 2017

We are proud to welcome the best Senior Amateur Golfers in the Engadin for the 4th International Swiss Senior Amateur Championship 2017.

Golfing at an altitude of 1’800 m above sea level in a breathtaking alpine panorama, on a historical golf course: This is the Engadine Golf Club, the oldest club in Switzerland.

We are convinced that you will enjoy your stay in the Engadin and the hospitality of our club!

The Championship is played over 54 holes on 3 days (Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday). Single, Strokeplay, without Cut. All rounds are played on Samedan golf course. The tournament is restricted to 144 participants, max. exact Handicap 12.0.

Monday, 10th July . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Practice round (please book your teetime)

Program

Tuesday, 11th July . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1st round, welcome cocktail Wednesday, 12th July . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2nd round, championship dinner Thursday, 13th July . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3rd round, award ceremony and farwell snack

Accommodation Find here the Engadin Golf Hotels offering a special package for the Int. Swiss Senior Amateur Championship: from CHF 567.– Hotel Waldhaus Sils ***** Badrutt’s Palace Hotel St.Moritz *****s from CHF 567.– Grand Hotel Kronenhof Pontresina *****s from CHF 454.– Hotel Suvretta House St.Moritz ***** from CHF 567.– Parkhotel Margna Sils ****s Hotel Albana

Silvaplana ****

from CHF 454.– from CHF 291.–

Art Boutique Hotel Monopol St.Moritz **** from CHF 363.–

Scoring

Gross Overall Gross Seniors 50 – 59 years Gross Majors 60 – 69 years Gross Masters 70+ years Net Overall

Registration and further informations www.golfsuisse.ch www.asgs.ch www.engadin-golf.ch REGISTRATION DEADLINE: 7 July 2017

Crystal Hotel St.Moritz ****s

from CHF 363.–

Hotel Schweizerhof St.Moritz ****

from CHF 363.–

Championship fee

Hotel Cresta Palace Celerina ****

from CHF 363.–

CHF 230.– included practice round, green- & matchfees, welcome cocktail, championship dinner und farewell snack.

Hotel Chesa Rosatsch

Celerina ****

from CHF 291.–

Hotel Saratz Pontresina ****s

from CHF 363.–

Hotel Rosatsch Pontesina ***/****

from CHF 291.–

Alpenhotel Quadratscha Samedan **** from CHF 363.– Hotel Bernina Samedan **** Hotel Castell

Zuoz ****

from CHF 291.–

Hotel Engiadina Zuoz **** IN LAIN Hotel Cadonau

from CHF 363.–

Brail *****s

from CHF 291.– from CHF 567.–

Hotel Saluver Celerina ***

from CHF 291.–

Hotel Donatz Samedan ***s

from CHF 291.–

Hotel Chesa Salis, Bever ***

from CHF 291.–

Apparthotel Allegra Zuoz

from CHF 291.–

Hotel Klarer Zuoz

from CHF 291.–

Hotel Veduta Cinuos-chel

from CHF 291.–

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Thursday to Sunday, 7-10 September 2017

31st International Autumn Golf

When the light plays on a multitude of colours amid the mountains of Upper Engadin, it is time for the International Autumn Golf Week. This hard-fought tournament is played over several days in a convivial and cultured atmosphere. Only serious golfers stand a chance of taking the overall title, but merely taking part is enough to guarantee every golfer that incomparable Engadin autumn feeling.

The sought-after Seniors’ Golf Trophy is contested in tandem with the International Autumn Golf Week. This separate category is reserved for seniors aged 50 or over, and the victor has the honour of being presented with a traditional Swiss chair hand-crafted in pine.

Partners of the 31st International Autumn Golf Week The Upper Engadin communities below are united in their support for the International Autumn Golf Week.

Grazcha fichun!

Silvaplana

St. Moritz

Celerina

Samedan

Pontresina

Bever

Madulain

Zuoz

Week and 40th Seniors’ Golf Trophy

Five days of golf and four nights from CHF 829.– Hotel Stay in one of the partner hotels listed below and enjoy very special rates: Hotel Waldhaus Sils *****

from CHF 1’276.–

Badrutt’s Palace Hotel St.Moritz *****s from CHF 1’276.– Grand Hotel Kronenhof Pontresina *****s from CHF 1’125.– Parkhotel Margna Sils ****s Hotel Albana

