Andrew Darke

The narrow road leading from the Felben district towards the golf course blends harmoniously into the landscape: lush fields to the right and left, a hay barn here, a wooden bench there, inviting cyclists and walkers to take a break. The drive to the golf course is somehow soothing. So is arriving there. People greet one another warmly here; everyone has a smile on their face and is in good spirits. And Andrew, of course. He exudes a sense of calm and contentment that is infectious. You can tell at first glance that the golf course is his home.

Andrew Darke – Andy – is as much a part of the Mittersill Golf Course as the whipped cream on a sundae. All his life, he has been inspiring people from near and far to take up the sport he is so passionate about. He has been a golf instructor in Mittersill for over 20 years. For him, golf is the best thing in the world. What fascinates him most about it is that anyone can play the sport – from the very young to the very old. “Our oldest member is Brunhilde. She’s 88 years old, trains with me once a week and plays a round every day,” he explains. In Andy’s view, the image of golf is still a problem. Many believe that golf is only for the ‘top 10,000’, for the ‘elite’. Every day, he tries to make it clear to anyone interested that this is absolutely not the case. Golf is good for your health – both for physical fitness and for your mental well-being.

When asked whether he sometimes longs for the home of his childhood, he replies with a smile, in his refined, gentlemanly English manner: “Mittersill is my home. But when I get homesick for Britain, I treat myself to a packet of ‘McVities’ biscuits and a cup of black tea with milk.”