Immerse Yourself in an Exclusive World
After an impressive journey on the Rhaetian Railway, I reach the town in Graubünden, which stands for exclusivity and luxury like no other, in glorious sunshine. Its image as one of the world’s most glamorous winter sports destinations stems in part from the jet-set events held on the frozen
Lake St. Moritz, where polo and cricket tournaments as well as horse races are held.
It has already hosted the Winter Olympics twice. Probably the best knownof all its claims to fame is the Cresta Run ice track, which has hosted the annual ‘Grand National’ since 1885. This is a race with a 35kg sledge called a ’Toboggan’ on which riders plunge headfirst down an ice chute, reaching a top speed of up to 140 kilometres per hour.
Perhaps equally famous is the Olympic Bob Run, which is the oldest bobsleigh run in the world and the last remaining championship track made of natural ice, which is prepared anew every winter.
Tradition and Style
The Kulm Hotel in the centre of St. Moritz is an icon of the Swiss luxury hotel industry. It is characterised by class, style and elegance. It was founded in 1856 by the visionary hotelier Johannes Badrutt, who brought tourism and winter sports to the town with its opening.
It impresses with its extraordinary location high above the lake, its fantastic views and its extravagant and stylish interior.
My recently renovated room, of which there are 150 in different categories, is elegant and modern. It features local Suisse Pine elements, as does the inviting bathroom. Upon entering, the cosy smell of fresh wood immediately fills my nose.
Five restaurants offer national and international cuisine at the highest level. The Pizzeria offers far more than just delicious round Italian dishes. Peruvian-inspired street food dishes are combined by Lima-born chef Claudia Canessa with modern fusion cuisine in the Amaru restaurant.
Michelin-starred chef Mauro Colagreco inspires in the Kulm Country Club (KCC) just a few metres away. I am spoilt with local dishes on the inviting terrace of the Chesa al Parc golf clubhouse opposite. From here, I have a marvellous view of two church towers, one of which comes very close to the inclination of the tower in Pisa. It is the town’s landmark.
Wellness dreams come true in the 2,000 square metre Kulm-Spa St. Moritz. In the 10 x 20 metre indoor pool, I enjoy the magnificent views of the lake and mountains as well as the underwater music. In the spa area, I relax with a signature sports massage, in the steam bath, in various saunas and both in the indoor and outdoor whirlpools.
In summer, most of the hotel’s guests come from Switzerland, the United States, Italy and Germany. In winter, this group is traditionally expanded to include guests from Great Britain, who make up the largest foreign group. Guests from Asia are still in the minority, but visitors from India have already discovered the appeal of the hotel for themselves.
Spectacular Par 3 Course
Golf also has a long tradition in this typical winter sport. The hotel’s own Kulm golf course was founded in 1891 by British travellers, making it the oldest course in Switzerland. It was redesigned by the hotel in 2001. The nine-hole par 3 course, integrated into the marvellous landscape, is just
a shot with the driver away from the hotel.
The nine varied holes, some of which are steeply uphill and downhill, are between 80 and 135 metres long. They offer breathtaking views of the surrounding mountain scenery and Lake St. Moritz. The downhill shots into the greens, which lie deep below the tees, are particularly attractive.
This also applies to hole #5, which has to be played almost vertically 120 metres downhill. The green is protected by a small lake on the right and a bunker on the left. It is the most remarkable hole on a par 3 course that I know (see photo on the top of the article).
The Olympic bobsleigh run comes into play on hole #8. But only in the imagination, as it does not exist in summer. In winter, it runs directly in front of the green bunker across the hole and disappears into the depths on its right-hand side.
Hole #9 is my personal highlight. It is the most difficult one, where the tee shot has to be played 120 metres steeply uphill into the invisible green. Not much was missing for my hole in one and the perfect finish to my round of golf.
Use of the practice facilities and playing on the course is free of charge for guests of the Kulm Hotel.
No One is Older
The Samedan golf course of the Engadine Golf Club in the village was founded in 1893. It is the oldest 18-hole course in Switzerland and one of the oldest on Continental Europe. It can be reached from the hotel in St. Moritz in 20 minutes by car.
The first amateur golf tournament was held here in the year it was founded and is still organised annually as the ‘Engadine Amateur Championship’. In 1988, the course was converted into a ‘New Course’ by golf course architect Mario Verdieri from St. Moritz, who also designed the Kulm golf
course there. The view from the terrace of the clubhouse across the plain of the Flaz stream to the mountain panorama is impressive.
The information boards on the path from the clubhouse to the driving range are interesting. The history of golf in the Engadin is presented on the WALK OF HISTORY. Caddies were common for a long time; boys and girls earned ‘pocket money’ by carrying the bags from a young age at the club.
700 Year Old Larches
In the middle of it all are centuries-old larch trees, their tops battered by storms and lightning. To mark the 125th anniversary in 2018, 125 new trees were planted.
From the yellow tees, the course has a length of 5,919 metres, with a slope rating of 133 and a course rating of 71.7. The corresponding values for the red tees are 5,118 metres, 130 and 72.8. The damp water is not only available as a lateral or frontal obstacle, but in several places ice-cold
spring water invites you to fill up your drinks bottles.
In the early afternoon, the dreaded Maloja wind regularly sets in from the south, which can have a considerable impact on the game. We start early and are lucky to be spared.
After nine holes, we stop off at the ‘Buvette’, a small wooden halfway house on the edge of the forest. Here we fortify ourselves with delicious sausage and cheese specialities and a bottled glacier beer.
I am pleased with the unusual length of my shots, as they fly about 10 % further than usual due to the altitude. The Samedan golf course is situated at an altitude of 1,700 metres, making it the second highest 18-hole course in Switzerland. Only the one in Arosa is higher.
The fairways run level and wide through the flat terrain. The lush green fairways, the bunkers with their white sand and the partly undulating greens are very well maintained.
You can play on the Samedan course from the beginning of May to the end of October whilst the Kulm course opens a month later. If you stay at least two days in certain hotels, you can play unlimited golf on these two courses as well as on the Zuoz-Madulain course, the second course of the Engadine Golf Club, for CHF 255 per person during your entire stay.
The Best Jazz in a Legendary Club
For 17 years now, St. Moritz has been all about jazz in July. Jazz at its finest is offered at twelve different venues over the course of three weeks. It all started in the private Dracula Club, founded by jetsetter Gunter Sachs, which is located right next to the start building of the town’s famous bobsleigh run. Today, the club is run by his son Rolf. The members-only club only opens its doors to the public once a year for this music series. It is the main stage, the heart and soul of the festival.
I am lucky enough to be able to attend one of its few events with only 150 other guests. The jazz fans sit or stand close together in the rustic ambience. The atmosphere in the intimate, relaxed setting is unique. The music of the American artist Dana Winters and her trio, who are so close
you can’t help but touch them, is met with thunderous applause from the knowledgeable audience.
After the session, the jazz continues in the Sunny Bar of the Kulm Hotel, which is one of the two organisers and main sponsors of the festival and hosts many of the artists.
Not Only the Altitude is Top
Be it in the hotel, in the restaurants or in the golf clubs: I encounter the highest standards and professional, friendly service everywhere I go. It is often the attention to detail or small touches that particularly impress me. One example is the golfer-specific ‚Bett-Mümpfeli‘ at the Kulm Hotel.
Juergen Linnenbuerger,
September 2024