Just below the Arctic Circle, nestled among the fjords of Iceland is the fishing city, Akureyri. Pronounced “aa·kr·ay·ree”, this city, known as the “capital” of northern Iceland, holds a gem of a golf experience that many casual golfers may not have heard of before.
Who can blame them? When it comes to golf many of us avoid any chance of inclement weather when we tee it up. As for golf destinations, golfers don’t often seek out locations with the word “ice” in its name for a golf trip.
Akureyri is home to the aptly named Akureyri Golf Club, host of the “Arctic Open” an event that takes place every June during (you guessed it) the summer solstice. Created in 1986, this unique event is one of – if not the only – golf event in the world that allows golfers to tee off at 11pm at night and play during the VERY early hours of the morning. Encroaching darkness may be a concern for those at lower latitudes but in Iceland, the “midnight sun”, allows golfers to traverse the course without delay or visibility issues creating 24-hours of golf during the summer months.
Spread out over two days, the Arctic Open pits players against one another in a Stableford format across two rounds with winners crowned among various flights and age-groups. The event draws a large amount of interest each year. Participant totals are normally capped around 120 golfers of varying skill levels. The result? An intimate event that allows golf diehards to experience a challenging golf landscape in a country that is only home to fifteen, 18-hole courses and 50, 9-hole courses across a land mass roughly the size of Virginia.
Talk about the land of fire and ice.