Silvaplana ****

from CHF 1’125.– from CHF 908.–

Art Boutique Hotel Monopol St.Moritz **** from CHF 1’004.– Crystal Hotel St.Moritz ****s St.Moritz ****

from CHF 1’004.–

Hotel Schweizerhof Hotel Walther Pontresina****s

from CHF 1’004.– from CHF 1’125.–

Hotel Cresta Palace Celerina ****

from CHF 1’004.–

Hotel Chesa Rosatsch Celerina ****

from CHF 1’004.–

Hotel Saratz Pontresina ****s

from CHF 1’004.–

Hotel Rosatsch Pontesina ***/****

from CHF 1’004.–

Alpenhotel Quadratscha

Samedan ****

Hotel Bernina Samedan **** Hotel Castell

Zuoz ****

from CHF 1’004.– from CHF 908.– from CHF 908.–

Hotel Saluver Celerina ***

from CHF 908.–

Samedan ***s

from CHF 908.–

Hotel Chesa Salis Bever ***

from CHF 908.–

Apparthotel Allegra Zuoz Hotel Klarer Zuoz

from CHF 908.– from CHF 829.–

Hotel Veduta Cinuos-chel

from CHF 829.–

Contact:

Queries and booking Please contact your chosen hotel directly.

You can find all the contact details you need at www.engadin-golf.ch. Please note that you can book the complete International Autumn Golf Week package – hotel and golf – via our partner hotels.

Programme and further information You can find more information on the tournament and related events at any time at www.engadin-golf.ch The formats are strokeplay for categories 1 and 2 and Stableford for category 3 and the Seniors category.

from CHF 1’004.–

Hotel Engiadina Zuoz **** Hotel Donatz

The offer includes 5 days of golf, 4 nights accommodation in a standard room with breakfast, give-away, daily pre-round, half-way refreshments, welcome cocktail, the players night’s dinner and farewell-snack party. Prices are per person. Extra nights can be booked on request.

Match and green fee Match- and green fee CHF 520.– Active members of the Engadine Golf Club CHF 280.– Juniors (under 21) CHF 210.– Prices include VAT and related events as well as a practice round.

Rules Play is subject to the rules of the R&A of St. Andrews, the local rules of the Samedan and Zuoz-Madulain courses and the EGA rules. The exact handicap requirement for the International Autumn Golf Week is 36.0.

The tournament is organised by the Engadine Golf Club & Golf Engadin St. Moritz AG.

Golf Engadin St. Moritz AG, A l’En 14, CH-7503 Samedan Tel. +41 (0)81 851 04 66, fax +41 (0)81 851 04 67, samedan@engadin-golf.ch, www.engadin-golf.ch.

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There are still places in this world where sophisticated hospitality is a living tradition. Where you are pampered in an exclusive environment with 5-star comfort.

Welcome to Suvretta House! The hotel, with its 181 comfortably appointed rooms, junior suites and suites, is located in a natural park landscape at the heart of the Suvretta-Corviglia winter sport and hiking region and just two kilometres west of St. Moritz.

Suvretta House fulfils every gastronomic desire: the Grand Restaurant (14 points Gault Millau) serves gourmet specialities, while the Suvretta Stube offers guests simple cuisine and authentic Swiss dishes. Suvretta House welcomes families with children. The in-house kindergarten „Kiddy Club“ provides professional care and supervision for your offspring, and there is even a separate children‘s restaurant, the Teddy Club.

A wide range of sports are on offer to enhance the relaxing experience. In summer driving range, pitching green and putting green as well as a four-hole practice course offer a chance to improve your swing. Tennis, badminton, boccia, garden chess and a sun terrace with an uninterrupted view of the imposing mountain landscape are available for all to use.

Suvretta House’s modern wellness and fitness area offers everything you could wish for: a 25-metre indoor pool, outdoor jacuzzi, solarium, saunas, fitness room, beauty treatments and massages.

Suvretta House Via Chasellas 1 · Switzerland CH-7500 St.Moritz · Switzerland Tel. +41 (0)81 836 36 36 · Fax +41 (0)81 836 37 37 info@suvrettahouse.ch · www.suvrettahouse.ch

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Suvretta Golf School Golf season: July to August Description of the course Driving range, pitching and chipping green with sand bunker, putting green, four-hole practice course (target golf). The idyllic location of the driving range with its eight tees offers great opportunities to practise your golf in peaceful and relaxing surroundings. You can also improve your tee shots, pitching and chipping on the four-hole practice course. The contoured terrain is a challenge for every golfer and will improve your short game.

Requirements No golf permit (“Platzreife”) or handicap required.

No start times.

Green fee / equipment (Prices per person per day) Green fee for driving range and course CHF 15 Green fee for driving range CHF 10 Club rental CHF 5 20% off on green fees for Engadin Golf Hotels guests

Golf School Suvretta House 7500 St. Moritz · Switzerland Telefon +41 (0) 81 836 36 36 Fax +41 (0) 81 836 37 37 info@suvrettahouse.ch www.suvrettahouse.ch

Kulm Golf St.Moritz

Switzerland’s most historic golf course

Here, amid a beautiful landscape fashioned by nature, is a place to experience the creative freedom of golf game after game.

