Estonian Golf & Country Club and Linna Golf are just 200km apart as the crow flies, separated by the Gulf of Finland in the north-east corner of Europe.
Both opened in 2005 and have since followed remarkably similar journeys, playing crucial roles in growing golf in their respective countries, hosting elite tournaments and developing thriving businesses.
Both clubs have also been part of the European Tour Destinations network (known back in 2005 as European Tour Courses) since day one.
“It was a big decision and a significant financial outlay to become part of the network when we opened,” reflects Hanno Kross. “But it has turned out to be one of the best decisions we made at Estonian Golf & Country Club because it immediately gave us access to the best people in the business.
“We had high ambitions and we knew that being able to pick up the phone and talk to experts would be invaluable.”
Esa Honkalehto adds: “I joined Linna Golf in 2017 having worked in professional ice hockey and baseball. I had played golf for a long time but I didn’t know the business, so I was very grateful to lean on the golf-related expertise of the European Tour Destinations team right from the start.”
Linna Golf, Finland
Tournament hosts
Estonian Golf & Country Club had only been open four years when it hosted a European qualifying event for the 2009 Omega Mission Hills World Cup, and that same year Linna Golf hosted the SK Golf Challenge on the Challenge Tour, won by Nicolas Colsaerts.
“It was a huge opportunity to showcase golf in Estonia to the world,” says Kross. “We had some of the best players in the world here, and it was also a chance to show Estonian media that golf is a genuine sport!”
“It’s been part of our strategy to have one big tournament here every year. In 2026,we are hoping to host a HotelPlanner Tour (formerly the Challenge Tour) event. We’ve found it very motivating to have a goal like this to focus on.”
It was a professional tournament that led Honkalehto to the CEO position at Linna Golf, when the club played host to a Legends Tour (then European Senior Tour) event in June 2017. He was part of the organising committee, and soon afterwards took over the running of the club.
“Many things have changed since then,” he says. “The course was fantastic but as a business it was not making enough money to be sustainable. We put a new strategy in place to maximise green fee revenue and sell annual playing rights to non-shareholders.
“We set ourselves a goal of reaching 100 new members with full playing privileges. After one year we had 40, and we reached the target within three years.”
Estonian Golf & Country Club
Redesigns and renovations
Both venues have undergone significant renovations over the past two decades. At Estonian Golf & Country Club, located 25km from Tallinn, the capital, work has recently begun to expand the Stone Course from nine holes to 18. Designed by Annika Sörenstam, widely regarded as the best female golfer of all time, the new layout will complement the critically-acclaimed Sea Course, the stunning jewel in the EGCC crown that meanders along the Baltic coast.
“We wanted to do things differently,” said Kross. “Annika immediately understood our vision and the family-focused ethos of our club.”
Linna Golf, ranked the no.1 course in Finland* and 100km from the Finnish capital Helsinki, has undertaken several bunker upgrade projects and revamped the clubhouse and its surrounds. The venue has also recently installed a roof over the driving range bays and doubled the number of electric car charging points.
“It’s not just about your greens and fairways,” says Honkalehto. “In the same way that going to a restaurant is not solely about how good the steak is, it’s about the overall experience, from the moment you arrive to the moment you leave.”
Best advice
When asked what is the most valuable advice they have received – or indeed the top tips they would give someone in the embryonic stages of a golf resort – Honkalehto reiterates the importance of having a solid business plan.
“You absolutely need to have a clear business strategy,” he says. “Know where you are going and keep believing in yourself.”
Kross adds: “One of the most important things I keep reminding myself is to listen to the silent majority. In other words, there will always be a vocal minority, maybe one or three or five people, but when making decisions you cannot forget those hundreds who share the vision and aims, where we are going and how we do things.
“So the advice I would share is to keep doing what you believe in, and consult with experts when you lack expertise in something.”
Hanno Kross and Esa Honkalehto
Celebrations
Both clubs plan to throw a party for members and guests this summer to mark the occasion and celebrate their achievements since 2005.
“Golf has come a long way in Estonia in the past two decades, and that gives us a lot of pride,” reflects Kross.
“Everything we have done is to create a strong start and a solid foundation for the future of the club. It’s for the next generations.
“I hope that when the club celebrates its 100-year anniversary it can look back and see the first 20 years gave it a solid foundation on which to build its future.”
*top100golfcourses.com