Tradition
with History

As one of the oldest golf courses in Switzerland, it thrilled professionals and amateurs equally since 1905.
Book 100 years Golf Club Bad Ragaz

14.03.1868

The canton of St. Gallen grants Bernhard Simon a licence for the use of the thermal water in the Tamina gorge. Bernhard Simon acquires the Hof Ragaz and other plots of land in Ragaz.

01.04.1868

Construction work begins on the Grand Hotel Quellenhof.

12.11.1903

Authorisation by the Ragaz municipal assembly of the lease agreement with the Simon brothers, Ragaz, for a plot of land in the “Heulöser” area of Ragaz.


1904

Construction of a 9-hole golf course (distances between 146 and 536 yards) in the “Heulöser” area..

01.04.1905
Official opening of the club house.

1908
An engraving on the oldest surviving trophy (of the Ladies Challenge Cup) tells us that the winner in 1908 was a Miss Gladys Thomson.

ab 1933
Venue for the Ragaz-Davos Cup (now a friendly event).

ab 1934
Venue for the Upper Rhein Championship or Championnat de l’Oberrhein for men and ladies.


1942

The golf course in “Heulöser” falls victim to the Ragaz Farming Initiative (Wahlen Agricultural Plan). The following crops are planted: potatoes (6.6 ha), corn (7.0 ha), summer barley (3.0 ha), carrots and summer barley (2.0 ha).

1953
The industrialists Dr Max Schmidheiny, Dr Claudio Caroni-Jaberg, Dr René Bühler, Max Albrecht and Max Stoffel decide that a golf course is indispensable for the hotel business.


1955

Architect Hawtree (Addington, England) draws up a report for a golf course with 18 holes and a total length of around 6,200 yards.

10.01.1956
Donald Harradine presents his assessment of Hawtree’s plan.

17.01.1956
Formal foundation of the Golf Club Bad Ragaz as an association pursuant to Article 60 et seqq. of the Swiss Civil Code (Zivilgesetzbuch, ZGB). Dr Ernst Eugster becomes the first Chairman (until 1977).

1956
Construction of a 9-hole course in the Giessenpark area.

12.11.1956
Conclusion of a lease agreement between the Golf Club Bad Ragaz and the Bad- und Kuranstalten Ragaz-Pfäfers.


15.06.1957

Play gets under way on the new 9-hole course.

31.12.1957
Club membership comprises 133 active members, 2 honorary members and 6 juniors.

18.05.1958
Official opening of the 9-hole course (construction costs: CHF 165,713.05).

July 1958
Proposals published for the extension of the course to 18 holes (budget: CHF 104,000.–)..

1958 to 1959
Extension of the course to 18 holes (definitive costs: CHF 104,379.–).

1963
Construction of the club house at its current location.


1988

Construction of a multi-purpose outbuilding (costs: CHF 1,500,723.10).

15.5.1991

Termination of the lease agreement with the Golf Club Bad Ragaz by the thermal baths and Grand Hotels.

2.11.1991

Approval of the new club constitution and of the cooperation agreement and regulations with the thermal baths and Grand Hotels Bad Ragaz.

1997

PGA European Senior Tour in Bad Ragaz.

2000

Renovation of the club house (costs: CHF 3.7 million).


2005

Centenary of the Golf Club Bad Ragaz.

2007

Member of the Leading Golf Courses Switzerland association.

2008

The golf course is awarded 5* by the German Golf Course Owners Association.

2009

The Grand Resort Bad Ragaz is named Golf Hotel of the Year and the Golf Club Bad Ragaz Golf Course of the Year by Swiss Golf.

2010

The golf course is awarded 5* Superior by the German Golf Course Owners Association.


2011

With the hosting of the 15th Bad Ragaz PGA Seniors Open, the Golf Club Bad Ragaz becomes the venue for not only the most popular, but also the oldest tournament of the European Senior Tour to be held at the same venue. The Golf Restaurant is awarded 13 GaultMillau points.

2012

16th Bad Ragaz PGA Seniors Open with total prize money of EUR 280,000.–. The Golf Restaurant is again awarded 13 GaultMillau points..

2013

17th Bad Ragaz PGA Seniors Open with total prize money of EUR 280,000.–. The Golf Restaurant is once again awarded 13 GaultMillau points.


2014

18th Bad Ragaz PGA Seniors Open with total prize money of EUR 280,000.–. The Golf Restaurant is once again awarded 13 GaultMillau points.

2015

19. Austragung des Bad Ragaz PGA Seniors Open erstmals unter dem Namen Swiss Seniors Open und einem Preisgeld von EUR 300'000. Der Golf Platz wird vom Bundesverband Golfanlagen e.V. mit 5* Superior ausgezeichnet. Wiederum erhält das Golf Restaurant 13 GaultMillau Punkte und zudem die Auszeichnung des Guide Bleu.


2016

20 years of world-class golf in Bad Ragaz – 20th Swiss Seniors Open with total prize money of EUR 300,000.–. The American Tim Thelen prevails over the other top players on the European Senior Tour to win the anniversary tournament.

  • The golf course is awarded 5* Superior by the German Golf Course Owners Association.
  • The Golf Restaurant is awarded 14 GaultMillau points.
  • The old, venerable clubhouse is demolished on 19 September, and construction of the new building begins.
  • The renovation work on the course enters its second and final phase, having commenced in 2015 as part of the Niklausenbächli project.

2016

2016 An extraordinary accolade in the golfing world is bestowed on us two weeks after the Swiss Seniors Open: Just 20 hours after the British Open, 17 of the world’s best golfers tee off in Bad Ragaz – among them The Open champions Henrik Stenson, Rory McIlroy, Rickie Fowler, Lee Westwood, Luke Donald, Adam Scott, Billy Horschel and Bernd Wiesberger. Together with a selection of leading figures in international business, they had joined the charity tournament at the invitation of Sergio García, held by the foundation that bears his name.


2017

2017 On 29 April 2017, the Grand Resort Bad Ragaz opened the new home of the Golf Club Bad Ragaz precisely on schedule. The modern building houses the new Golf Restaurant gladys, the Golf Shop, the Golf Office, changing rooms, and caddy and equipment rooms. It can also accommodate non-golf-related events.

Switzerland’s best-maintained course

In early 2017, we were presented with an award in recognition of our efforts: the readers of the Golf Leader magazine voted the 18-hole PGA Championship Course Switzerland’s best-maintained course.


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