Golfers discovered the Kulmpark’s potential as an extraordinary playing surface over 120 years ago. This is where the oldest golf course in Switzerland, Kulm Golf St. Moritz, was built in summer 1891. Sitting right next to the prestigious Kulm Hotel St. Moritz, 1,850 metres above sea level, it is one of the highest courses in the Alps.

An important piece of Engadin history was written here. Regular visitors from England not only founded the golf course, they also gave a stage to other sports with the Curling Club and the famous Cresta Run. In 1864, they joined forces with Johannes Badrutt, pioneering director of the Kulm Hotel, to invent winter tourism, laying the foundation for the global renown Engadin enjoys today.

People travelled to St. Moritz in the summer for sport, art and health.

Guests were familiar with golf from back home, and they simply brought the popular summer sport with them to Engadin. They started by mowing a field in the adjoining Kulmpark to use as a course, but they soon wanted more. The venerable Kulm golf course was first opened in the summer of 1891 following a delay due to bad weather. Back then, members paid CHF 25 a year and CHF 1 for a day’s play, and local boys could earn themselves some pocket money caddying for the guests. The golf course gave way to tennis courts and a restaurant in 1964, but it was brought back to life in 2001 thanks to the initiative of St. Moritz golf architect Mario Verdieri and the Niarchos family, which owned the hotel. It was completely redesigned in line with modern golfers’ needs. With nine holes, each of them par 3, and a total length of just 930 metres, it is classed as a short course and lends itself ideally to a quick game. This leaves you with plenty of time to enjoy the other delights of the Kulm Hotel St. Moritz, including fine food and wellness.

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The luxury hotel has six restaurants, including the sumptuous “the K” with 16 GaultMillau points and the Kulm Country Club, newly opened for 2017 in the historic listed ice pavilion after a comprehensive, year-long renovation project costing some CHF 11 million. The Chesa al Parc with its popular sun terrace doubles up as the clubhouse for the golf course. After a couple of sporting rounds on the nine-hole course, the 2,000-squaremetre Kulm Spa is the ideal place to unwind with an exquisite view over Lake St. Moritz and the surrounding mountains. The jewel in its crown is an outdoor pool in which guests can swim and relax at about 36 degrees Celsius all year round.

Younger guests can also get acquainted with the sport of golf on the Kulm course and perhaps even start practising that perfect swing. The hotel’s Very Important Kids programme includes beginner’s tuition for children aged three to 12 as well as a range of fun activities in the Marmotta Kids Club.

This year, the Kulm Hotel St. Moritz is celebrating 120 years of the Kulm golf course with a huge summer festival and exciting tournaments for club members and guests throughout the golfing season.

Further information: www.stmoritz-golfclub.ch and www.kulm.com

Golf Special 2017

The Golfing package deal at undreamed-of heights!

Take a deep breath and feel welcome, even at home, when playing golf on the spectacular courses of the Engadin, surrounded by the breathtaking mountain panorama of perhaps the most beautiful high-alpine valley in the world.

Guests staying more than one night in a participating hotel can book additionally the following services from the Golf Specials.

The offer includes: • • • •

The nights in a participating hotel green fees on the 18-hole courses Samedan and/or Zuoz Optional: green fees on the 9-hole course „Kulm Golf St. Moritz” Mountain railways and transport in the Upper Engadin in plenty of hotels included

Validity:

Saturday, 13 May until end of season

Price example: 3 nights from CHF 410.per person in a double room in a 3* Golf hotel.

For information & reservation please visit: www.estm.ch, www.engadin-golf.ch/de/hotels-und-specials or directly at one of the participating Engadin Golf Hotels!

You can find a list of all participating Engadin Golf Hotels on: www.engadin-golf.ch/de/hotels-und-specials

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High training standards

Engadin Golf Center

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The Engadin Golf Center maintains high standards of training expertise using the very latest techniques to meet the individual needs of everyone from beginners to demanding amateur golfers.

Its pros are backed up by state-of-the-art technology. Housed inside the Samedan driving range, the Bodmer Performance Center offers a complete high-end swing analysis service.

Our Pros The Golf Engadin St.Moritz golf instructors, experienced pros all of them.

Marcos Moreno Swiss PGA

John Wraith PGA of England

Fredrik Svanberg PGA of England

with us since 1992 Class A Trainer

with us since 2010 Class A Trainer and PGA Referee

with us since 2016 Teaching Pro

Bodmer Performance Center The Bodmer Performance Center has the latest technology that has become indispensable for modern golf tuition, measuring spin rate, launch angle, smash factor and more besides. As technical as all this sounds, it is really all about how you hit the ball, be it with a driver or a putter. High-tech equipment gives us a clear picture of your technique. Your personal pro from the Engadin Golf Center team will be happy to talk you through it and help you develop your swing with the aid of cutting-edge tuition methods and concepts. Just ask him about it at your next lesson!

