Golf holidays: Fairways fit for fair maidens at the Czech course with its own chateau

By Scott Warren

Immaculate: The Casa Serena golf course is a sea of green


Halfway through a tour of Chateau Roztez our host ushers us into the intimate chapel and smiles as our jaws hit the floor (and not for the first time).

'We have two churches here,' our host says in a whisper. 'This is our church of religion. Outside you will see that our designer Robin Hiseman has created a cathedral of golf.'

Hiseman is standing nearby, turning a bright shade of scarlet at the compliment. It's enough to ensure all present refer to him as 'The Cardinal' for the rest of the visit.

Grand inside and out, Chateau Roztez and the adjoining Casa Serena golf course are the product of three people's desire to create something special in these hills 50 miles from Prague.

Terry Gou, CEO of consumer electronics giant Foxconn, dreamed of creating a private escape as a gift for his wife Serena. He found the dilapidated chateau in the Czech hamlet of Roztez in 2001, and knew he had his spot. Surrounded by hundreds of acres of gently rolling farmland, it would also allow him to fulfil a dream of building a world-class golf course.

Maureen Chang, Serena's good friend and wife of Mr Gou's Czech-based executive Jim Chang, oversaw the chateau's transformation back to its glory days and gave European Golf Design's Robin Hiseman an expansive rolling canvas and a simple instruction to build a 'world-class golf course'.

The tragedy of the piece is that Serena didn't live to see what her husband, her friend and a bold young Berkshire-based designer managed to create. But with her name now representing one of the most exciting, luxurious and exclusive new golf resorts in Europe, her legacy is impressive.

From its grand opening in 2008, hosting a PGA Tour tournament (the Casa Serena Open is now an annual event contested each September), Casa Serena and Chateau Roztez were, for the other 51 weeks of the year, entirely private to Mr Gou and his employees and friends.

But an immense pride in what they have created has led to the decision to welcome corporate bookings, opening up a special experience to those who wish to see how the other half live.


Opulent: One of the rooms at the Chateau Roztez, which has been restored to antique majesty
For me, the enjoyment of any travel experience starts with the food (doubly so when the days entail spending every daylight minute on the golf course).

My Chateau Roztez experience started with food.

No sooner had we arrived and been shown to our enormous suites than we were seated at the regal dining table and put through our paces with cream of broccoli soup, a tender fillet of beef and cheesecake: simple food cooked and presented to perfection.

Accompanying that were those amazing glasses of wine that never seem to get past half-empty.


The Casa Roztez has been restored to make any stay as relaxing as possible after a day on the course


The chateau itself is filled with 17th Century antique furniture and the best modern fittings. The timber floors are unmarked, not an ounce of dust to be seen, and where the right piece of authentic furniture wasn't found in the property, it was purchased to complete the feeling that - electricity aside - you could well be living 400 years ago among Bohemia's elite.

It's the little things that make a luxury experience worth the investment and Chateau Roztez could not have executed the 'one percenters' any better.

The chateau is a maze of tasteful decoration, from numerous sitting zones to a cigar room, library, music area with grand piano, the magnificent chapel and an ample cellar.


Away from the fairway, the chateau boasts a library for post-round relaxation


The only part not restored to its original 17th-century appearance is a series of meeting rooms equipped with every possible piece of high-tech equipment. But from a man whose company builds computers for a living, would you expect anything less?

In keeping with the luxury of the chateau, Casa Serena is a golf course where every last detail has been attended to.

And just as the chateau is immaculate throughout, the golf course boasts a green-keeping staff that most leading British clubs would envy - despite just a handful of rounds being played on its lush surface each week.

As a result, the crew has the course in major-championship condition at all times, the fairways a carpet of green, and an ocean of golden fescue separating the holes. The greens run fast and true, and the many bunkers provide a sea of pristine sand.

But this is far from just a pretty face. Hiseman has crafted a course that rewards the brave player, while always giving the lesser golfer a bail-out zone to play to.

After winning the inaugural Casa Serena Open, German legend Bernhard Langer remarked that he doubted any amateur golfer could play to his or her handicap on the layout.

When more than 100 international media played the course in June ahead of this year's tournament, only one player managed to do that (and humility prevents me from revealing who that was).

Just a few miles away is the charming town of Kutna Hora, perfect for keeping non-golfers occupied if they find themselves looking for something more than rest and relaxation.

Dating to 1142, it is UNESCO World Heritage-protected, with the late Gothic St Barbara's Cathedral standing as the centrepiece of the town - along with the Italian Court, a former royal residence and mint. St James's is another Gothic church, featuring a 300-foot tower.

The region has a colourful history, having been part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia, Czechoslovakia, and now the Czech Republic... all since 1806.

Whether visiting for business, pleasure or a combination of the two, it's hard to imagine a venue making a more striking impression than Chateau Roztez and Casa Serena. Both the chateau and the golf course are in as perfect condition as you could dream of, and the welcome is as warm as you will find anywhere.

Travel factsCorporate and other private bookings for Casa Serena and Chateau Roztez are available by arrangement, visit www.casaserena.biz or call +420 234 093 466.

The property is located 40 miles from Prague and 80 miles from Brno. British Airways (www.ba.com) and Czech Airlines (www.czechairlines.co.uk) fly to Prague from London Heathrow, Gatwick, Luton and Stansted and also to Brno from Stansted. Prices start from £50 one way.


source: dailymail