Grand Resort Bad Ragaz in Switzerland has unveiled a major renovation of its championship golf course with all 18 greens of the par-70 layout having being relaid and a new irrigation system installed in order to enhance the playing experience at the popular tour venue.
Working with internationally renowned golf course architect Peter Harradine, the updates set a new benchmark in sustainability, resource efficiency, and course quality.
After three years of testing sand mixtures and grass varieties suited to the local climate, all 18 greens have been rebuilt from scratch to meet the highest agronomic standards. Using a specialised quartz sand mix, ceramic granules, and durable Agrostis stolonifera turf, the enhancements reduce the use of water, fertiliser and chemicals, while improving consistency and resilience.
The most striking change is on the 12th hole, where a new lake now sits in front of the green, adding strategic challenge to the course’s signature hole, while the lake itself integrates seamlessly into the course’s landscape and gameplay design.
The irrigation was also upgraded with a Toro Lynx system that tracks soil moisture, temperature, wind, and evaporation and several tee areas were enlarged or raised.
Commenting on the improvements, Ralph Polligkeit, Director of Golf & Sports at Grand Resort Bad Ragaz, said: “Overseeing and implementing this project was a special task for me. After 25 years on this course, I am more than familiar with every single hole, its quirks, its character, and its specific challenges. I am therefore all the more excited to experience the newly designed greens, along with other modifications to the 18-hole layout, together with our members and guests.”
Since its founding in 1905, Golf Club Bad Ragaz has featured regularly as a host venue on the professional tours, with the Swiss Senior Open having been held here over 25 times since 1996, making it the longest-running tournament on the Legends Tour – formerly the European Seniors Tour – schedule.
Nestled amidst the foothills of the Alps in Eastern Switzerland, an hour’s drive from Zurich, the Grand Resort Bad Ragaz boasts two five-star hotels, the Grand Hotel Quellenhof & Spa Suites and the Grand Hotel Hof Ragaz, and offers guests 233 rooms and suites and an exclusive health and spa experience.
The resort is home to one of the best healthcare and nutrition centres in Europe, while the exclusive thermal spa offers a range of different pools, all of which use body-temperature thermal water. The resort also boasts seven restaurants, with a total of six Michelin stars, as well as three bars, a sushi takeaway, a bistro and a café.