Here is a brief overview of the equipment we use: Track Man TrackMan uses radar to track the ball’s complete trajectory, including all the key parameters such as club speed, launch angle, ball speed, height, length and spin. These are crucial to your choice of club, and they help our pros to offer expert club fitting to ensure that every single customer gets a club that is perfect for them. The parameters recorded are especially useful when it comes to comparing the various models of driver against each other, but they can also inform your choice of all other clubs apart from the putter.

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Golfkurse für Kinder und Erwachsene Montag bis Freitag* auf dem Golf Course Zuoz-Madulain Erwachsene: 09.00 – 10.30 Uhr, Kinder: 10.30 – 12.30 Uhr Kosten

CHF 55.– pro Person und Kurstag

Anmeldung bitte per E-Mail an golfclinic@engadin-golf.ch *29. Mai – 13. Oktober 2017. Anmeldung für Einzeltage möglich. Leihschläger sowie Golfbälle werden durch uns zur Verfügung gestellt. Min. 3, max. 8 Teilnehmer je Gruppe. Für Kinder ab 6 Jahren.

Flightscope FlightScope harnesses new technology to offer an ideal analysis of your swing with the world’s first three-dimensional Doppler tracking golf radar, which can be used indoors or outdoors and simulates the ball’s flight in real time. Compared with previous video systems, FlightScope delivers precise, reliable and user-friendly results. FlightScope 3D Doppler Tracking measures every hit and lends itself superbly to golf tuition and swing analysis.

RoboGolfPro Looking for the perfect golf swing? Look no further! This training robot allows players at every level to get a feel for it. RoboGolfPro is the only machine that physically demonstrates the ideal swing – for short putts as well as long drives. If you starting slipping back into old habits, the robot resists and forces you to carry out every part of the swing correctly. This builds and trains muscle memory. Your trainer can use RoboGolfPro to record your swing, correct it on a computer with special software and then let you feel the perfected swing. It puts your mistakes right and optimises your technique in minutes. RoboGolfPro also offers a unique feature in that you can replicate the swing of your favourite golfer, be it Tiger Woods, Ben Hogan or Jim Furyk. There are only two RoboGolfPro machines in the whole of Europe, and the only one in Switzerland can be found at the Bodmer Performance Center.

SAM PuttLab SAM PuttLab is the first system to give scientifically precise, real-time feedback on all parameters relevant to putting, allowing you to hone your skills and strategies in a targeted manner. The device is currently the best in the world for complete putt analysis and is used by over 100 players on the European Tour and the US PGA Tour.

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Interview with Alessandro Visinoni and Kilian Hagen

Crooked thinking, straight hitting!

Promoting youth is of particular concern to the Engadine Golf Club. There are roughly 150 juniors amongst its members right now. Two of them are Alessandro Visinoni and Killian Hagen. We asked the 10-year-olds how they ended up playing golf and if they could imagine becoming professionals one day. “We think playing golf is totally cool”, they said. And though they have only been playing for two years, they have had some amazing experiences – not only a sign of precise play but also of great imagination. Once they even had a Greek squirrel in their sights.

So, have you ever had something really funny happen to you on the golf course?

Alessandro: Yes! My family and I were playing a course in Greece. I took a big sweep, hit and whacked the ball bang into a tree. You won’t believe, what happened next. A squirrel came flying in a high loop out of that tree. It looked hilarious. My ball had hit a squirrel of all things.

Oh dear, I hope it wasn’t dead?

Alessandro: Now. We called the vet and he looked after it.

Good shot, I have to say. How did you end up playing golf at all?

Killian: First me, my sister and my granny tried out the driving range. That was loads of fun! When I turned seven, I joined the St. Moritz Golf Club.

That was three years ago.

Alessandro: My dad plays golf. Some time ago I thought I want to be better than him when I’m his age. I was seven as well. I’ve been a club member ever since.

What does it take to become a good golfer?

Alessandro: Fighting spirit!

Killian: Hm, the most important thing is actually your concentration. When you’re putting, for example, you must never take a swing. You have to watch what you’re doing very closely.

Have you become better at concentrating since playing golf?

Alessandro: Definitely. Before I used to struggle with tests at school sometimes. Since I started playing, that’s got much better.

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That sounds great. What do the other kids at school think about your hobby?

Killian: Some say, golf is lame. Most boys our age prefer other sports. At a football camp I once persuaded the others to try golf. And suddenly they all said that it was totally cool!

