REGION
Our Course Is Different Every Day
A suburban playground that attracts inhabitants of Havířov, Karviná, Orlová and Ostrava.
The jubilee tenth year brought sixty-one tournaments and events; the highlight of the whole season
was the public Lipiny Cup 2021 tournament. Lipiny Golf Resort is betting on a favourable pricing
policy and its manager, Pavel Malina, wants to improve it every year.
Time flies fast—this year your resort celebrates its tenth
birthday. What were these years like?
Yes, we recently opened a suburban course on
a greenfield and, I dare to say, not a very golf-friendly
location, and now we have already had our tenth season.
The Lipiny Golf Resort lies next to the main road between
Ostrava and Karviná. I remember that after the opening,
there was a lot of swearing from the passing cars at
the golfers who were practising on the driving range.
Golf was simply portrayed in the media as a sport for
the wealthy elite and locals were initially very sceptical
about our course. I used to hear questions like ‘Who is
going to go there? Just the rich and privileged again’, but
thanks to the owner we were able to set a favourable
pricing policy from the start so the sport has become
accessible, especially to families with children.
Pavel Malina first encountered golf in 2001. He gained
experience in the United Arab Emirates and the USA,
but eventually landed in Karviná. Among other things,
he worked as a tennis coach and snowboard instructor.
Can you mention some of the successes of your golfers?
You will certainly find young talented golfers here, for
example, Matyáš Sliwka, a two-time Club Master, who
started golf in the first years of the resort's operation as part
of the introductory golf foundation. Another great talent is
Vojta Mazurek, three-time Master of the Lipiny Golf Club.
Do players from Poland or Slovakia also come to you?
It is particularly golfers from Poland who have found their
way to us. Golf prices in Poland are completely different and
they don't have nearly as many courses as we do.
Text: redakce
Foto: archiv Golf
resort Lipiny
78 ǀ POSITIV
Are there any big changes caused by mining? Or does
the average player not notice them?
The average player does not recognize the difference, but
who knows what it will look like in ten years. Maybe we'll
play nine uphill instead of downhill.
1/2022
Can you tell us what we can look forward to
at the Lipiny Golf Resort this year?
You can look forward to a well-prepared course, nice
staff, public and club tournaments and events, and even
new driving balls.
What about you and golf? Do you like to play? How
long have you been playing and how do you enjoy
playing on your course?
I started playing golf in 2001 in the United Arab Emirates,
where I worked as a tennis coach for twelve years.
But there wasn't much to do that year after the 9/11
attacks, so I took up golf, as it was my work benefit.
I continued my work on the golf course in the USA and
after returning home, in Čeladná, and now in Karviná.
I play golf for fun and the saying, "Bogey golf, good
golf" applies to me.
You mentioned the United Arab Emirates. What took
you to that country?
That would probably be a longer story, but fate took
me there when I was nineteen years old in 1994 and
it ended up being twelve years of my life. I got twenty
pounds from my parents for the trip, there were no
bank cards, no internet. A minute phone call home cost
120CZK, a totally different world. I worked in various
clubs, hotels, as a tennis coach. Back then Dubai was
just a big village. It wasn't always easy, but what doesn't
kill you makes you stronger.
What are you responsible for in Karviná?
I take care of the administration of the resort,
the marketing and, when the receptionist gets sick, I sit
at the reception desk or on the mower.
The golf course in Karviná celebrated ten years. If you
were to look into the future, what would the next
decade look like?
I'm an optimist, so it will be great!
Mr Malina, thank you very much for the interview.