Iceland and Golf, A Good Mix for Olafia Kristinsdottir

Who knew there was golf in Iceland?

Olafia Kristinsdottir of Reykjavik, Iceland posted a 6-under round of 66 on the Jones Course to sit T-10 in the second round at the final stage of the LPGA Qualifying Tournament and is in a good position to reach her goal of playing on the LPGA Tour in 2017.

Kristinsdottir played college golf at Wake Forest University and after graduation has been playing on the Ladies European Tour (LET).

“It was my dream to turn pro, so I saw some of my former teammates turning pro, and they were pretty successful, and I thought I could do it too,” said Kristinsdottir with a smile. But her ultimate goal is “playing on the LPGA, of course.”

The Iceland native, in front of a growing contingency of fans that made the trip to cheer her on as she made seven birdies and a bogey en route to a 6-under round on day two.

“Great round. I just hit it really close, putted really well, it was just very simple golf,” said Kristinsdottir.

Having played both courses, Kristinsdottir thinks they both suit her game but found the Jones course a bit more scoreable than the smaller greens on the Hills Course, but “both are good courses and good challenges.”

Thanks to a busy stretch on the LET which allowed Kristinsdottir to play more in recent weeks, she’s happy with her level of preparation and now sits in good position to earn her card on the LPGA.

“I’ve had a lot of playing time and tournament golf, so I have been preparing well.”

Many think of Iceland as a country rich with beautiful landscapes full of geysers, waterfalls, glaciers, volcanoes and black sandy beaches. But it’s surprisingly ripe for golf with 65 courses throughout the country.  Although the season is short, Icelandic golf courses provide a unique experience, especially during the midnight sun. But, the shortened season is no determent for Kristinsdottir.

“We can play golf from maybe May to September and then in summertime it sometimes 24-hours of daylight so we can really take advantage of the summers,” explained Kristinsdottier. “And then we have great indoor facilities, so we also take good advantage of.  It’s pretty tough sometimes the conditions can be really windy and rainy, and the courses are not as nice as these, but in August maybe that’s when they are peaking.”