Does that mean, there aren’t that many kids playing golf at your club yet?

Killian: Well, quite a few. But most of them are a bit older. Taking into account that we’re only ten, we are actually quite good players. We will get our course permission in four years’ time, when we’re fourteen. But you have to take a test for that.

Alessandro: Yip. The good thing is: your spelling doesn’t count in the test!

I’m sure you both pass with flying colours. Which club is your favorite anyway?

Killian: 7 iron.

Alessandro: I love 3 wood, though it’s a bit heavier. I can hit a 3 roughly 80 metres – and very straight.

Not bad. Did that work so well right from the beginning?

Alessandro: At my fifth training session I suddenly got it how to play well…

I have to think crooked and hit straight!

Cool slogan. I have to remember that.

Killian: But sometimes we also hit the air, Alessandro! That’s really bad then (laughing).

That even happens to the best. Can you imagine becoming professionals one day?

Killian: Yes, being a golfer would be cool. But maybe I’ll become a businessman instead. Let’s see.

Alessandro: I have to become a professional sportsman. I can’t imagine sitting in an office. I have too much energy for that. Sitting still is just not my thing!

Interview: Caroline von der Goltz

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Winter season 2016/17 December 16 to April 23

Summer season 2017 June 2 to October 22 The perfect marriage of pleasure, leisure and architecture SPA season Enjoy the new Waldhaus Spa Let us spoil you

Six miles from bustling St. Moritz: an unspoiled and peaceful alpine village amidst gleaming lakes and impressive mountains. And above it all this remarkable and historic hotel, family owned and managed ever since it opened in 1908. Grand but friendly and relaxed; children very welcome!

Tel +41 81 838 51 00 www.waldhaus-sils.ch

Golf courses for children and adults The diverse courses are taking place on the driving range, the putting green and the approach area. During the lessons there is also sufficient time for small betting games and to have fun. The courses are for children from 6 years and adults of all ages.

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Courses for children

Courses for adults

29 May – 13 October 2017 Monday – Friday 10.30 – 12.30 in Zuoz

29 May – 13 October 2017 Monday – Friday 09.00 – 10.30 in Zuoz

The registration for one-day courses is

The registration for one-day courses is

possible. Equipement (rental clubs and

possible. Equipement (rental clubs and

balls) is provided.

balls) is provided.

Teacher/Pro

Teacher/Pro

Course fee

John Wraith

John Wraith

Member PGA of England

Member PGA of England

Fredrik Svanberg

Fredrik Svanberg

Assistant Pro PGA of England

Assistant Pro PGA of England

CHF 55.– per child and day

Course fee

CHF 55.– per person and day

Registration per e-mail to golfclinic@engadin-golf.ch The courses are held from a minimum of 3 participants and doesn’t consist of more than 8 participants. The course fee should be payed the first day at the golf office in Zuoz or directly to the teaching pro. Balls, drivingrange fee and rental clubs are included.

Golf Clinic «The Highest Heights»

As ever, exclusive to Engadin!

Engadin Golf’s successful collaboration with Annika Sörenstam’s ANNIKA Academy™ Orlando is a European exclusive. The three-day high-quality clinics with communal lunches and games on the course are an experience no-one involved will soon forget. The courses are led by a teaching team around Henri Reis, chief instructor of ANNIKA Academy™, supported by Annika’s long-serving fitness coach Kai Fusser who will provide the perfect complement to the golf tuition, adding a new dimension with his immense expertise in fitness, power and endurance training.

Make a note of the dates for the two exclusive Clinics now!

Clinic 1: Monday - Wednesday, 19 to 21 June 2017 Clinic 2: Thursday - Saturday, 22 to 24 August 2017 Course content Short game and putting, long game, tactical aspects of the game, playing golf on the course accompanied by the instructors, introduction and individual consultation on workouts and golf fitness, swing analysis (with launch monitor), welcome gift, lunch and snacks on the course, handout (with information and tips on the course content and the personal swing analysis).

Price Golf Clinic per person Engadine Golf Club members

CHF 1950.– inkl. VAT CHF 880.– inkl. VAT

For registration and more information please contact: Phone +41 (0)81 851 04 66 or mail to golfclinic@engadin-golf.ch

Stay at the Kempinski Grand Hotel des Bains, St.Moritz Take advantage of our partner hotel’s exclusive offer The offer includes 3 days golf clinic, 3 nights accommodation in a resort room of the Kempinski Grand Hotel des Bains in St. Moritz with breakfast, coffee break and lunch on the course in Samedan, farewellcocktail, free parking, late check-out at 6 pm and 15% reduction an all spa treatment rates.

3 nights in a double room from CHF 920.– per person and night incl. Golf Clinic!

