Estonian Golf & Country Club (EGCC) will host both the European Amateur Team Championship and Estonia’s first-ever professional golf tournament this summer, a twin milestone for the Baltic venue 25 minutes from Tallinn.
The European Amateur Team Championship is scheduled for 7–11 July on the club’s Sea Course, while the Infortar Estonian Challenge, part of the HotelPlanner Tour, runs from 30 July to 2 August. The professional event carries a €300,000 prize fund, with €48,000 going to the winner, and is expected to draw a 156-player field.
Sam Townend, Chief Executive of the HotelPlanner Tour, said: “Estonia will become the 52nd country to host a stage of the HotelPlanner Tour and the first new country since 2020. We expect 156 top-class players from across the globe, including rising stars and golfers who have already earned millions over their careers.”
A Route to the DP World Tour
The Infortar Estonian Challenge sits on the 2026 Road to Mallorca schedule, the HotelPlanner Tour’s season-long ranking that serves as a pathway to the DP World Tour. The Estonian Golf Association said it has signed a three-year agreement with the European Tour Group to bring the event to EGCC, with the total cost of organising three editions exceeding €1.5 million.
Ain Hanschmidt, President of the Estonian Golf Association, said the tournament creates an opportunity for Estonian golfers and adds another international event to the country’s sporting calendar alongside Rally Estonia, the Tallinn Marathon, and Ironman.
The Sea Course
EGCC’s flagship Sea Course is an 18-hole championship layout set along the Jägala River delta. The course, designed by Finnish architect Lassi-Pekka Tilander and opened in 2006, stretches beyond 7,000 yards with a 40-metre elevation change and is ranked among Continental Europe’s top 100.
Hanno Kross, CEO of Estonian Golf & Country Club, said the venue’s hosting record underpins its selection: “Since our founding 20 years ago, we have worked closely with the European Tour to bring world-class expertise to Estonia in both golf development and course management. We have already hosted seven European Championships at our Sea Course. It’s a great honour that the European Tour and the Estonian Golf Association have chosen us from among all Estonian courses to provide professionals with a beautiful yet challenging venue.”
EGCC is part of the European Tour Properties network and currently offers 27 holes across the Sea Course and the 9-hole Stone Course.
The Annika Course
Alongside the 2026 tournament programme, EGCC is building a new 18-hole championship course designed by Annika Sörenstam in collaboration with European Golf Design. The Annika Course will stretch over 6,400 metres and is intended to offer a playing style distinct from the Sea Course while remaining accessible to golfers of all levels. The first nine holes are scheduled to open in August 2027.
Sörenstam visited the construction site in September 2025 with European Golf Design architect Gary Johnston, AS EGCC Chairman Mait Schmidt, and Head of Course Maintenance Andri Schmidt to review progress ahead of the planned opening.
Local Interest
Richard Teder, an EGCC member and one of Estonia’s leading young golfers, will compete in the Infortar Estonian Challenge. Teder qualified for The Open Championship at Royal Portrush as an amateur last year and is regarded as one of the Baltic region’s strongest golfing prospects. His appearance gives the event a local storyline alongside the international field.
The Infortar Estonian Challenge tees off on 30 July.
Simon Bale
Simon Bale is the publisher of Golf Today. A low single-figure handicap golfer, he was previously a major shareholder and course reviewer for Top100GolfCourses.com for over a decade, starting in 2010. Through this role, he developed extensive knowledge of golf course design and architecture while playing more than 300 courses worldwide.
Simon is also the founder of Media Drive, a leading digital golf marketing agency which he successfully directed from 2008 to 2024.
As a lifelong student of the game, Simon takes an analytical approach to both equipment technology and swing mechanics—insights sharpened by two years working in a pro shop under the guidance of experienced professional Rae Sargent, alongside 15 years in equipment marketing. His deep understanding of the elite and professional game is further reinforced by his role as the father of elite-level Surrey county player Henry Bale, and by the strategic partnerships he forged with the PGA Tour and DP World Tour (DPWT) throughout his career at Media Drive.
He has now turned his full attention to covering all aspects of the sport for Golf Today, regularly attending tour events and visiting global golf destinations to deliver authentic, first-hand reviews and original imagery.