Kytäjä North-West

Our hotel for the night at Kytäjä, once home to some of the 1,000 workers on one of Europe's largest farms, reopened two years ago after a superb, fully digital renovation.

After a splendid breakfast in the classy, modern clubhouse, we were off to the tee of our second course at this high-quality resort.

The North-West course begins between the practice and chipping areas and the driving range. The club’s genial chief executive promised us an easier round, and it proved to be true.

This course features more generous fairways than its sibling, making it less challenging to find greens in regulation. Still, it presents plenty of obstacles, demanding smart strategy for the best results.

Its opening hole mirrored our previous day on the South-East, requiring a drive over water. The approach then needed to weave between a quartet of bunkers on the left and one on the right.

The third is one of the North-West’s most picturesque holes, echoing the previous day with a dogleg around an ecological wetland where birds chirped loudly.

I was fortunate to carry the trouble, but, alas, Mrs. W's ball found it. The fifth was another favorite, bending right with a sequence of sand traps awaiting those who fancied taking on the corner. Its green is beautifully framed by the forest.

The contrast between woodland and water is Kytäjä’s hallmark, highlighted by the ninth hole where the drive must aim towards a lake to avoid bunkers on the left.

Approaches need to avoid more traps guarding a green, which has a lovely wooden halfway hut in the background.

I felt the second nine of the North-West course offered more drama, starting with the short par-four tenth.

This hole begins in the open, then rises sharply to a target nestled back in the forest.

I narrowly missed a birdie but came even closer on the lovely par-three 11th, which features a trio of left-side bunkers, prompting players to feed the ball onto a green that slopes from the right.

Mrs. W and I were both delighted to reach the green’s top tier; my putt looked destined to drop but clipped the flag, resting an inch from the cup. I cursed, as I usually remove the pin before putting.

My pleasing run of pars continued on the curving par-five 12th, whose target lies 30 yards beyond a stream.

The thin, tall pines to its rear enhance this hole's beauty. Huge Christmas trees line the tee of the 13th, demanding a drive over water and inside of fairway bunkers on either side.

However, the real excitement came on the walk to the 14th tee when Mrs. W shrieked, having seen a snake! It slipped across the path too fast to be photographed.

Kytäjä is truly at one with nature and is possibly the most tranquil venue we have ever played. We saw dragonflies, butterflies, and a deer, in addition to the snake, while the only sound was the constant and sometimes intense chatter of the many bird varieties.

Our game reached critical moments as we approached the finale, beginning with the lovely par-three 15th, whose main defence is a stream in front of the green.

The 16th is a gem of a hole with an elevated tee, a lake on the left, and thick forest on the right. We both avoided disaster, keeping the game alive.

Kytäjä’s chief executive advised us to visit the back tee of the 17th to admire the property's view from its highest point.

We did so but were thankful we were driving from more advanced positions because, once again, water lurked on the left and sand filled the horizon on the right of this par-five. I struck a dreamy third shot into the perched green, thinking I'd finish our match, only to three-putt under the gaze of nearby green staff.

So, I held the narrowest of leads as I pulled a dismal drive into a bunker on the left-hand side of a fairway that emerges from the woods into a glorious open vista. Mrs. W was safely on the fairway, and I could sense her hoping for me to blow up.

Thankfully, from my perspective, I didn't oblige, striking a handsome shot from the sand before lacing a six-iron against the wind to a foot from the flag.

The tap-in par not only secured a win in our fun match but felt like a fitting climax to two days on one of Europe's best resorts. Kytäjä truly deserves its growing reputation.