Golf Vacations on Sylt: First-Class and Sustainable
In front of you is a bowl of rice pudding, perfectly plated, a rather modest portion. But Holger Bodendorf wants the portion to be exactly that size because heβs waging his own personal campaign against food waste. βIn return, guests are welcome to order more rice pudding as many times as they like,β he says, explaining his decision against lavish, excessive portions. The guest at the Stricker Country House, the only one of GreenSign certified hotel on the island Sylt, comes to appreciate the diverse selection of small dishes. After the rice pudding, he might order the fried egg, under which the shrimp are perfectly hidden. Holger Bodendorf, who has managed the hotelβa member of the Relais & ChΓ’teaux associationβsince 2001, is working on a consistent sustainability strategy that combines luxury with down-to-earth charm. And heβs doing so on an island that repeatedly runs the risk of falling victim to overtourism. After all, Sylt is visited by more than 900,000 guests every year.
Sylt – a sustainable golf destination?
Many of them are golfers, for the simple reason that Sylt, with its four 18-hole courses has since earned a reputation as a first-class German golf destination. Short distances, high-quality courses, a perfect nature experience, and a wide selection of hotels and restaurants – what more could you ask for? Much like on German golfersβ second-favorite island, Mallorca in Spain, however, Sylt is now about more than just constantly increasing the number of overnight stays and revenue. With the mottoΒ A Great Place to LiveβSustainable Sylt Sylt Marketing GmbH has launched its own initiative that brings together sustainable lodging providers, restaurants, and local manufacturers. By the end of 2026, the island will establish its binding Mission Statement, Sylt Course, whose goal is to balanceΒ environmental responsibility, economic viability, and social justice.
Social justice also applies to staff
At 7 a.m. at the Husum train station, you get a glimpse of one aspect of social justice. The train from Husum to Westerland on Sylt is full of people who, for the most part, do not speak German and who, as employees, largely serve the islandβs service sector every day. Anyone discussing golf tourism on Sylt must also consider the issue of staff. Whether theyβre hotel staff or greenkeepers on the golf courses, many of the employees commute to the island by train every day because housing on the mainlandβunlike on the islandβis still affordable. Social justice also means providing all these people with decent working conditions and, ideally, housing. This, too, is a key objective of the islandβs new sustainability strategy: To be able to offer high quality in the future, staff must also be able to expect reasonable working conditions in the long term. Employee housing right next to the Budersand golf course exemplifies this approach.
Resource-Efficient Work Practices
Features such as the use of renewable energy, energy-efficient lighting, water-saving fixtures, and eco-friendly cleaning products are standard in hotels around Sylt that are committed to sustainability. Christian Matthiesen, Marketing Specialist at the Budersand Hotel – Golf & Spa – Sylt, which has its own golf course right on its doorstep, has been committed to sustainability since the resort opened in 2009. Above all, the regional origin of the products and short transportation distances – whether for deliveries or laundry – are important to him. The approach is always such that the topic is neither overwhelming nor too obvious to the guest. As at Landhaus Stricker, the focus here is also on a luxury vacation. However, the commitment to making it as sustainable as possible is also evident in the details. Exotic flowers, for example, are a no-go. An arrangement of grasses and flowers from the island is just as pretty.
You can find all of these flowers in the roughs of golf courses. Species-rich meadows are especially common in the Marine Golf Club and in the GC Sylt among the golf courses’ flagship projects. At the Budersand Hotel β Golf & Spa β Sylt, located right at the tip of HΓΆrnum, it is the ever-present view of the majestic heathlands that reminds you that golf is so much more than just a game played on 18 manicured fairways. All three golf courses have demonstrated their commitment for years by participating in the German Golf Association’s environmental certification program Golf & Nature high standards in labor law, resource conservation, and a greenkeeping approach that focuses on healthy soil and building resilience against turf diseases rather than the quick use of pesticides.
In some areas of environmentally responsible management, there are overlaps between hotels and golf courses. During tournaments at the Budersand Golf Course, disposable tablewareβeven if it is recyclableβis consistently avoided for the halfway refreshments. Instead, porcelain plates and glasses are set on the tables. The Marine Golf Club has taken on the challenge of energy efficiency. A heat pump now provides heating there.
