Golfanlagen Weiland

Golfanlagen Weiland GmbH is a German golf course operator headquartered in Mannheim. It is the largest operator of golf facilities in Germany and forms part of the Weiland Gruppe, a family of companies that also includes Weiland Grünbau GmbH, Erdenwerk Mannheim GmbH and Weiland Servicegesellschaft mbH. The group employs around 180 people and shares a common management. The golf business, which has become the group's main activity, was founded in 1996 by landscape architect Hermann Weiland (born 1949), who had already planned his first courses in the early 1990s. The company operates courses in Hesse, Rhineland-Palatinate, Baden-Württemberg and Saarland. Its best-known facility is the course on the former French military training area near St. Wendel, which finished second in a 2012 Golf-Journal reader poll of Germany's best golf courses. Other facilities include Biblis-Wattenheim, Golfclub Deutsche Weinstraße in Dackenheim, Golfclub Dreihof in Essingen, the Hof Gräbenbruch course near Gernsheim (with the HOTEL absolute), Golfpark am Bachgrund in Büttelborn-Worfelden, Golfpark Trages Freigericht, Golfpark Gut Batzenhof in Karlsruhe, a short course at the Rheingoldhalle in Mannheim, and the KIAWAH Golfpark Riedstadt. The Lufthansa Golf Club has belonged to the network since 2008. Weiland markets its courses under the umbrella brand GOLF absolute. Its signature concept is Rotationsgolf®, a word mark registered with the German Patent and Trade Mark Office. It is positioned as an alternative to traditional lifetime club membership, which typically combines an annual fee with a one-off joining fee of several thousand euros and grants playing rights at only one club. Under Rotationsgolf®, a monthly membership fee for a minimum 12-month term gives access to all courses in the network without green fees, with only a small registration fee at sign-up. The concept was first marketed as "Pay one – play four" when four courses belonged to the network, and became "Pay one – play more" as the network grew to seven courses in 2006. By 2009 around 7,000 golfers were members of clubs in the network. In 2018 Hermann Weiland was named golf course operator of the year for GOLF absolute. Today the group presents itself as a public-access golf provider: all GOLF absolute facilities, restaurants and golf shops are open to the public, and beginners can try the sport through taster events and courses. Members of GOLF absolute also receive free access to the wellness area, sauna, fitness studio and swimming pool at HOTEL absolute in the Golfresort Gernsheim.

Golfanlagen Weiland GmbH traces its origins to the early 1990s, when landscape architect Hermann Weiland (born 1949) planned his first golf courses. The company itself was founded in 1996, the same year its course at Biblis-Wattenheim was completed. Weiland built four golf courses as extended resort facilities between 1991 and 2006, each including a short course for beginners without a course permit, practice facilities and dining. The company grew both by building new courses and by taking over existing ones. The Golfclub Deutsche Weinstraße in Dackenheim, founded in 1995 amid vineyards and orchards, was taken over in 2000 and expanded to 27 holes in 2004/2005. The Golfclub Dreihof in Essingen, built between 1993 and 1999 on a former estate, was also taken over in 2000. The course on the former French military training area near St. Wendel was completed in 2006 with 27 holes; its hilly, forested landscape was largely left natural, with former bastions greened and integrated. In 2006 the Hof Gräbenbruch course near Gernsheim was taken over, and a 9-hole short course with driving range opened at the Rheingoldhalle in Mannheim. The Golfpark am Bachgrund in Büttelborn-Worfelden, a 9-hole course at the time of takeover in 2006, was later expanded to 27 holes plus a 9-hole short course. The Lufthansa Golf Club, founded in 1976, joined the network in 2008, using Biblis-Wattenheim as its home course until 2016 and the Lufthansa-Course in Golfresort Gernsheim from 2017. As the network grew, so did its marketing. Until 2005, when four courses belonged to the group, the concept was marketed as "Pay one – play four". With the expansion to seven courses in 2006, the motto became "Pay one – play more" and the umbrella brand GOLF absolute was introduced. By 2009 around 7,000 golfers were members of clubs in the network. The Gernsheim site was expanded to 36 holes (completed 2013), and a hotel, HOTEL absolute, was built there in 2016. The Golfpark Trages Freigericht with its noble estate followed in 2014, the 27-hole Golfpark Gut Batzenhof in Karlsruhe was built in 2017, and the KIAWAH Golfpark Riedstadt was taken over and redesigned in 2019. In 2018 Hermann Weiland was honored as golf course operator of the year for GOLF absolute. Today the company describes itself as operating 10 golf facilities with 309 holes in the Rhine-Main-Neckar-Saar region.

• 2019

  KIAWAH Golfpark Riedstadt taken over and redesigned

• 2018

  Hermann Weiland named golf course operator of the year for GOLF absolute

• 2017

  27-hole Golfpark Gut Batzenhof in Karlsruhe built; Lufthansa-Course in Gernsheim becomes home course

• 2016

  HOTEL absolute built at Golfresort Gernsheim

• 2014

  Golfpark Trages Freigericht added

• 2013

  Gernsheim expansion to 36 holes completed

• 2012

  St. Wendel course ranks 2nd in Golf-Journal reader poll of Germany's best golf courses

• 2009

  Around 7,000 golfers are members of clubs in the network

• 2008

  Lufthansa Golf Club joins the network

• 2006

  St. Wendel 27-hole course completed; Hof Gräbenbruch taken over; 9-hole short course at Rheingoldhalle Mannheim opened; 'Pay one – play more' and GOLF absolute umbrella brand introduced

• 2005

  Concept marketed as 'Pay one – play four' with four courses

• 2004

  Dackenheim course expanded to 27 holes (completed 2004/2005)

• 2000

  Takeover of Golfclub Deutsche Weinstraße (Dackenheim) and Golfclub Dreihof (Essingen)

• 1996

  Golfanlagen Weiland GmbH founded by Hermann Weiland; Biblis-Wattenheim course completed

Public-access golf with flexible, multi-course membership under the Rotationsgolf® concept, positioned as an alternative to traditional single-club lifetime memberships.

• Rotationsgolf® membership

  Monthly-fee membership for a minimum 12-month term granting play on all network courses without green fees; only a registration fee at sign-up.

• Public green fee play

  All GOLF absolute facilities, restaurants and golf shops are open to the public.

• Golf courses and practice facilities

  10 golf facilities with 309 holes, each including short courses, practice areas and dining.

• HOTEL absolute

  4-star business and golf hotel at Golfresort Gernsheim with wellness area, sauna, fitness studio and pool free for GOLF absolute members.

• Pay one – play four
• Pay one – play more

1. 1GOLF absolute official websitegolf-absolute.de
2. 2Golfanlagen Weiland – Wikipedia (German)de.wikipedia.org
3. 3Golfanlagen Weiland – Wikidatawikidata.org