Information about the hotel: www.kempinski.com/de/st-moritz/grand-hotel-des-bains/

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BIKE Foto: Scott

BEFORE GOLF

SHOP | SCHOOL | RENT | FASHION SUVRETTA SPORTS ST. MORITZ | OVAVERVA SHOP & SPORTZENTRUM | VIA MEZDI 17 | CH 7500 ST. MORITZ | TEL + 41 [0]81 833 62 33 | WWW.SUVRETTA-SPORTS.CH

SSSC_Golf-Ins16_A4_RZ.indd 1

28.10.16 18:49

Sunday, 27 – Tuesday, 29 August 2017

GolfersChoice® Engadin Pro Am

36 holes Four ball two best. Pros strokeplay / amateurs Stableford Enjoy three wonderful golfing days in great company on the Engadine Golf Club’s courses, including room and meals.

Your programme 27 August 2017

28 August 2017

29 August 2017

Cost

Arrive and check-in at your hotel, practice round on Samedan or Zuoz-Madulain golf course (reserve your tee time), cosy evening meal at your hotel.

1st round of the GolfersChoice® Engadin Pro Am on the Samedan golf course (18 holes), BBQ Party and Get together at the Hotel Cresta Palace, Celerina with presentation of the Golf Pros and the standings.

2nd round of the GolfersChoice® Engadin Pro Am on the Zuoz-Madulain golf course (18 holes), champions’ party and prizegiving ceremony at the Restorant Sur En, Zuoz.

CHF 2,955 per flight ex VAT Including a room for two nights with breakfast, green and match fees, snacks, practice round, starting gift, dinner and farewell.

Sign up or request further information Golf Engadin St.Moritz, Phone +41 81 851 04 66, samedan@engadin-golf.ch www.engadin-golf

Stay in one of our partner hotels:

Hotel Castell Zuoz

Cresta Palace Celerina

Hotel Saratz Pontresina HHHH

Phone +41 (0)81 851 52 53 www.hotelcastell.ch

Phone +41 (0)81 836 56 56 www.crestapalace.ch

Phone +41 (0)81 839 40 00 www.saratz.ch

Supported by:

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Bereit für sportliche Glanzleistungen

Der neue Audi Q5 Entdecken Sie den neuen Allradantrieb quattro, der dank der innovativen ultra-Technologie Effizienz und Sicherheit verbindet. Bereit für eine Probefahrt bei Ihrem Audi Händler.

LeasingPlus Inklusive: Service und Verschleiss, Reifen, Ersatzmobilität + Versicherungen www.audi.ch/q5

Audi quattro Cup

A perfect foursome: Audi and Golf Engadin

Audi has fostered a close partnership with the Engadine Golf Club for ten years. This has proven to be a highly fruitful cooperation, founded on the two brands’ shared values of sportiness, sophistication and progressiveness. Audi has been a highly committed partner of the sport of golf for many years. It has delighted hundreds of thousands of golfers from all over the world for decades with major events such as the world’s largest tournament series for amateurs, the Audi quattro Cup, and innovations like the Mountain Golf Safari. The Engadine Golf Club is one of Audi’s many local partners and allows golf enthusiasts to enjoy attractive offers and first-class packages comprising accommodation, green fees and test drives in the latest models from the Audi quattro fleet.

Audi quattro: a pioneering achievement Audi pioneered permanent all-wheel-drive over 35 years ago, and quattro is now a byword for technological progress. It is available in over 100 Audi models with TFSI petrol or TDI diesel engines, enabling every Audi driver to count on the highest levels of safety even in extreme conditions. Audi’s familiar slogan “Vorsprung durch Technik” means “advance through technology”, and quattro technology means driving dynamics, sportiness, maximum technical precision and road safety.

Find out more at www.audi.ch.

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ENJOY THIS VIEW FOR DESSERT: MOUNTAIN DINING ON MUOTTAS MURAGL.

Besides the spectacular view, a wide selection of culinary delights are awaiting you in the Panorama restaurant on Muottas Muragl. Enjoy regional and mediterranean specialties, daily until 11.00 pm in the first plus-energy hotel in the Alps. Information and reservations: tel +41 81 842 82 32. www.mountains.ch

Chesa Marguns, Marguns

Insider’s Tip Chesa Marguns: Magical Mountain Hut Adventure

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Chesa Marguns is situated in the heart of the world-renowned cycling and hiking area of Corviglia (St. Moritz). This exclusive location is perfect for quiet, private celebrations with a rustic flair. Unspoilt nature in a truly stunning and amazing Engadin setting.

A unique gem Nestled amid beautiful mountain scenery, the Chesa Marguns is a two-storey building that once served as a chair lift station for skier transport. After being modernised, the Chesa was transformed into an exclusive venue. Located in the immediate vicinity of the Restaurant Marguns, it boasts a lounge, fireplace, dining area and veranda.