Travel & Sustainability Report 2026
Vacationers usually hardly notice these details. Theyβre focused on the experience, but increasingly also on the feeling that theyβve made the right decisions when planning a trip.Β According to Booking.comβsΒ Travel & Sustainability Report 2026, published in April 2026 and based on a survey of 32,500 travellers across 35 markets, 85% of travellers consider sustainable travel important or very important. 36% specifically want to choose accommodations that meet sustainability criteria. Sustainability is therefore linked to tangible quality and the long-term viability of a vacation destination.
For Holger Bodendorf, a new way of thinking within the Relais & ChΓ’teaux Associationβs Culinary Council served as a starting point. βWeβve managed to completely remove bluefin tuna from our restaurants and also protect eel,β he says, describing their successes. He himself, through Landhaus Stricker, is a member of Feinheimisch, an association of restaurateurs, hoteliers, and producers from Schleswig-Holstein who are firmly committed to regional sourcing. He has even switched tea suppliers to eliminate single-use plastic in tea bags.
Yet Holger Bodendorf is still a long way from achieving his goal of making his Landhaus Stricker even better, more down-to-earth, and more sustainable. βIβm going to see this through no matter what, and my employees have come to understand that by now.β
Hotels Sylt & Husum
BUDERSAND Hotel β Golf & Spa
Am Kai 3, 25997 HΓΆrnum/Sylt
Tel.: +49 4651 46070
Email: hotel@budersand.de
www.budersand.de
The BUDERSAND in HΓΆrnum combines a five-star hotel with one of the island’s most renowned golf courses. Located directly on the golf course, the hotel offers a spa, restaurants, and golf packages. Hotel guests receive a 20 percent discount on regular green fees at GC Budersand.
COUNTRY HOUSE STRICKER
Boy-Nielsen-StraΓe 10, 25980 Sylt/Tinnum
Tel.: +49 4651 88990
Email: info@landhaus-stricker.de
www.landhaus-stricker.com
This privately owned Relais & ChΓ’teaux hotel in Tinnum combines individually designed rooms and suites with a spacious spa area. In addition to another restaurant, the hotel also features the Michelin-starred Bodendorf’s, helmed by chef Holger Bodendorf. The spa area includes a pool, saunas, and fitness facilities. The hotel offers 38 rooms, comprising 17 rooms and 21 suites.
The Golf Courses
Golf-Club Sylt e.V.
Norderweg 5, 25996 Wenningstedt
Tel.: +49 4651 9959810
Email: info@golfclubsylt.de
www.golfclubsylt.de
Germanyβs northernmost golf course is located near Wenningstedt and features an 18-hole championship course as well as a 9-hole course. Players enjoy views of the Braderuper Heide and the Kampen Lighthouse. The facility features a driving range, a golf academy, a pro shop, and dining options. The course offers a varied layout with its gently undulating terrain, water hazards, roughs, and more than 60 green bunkers.
2026 Green Fees:
18 holes: β¬110; during the summer months from June 15 through September 15, between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m.: β¬120.
9 holes: β¬75; Sundowner starting at 4 p.m.: β¬70.
Marine Golf Club Sylt eG
Flughafen 69, 25980 Sylt/Tinnum
Tel.: +49 4651 927575
Email: info@sylt-golf.de
www.sylt-golf.de
The Marine Golf Club in Tinnum is an 18-hole links course covering approximately 80 hectares. Due to its open, coastal landscape, the course is heavily influenced by the wind. In 2011, the Marine Golf Club became the first golf course in Schleswig-Holstein to receive the DGV βGolf & Natureβ Gold Certificate.
Green fee 2026:
18 holes during peak season: β¬110; off-season: β¬90.
Sundowner: β¬70 during peak season.
A tee time reservation is required.
Budersand Sylt Golf Club
Fernsicht 1, 25997 HΓΆrnum/Sylt
Tel.: +49 4651 4492710
Email: golf@gc-budersand.de
www.gc-budersand.de
The Budersand Golf Club is a modern 18-hole links course in HΓΆrnum, nestled directly between the dunes, heathland, and the North Sea. The course features 96 distinctive pot bunkers; the hard, sandy soil creates typical links-style golfing conditions with plenty of roll and a strong influence from the wind.
Green fee:
During peak season, an 18-hole round currently costs up to 130 β¬, depending on the tee time; BUDERSAND hotel guests receive a discount.
Sylt Golf Hopping
From April 15 through June 15 and from September 15 through October 31
, you can play an 18-hole round at all three courses for a total of 269 euros.
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