The weather in Iceland and Icelands natural phenomena on golfcourses

It is of interest to any Icelander to know how the rest of the world perceives Iceland. What on earth comes to mind in the minds of foreigners when they think of Iceland?  Having lived abroad (a.o. in Germany, the US and France) and travelled quite a bit in the world, my foreign friends have always asked me whether it isn´t terribly cold in Iceland?…  just going by the name of the country.  Some had even acquired more knowledge stateing they knew that Iceland was „green” and Greenland „icy.”  True.

Hmmm? Is Iceland green? Here: Iceland seen during wintertime from space

Alas, Iceland is not green all year round.  We, Icelanders can thank Heaven for the gulf stream that encircles our beloved country and keeps the climate here temperate. We don´t get terribly cold winters nor terribly hot summers.  It´s known to snow heavily in wintertime especially in the northern and western part of the country and we do get temperatures below 0°C, but quite recently Icelanders are experiencing seasons, for example long autumns / (i.e. falls for my American friends) although the short spring here always seems to fade into summer.

Apart from what conclusions can be drawn from the name of the country, what springs to mind when one thinks of Iceland?

Iceland is rightly called the island of fire and ice. Here the from the erruption of Eyjafjallajökull in 2010.

Most people know after the „Eyjafjallajökul-incident” that Iceland has alot of volcanos (to be exact 30 active volcanic systems, of which 13 have erupted since the settlement of Iceland in 874 AD.).

Masses of ash from Eyjafjallajökull stopped airtraffic all over the world in 2010.

Eyja – fjalla – jökull (lit.: Island – Mountain – Glacier) which could be translated something in the direction of the Glacier of Islandmountains erupted in 2010 and spewed large amounts of volcanic ash in the sky, which stopped airtraffic in Europe for weeks. Eyjafjallajökull, like its name suggests (the jökull in the end meaning glacier) has a relatively small volcano (Icelandic standard)  underneath its icecap. People all over Europe and the world for that matter were trying to pronounce this strange name „Eyjafjallajökull” and many funny versions appeared, much to the delight or also dismay of Icelanders.

OK – so far we now that it´s not so cold in Iceland, but not too warm either. Iceland has volcanos and hence alot of lava fields and glaciers (about 11.1% of the country is covered by glaciers and ice-caps and it has the largest glacier in Europe: Vatnajökull (lit.: The Glacier of Waters).

Apart from the contrasts volcanos (fire) and glaciers (ice) – Iceland is known as the land of fire and ice – it is known for another contrast its cold, beautiful waterfalls (if you count all sizes it´s impossible to guess the real number) and it´s extremely hot geysirs (around 800). Geysir in Haukadal is by far the most famous hot spring and “The Golden Waterfall”  (in Icelandic: Gullfoss) in close vicinity the most beautiful waterfall.

On the 7th fairway a par-3 hole of Meðaldals golf course in Þingeyri in the western part of Iceland you´ll find a waterfall right on the golf course (which is a 9 hole one). Photo: BB

Now on a golf website why would anyone talk about the weather and natural phenomena such as volcanoes, glaciers, waterfalls and geysirs?

Because, perhaps unlike any other country in the world golf in Iceland can be enjoyed in exciting settings near these 4 types of natural phenomena. In some cases they even play a key role.

Volcano: Hvaleyrin, Oddur og Vestmanna-Islands, Hella, Vík. From the Hella golf course you see the majestic vulcano Hekla. In the other golf courses mentioned you play in lava fields.

From the Geysir golfcourse in Iceland. You can see the geysir Strokkur spout in the background. The golf course which is a 9 hole one right by the world famous Geysir is unique for many reasons,  it´s challenging and a good exercise in pin point golf. You´ve got to stay on the fairways – you´re lost if you´re in the rough. Photo: Golf 1.

Geysir: Geysisvöllur, GG, GHG.

Glacier: Golf Club Höfn í Hornafirði  (abbreviated: GHH) From GHH´s Silfurnesvöllur (literally: the Silver Peninsula Golf Course) there is a beautiful view on Vatnajökull, the largest glacier in Iceland and the one glacier covering the largest area in Europe (approximately 8% of Iceland)

Waterfall: Flúðir – Meðaldalsvöllur – Jaðarinn/Lundsvöllur/Húsavík/Ásbyrgi  – in some of the mentioned golfcourses you drive past some of Iceland´s most beautiful waterfals or are in the vicinity of them. Only on Meðaldalsvöllur in the western part of Iceland, there actually is a waterfall right on the golfcourse!

Ragnheiður Jónsdóttir, Editor in Chief Golf1.is