The rustic, down to earth ambience at the Chesa is enhanced by the addition of features typical of the rural Engadin mountains: Deer and ibex horns, skins, candlelight, lanterns and the extensive use of wood in the construction lend a cosy atmosphere. Guests can take the Celerina-Marguns gondola to the Chesa, which is available in the evenings for their exclusive use.

Dinner or an unforgettable celebration With the capacity to cater for up to 100 people, the Marguns leaves no wishes unfulfilled. Each and every event is long remembered for the warm atmosphere and sheer enjoyment of the occasion. A banquet is turned into a pleasurable culinary highlight. And in this gourmet paradise, individual needs are met – either elegantly or in more traditional ways – but always in keeping with the occasion.

The ground floor affords plenty of space for one to see the evening out on the dance floor – with a DJ, or, even better, live music. After all, in this magnificent environment, sleep would surely be the last thing on your mind.

Chesa Marguns – Restaurants Marguns 7505 Celerina – Engadin St. Moritz Mountains AG Your hostess: Nicole Reichelt Phone 081 839 80 20 restaurant@marguns.ch www.marguns.ch

et Tick g n i ven rly e 1.00 Uhr a E !

NEU :00 bis 2 19 0 von HF 2 C ne 13 chse CHF a w r E er Kind

New six-seater chairlift on Corvatsch

Travel Porsche-style to the fantastic Curtinella piste

The Corvatsch mountain has something new to offer as of winter 2016/17. The popular Curtinella piste is now equipped with a six-seater chairlift and a snow cannon system. The modern chairlift is among the longest in Graubünden at 2,150 metres.

The Curtinella piste is one of the most beautiful in the whole of Engadin. Long, wide and featuring a variety of terrains, it is located on a sun-drenched terrace between Corvatsch and Furtschellas, making it one of the valley’s most soughtafter routes.

Transport capacity doubled From this winter, even more people can appreciate the Curtinella piste’s charms after a state-of-the-art six-seater chairlift boasting stylish seats and canopies designed by Porsche was built over the summer. Running at six metres per second (about 22 km/h), it may not be quite as fast as a Porsche sports car, but it can certainly hold its own in terms of power thanks to a 1,000-horsepower electric motor that has helped to double transport capacity to as many as 2,400 people an hour.

Photo: Gian Giovanoli/kmu-fotografie.ch

Sunny and diverse: the Curtinella piste is one of the most popular in the valley.

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Photo: Gian Giovanoli/kmu-fotografie.ch

The new meeting point by the Hossa Bar. Green: Alp Surlej chairlift up to the middle station.

Red: new Curtinella chairlift heading towards Furtschellas.

Photo: Bartholet Seilbahnen

Designed by Porsche: the new six-seater chairlift reaches the top of Curtinella in six minutes.

800 metres longer than the old ski lift The valley station of the new chairlift, a minimalist construction in steel and wood, is the new star attraction on the Corvatsch. It can be found at Alp Surlej, some 800 metres further down than the bottom of the old ski lift. Markus Moser, Managing Director of the company that operates the lift, explains: “Concrete was only used where it was absolutely necessary.” Sustainability is important to him, and it was also paramount in extending the snow cannon system. “Sections of grass were carefully removed and then replanted, so you can barely notice the 2.5-kilometre trench that was dug all along the site,” notes Moser.

Curtinella piste opened in November Thanks to the enlarged snow cannon system, the Curtinella piste can be covered with snow as early as November and prepared for skiers and snowboarders right from the start of the season. At the same time, Alp Surlej has become a key meeting point with two chairlift stations and the much-loved Hossa Bar. The existing Alp Surlej four-seater chairlift takes five minutes to the middle station and then continues up to the Corvatsch peak. The new six-seater reaches the top of Curtinella and the Furtschellas area in six minutes. Markus Moser is delighted: “Curtinella isn’t just a sensational piste, it’s also the best connection between the Corvatsch and Furtschellas mountains. The new chairlift has definitively united the two ski areas.”

Corvatsch know how flows into Diavolezza and Lagalb It was announced in summer 2016 that the Piz Nair and Diavolezza/Lagalb lifts would come under new ownership at the end of May 2017. This was seen as a solution for the whole of Upper Engadin, allowing the Lagalb cable car, which was threatened with closure, to continue operating. For Corvatsch AG, which has operated the Piz Nair lifts up to now, this means that the two lifts on the Bernina Pass are set to become sister companies. “The vast know-how of Corvatsch AG is flowing 100% into the new Diavolezza Lagalb AG,” explains Markus Moser, who will take charge of both companies. However, he stresses that the change in ownership alone is not enough to secure a long-term future for the Lagalb cable car: “We need lots of Lagalb fans to go and ski there regularly. What’s important now is maintaining the positive energy the Pro Lagalb campaign group created.” Any who supports Lagalb in spirit can also provide financial support by subscribing shares in the planned capital increase.

For more information on the new Diavolezza Lagalb AG, e-mail info@corvatsch.ch or call 081 838 73 73.

Photo: Fabian Gattlen

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Finden auch Sie Ihren Schlüssel zum Glück.

Das grösste Angebot an Wohneigentum der Schweiz: www.remax.ch

RE/MAX Capricorn Via dal Bagn 21 7500 St. Moritz

Paul Ruepp T +41 (0)81 833 74 75 M +41 (0)79 340 26 42

RE/MAX Europe Housing Report

Swiss real estate market still performing stably compared with rest of Europe With more than 17,000 locations in over 33 countries, RE/MAX is the largest real estate network in Europe. It is also the Swiss market leader in brokering residential property. The RE/MAX European Housing Report shows that the Swiss market continued to perform stably compared with the rest of Europe in 2016.

Published regularly by RE/MAX, the Report reflects the performance of the market for residential property in the more than 33 European countries where the world’s leading real estate network now operates. Whereas political factors such as the UK’s Brexit vote have led to some significant differences between individual markets, all markets are being heavily influenced by historically low interest rates. These have boosted demand for residential property in most European markets over the past few months, causing a moderate rise in prices.

situation and falling unemployment. Foreign investment, meanwhile, was the main factor pushing Portuguese prices more than 14% higher in 2016. The situation in Greece remains very tense indeed. Properties there were 2% cheaper on average in 2016 than in 2015, and RE/MAX expects prices to keep falling.

According to the figures analysed by RE/MAX, property prices rose by only 0.5% in France and 0.9% in Austria compared with 2015. The RE/MAX experts continue to expect stable prices in these two countries, even though supply is currently outstripping demand in France especially. According to Google Trends*, the term “vendre” (sell) in connection with real estate was searched for almost 20 times more than “acheter” (buy) in recent months. In Italy, too, more people want to invest in a home again after the economic crisis, as a result of which prices rose by an average of 1% between 2015 and 2016.

RE/MAX is seeing a stable environment overall in Switzerland. While apartment prices fell slightly yearon-year in 2016, the Swiss market leader recorded a moderate increase in the price of houses on its books.

The end result was an average increase of around 0.4% in residential property prices. Marco Röllin, Managing Director of RE/MAX Switzerland, expects this sideways trend to continue: “Immigration figures are falling, but the Swiss population is nevertheless still growing. This, coupled with low interest rates, is bolstering demand for homes.”

German prices, meanwhile, have risen sharply. Residential property put on just over 11% year-on-year in 2016, albeit with very pronounced differences from region to region. According to the local RE/MAX experts, the price gap between a handful of Germany’s cities and its rural areas has increased further.

The trend in Spain is also interesting. With one of the highest proportions of second homes in Europe, the Spanish real estate market depends heavily on political and economic developments in other European countries. That said, the increase of just over 6% in Spanish prices between 2015 and 2016 was largely due to rebounding demand among the domestic population on the back of an overall improvement in the economic

Switzerland: ongoing sideways trend in property prices

In Western Switzerland in particular, supply is currently failing to keep pace with demand. There were over 16 times more Google* searches for properties available to buy than for opportunities to sell in recent months.

“But we, too, are seeing a shift in demand from the medium and high price segments towards the lower end of the market,” adds Röllin. In this respect, the banks’ increased equity requirements for mortgage lending make it harder to buy expensive properties, and a reduced influx of wealthy foreigners is also having an adverse effect on the market. Real estate expert Röllin is sure about one thing: “Demand will continue to shift away from regions where prices are very high – like Zurich, Zug and Geneva – and towards areas with affordable homes.”

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Impressum Editor Golf Engadin St.Moritz AG, Samedan Concept & Design Imagicon, Samedan · G.R. Melchior Photos Gian Giovanoli (Cover page 2 and pages 6/7, 24/25, 26, 36/37, 48/49, 52, 64); pb-marketing Peter Bärtsch, Wangen (Pages 8/9, 10/11); Moonepic (Pages 19, 20); Kulm Golf St.Moritz (Pages 12, 30, 32, 33); Erika Saratz (Pages 22/23); Engadin St.Moritz Mountains AG (Page 57); Golf Engadin St.Moritz AG. © 2017 Golf Engadin St.Moritz AG

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Engadin Golf & Hotel Guide 2017 Boutiques OMEGA Zürich • Genève • Luzern • Interlaken • Bern • Crans Montana • Zermatt

English edition