Breaking the Laws of Jante

1. You're not to think you are anything special

2. You're not to think you are as good as we are

In 1933, Danish-Norwegian author, Aksel Sandemose, wrote the satirical novel ‘A Fugitive Crosses His Tracks’. In it, he introduces the "10 Laws of Jante," which govern the fictional town where the protagonist grows up.

Through his dystopian manifesto, Sandemose used Jante to critique the oppressive social norms he believed had stifled progress in Scandinavia for centuries. The sentiment endured. Now, the term ‘janteloven’ is thrown around colloquially across Scandinavia to describe an attitude of disdain for acts of ambition and individualism.

3. You're not to think you are smarter than we are.

4. You're not to imagine yourself better than we are.

60 years later, on the north west coast of Norway on an island called Lofoten, a farmer called Tor Alfred declared to his wife and children his desire to build the ‘the most awesome golf course in the world’.

Jante, we have a problem. 

Cancer took Tor’s life before he could enact his plan. Thankfully, his vision lived on through his son. A homemade documentary filmed in 1998, captures Frode Hov battling driving snow to attend a council meeting that would determine the future of his family’s golf course.

‘When I tell people it's going to be the world’s most awesome course, they laugh…the politicians say we could help out on the farm if we didn’t do it. That provoked me, they try to stifle all rethinking in the countryside.’

In 1998, 6 golf holes emerged from the soil in Gimsoya and Lofoten Links was born.

Fast forward to 2024 and Lofoten Links has cracked the Official World Top 100, receiving rave reviews not only for its beauty but for the thoughtfulness of its layout.

The rumbling call of the ultimate Norwegian golf adventure billowed loudly through the MANORS office.

***

A 3 hour flight from London to Oslo, another 1.5 hour flight to Harstad-Narvik and 3 hours driving through epic Norwegian fjords brings us to our destination.

Pin flags and bunkers appear amongst the untouched wilderness, partially obscured by large angular boulders. As we approach the modest clubhouse, the iconic second hole emerges. I point to it and tap my crew mates’ shoulders like an irritating kid who's just spotted his favourite celebrity.

We make a bee line for the base of Hoven, the iconic sorting hat shaped monolith that frames many of the course’s tee shots. We’re 130 kilometres into the Arctic circle: but it's almost 20 degrees. The camera crew puff in displeasure as we ascend, but we soon reap our reward. A 360 degree panoramic from Hoven’s peak encompasses one of the most spectacular views I’ve ever seen. A clear blue sky drapes over cavernous fjords and into the shimmering Norwegian Sea that laps against bright white sand beaches. From this elevation, Lofoten Golf Course appears laughably simple. Plotting my way from fairway to green between the rocks and heather, I plan my attack.

But the golf must wait. We check in to our comfortable Lofoten Links Cabins and make our way to the nearby beach for our first taste of Norwegian culture. A tube shaped wood fired sauna sits by the grass on the inland side of the sandy cove.

More than simply a method of self care, the sauna is a 10,000 year old pillar of Scandinavian culture. Created by means of survival during harsh Finnish winters, caves were enclosed with animal skins and heated with fire. The caves, now sterilised by the smoke, could be heated continuously by pouring water on the rocks. Within these walls children were born, Gods worshipped and elderly passed. These were more than saunas, they were liminal spaces between this earth and the next. An old proverb states: ‘Two places are holy: church and sauna’.

We strip off and head inside, pour some water on the hissing coals and wait for the sweats. Rushing back out the door we set a pace to the Arctic water and stumble in.

Back to sauna, back to sea.

It's after 7pm when we finally dust off the clubs, but there’s no rush. Like a stubborn dinner guest, the sun sticks around until after 11pm. If we had come a month earlier, the sun wouldn’t have set at all.

Katie, Head of Marketing at Lofoten, greets us excitedly as we enter the makeshift pro shop. Her accent isn’t a local one, she’s from Iowa. I can sense the energy exuding from her, it stands out like an aurora amongst her Norwegian colleagues. She pulls us aside and with a sense of relief, showers us in enthusiasm for her new back garden.

5. You're not to think you know more than we do.

6. You're not to think you are more important than we are.

We limber up on the opening tee in front of a fairway that curves around the rocky bay to the left. It's a short hole but our legs are weak from the morning climb. The sea and the rough to the right demand our attention, but we must resist.

Jacob Sjoman’s image of the Northern Lights shining above the 2nd hole puts it in contention for most iconic par 3 in Europe. A green sits amidst a horse shoe shape of car sized boulders that escalate to a subtle peak directly behind the flag. A sandy spit stretches out to the ominous rocky outcrop, connecting it to the mainland. For all of its macho facade, a wedge is all thats required to hoist you safely aboard.

Beside the green sits the 3rd tee which demands a 260 yard carry over the Norwegian Sea to reach the fairway. The green, perched across the peaceful water to the left, tempts you to bite off more of the delicious dog leg than you can reasonably chew.

The ethereal look and feel of the course under the evening sun makes sense. The valley we’re standing in was an amphitheatre for Viking sacrifice, but even they were late to the party: natives farmed the land here back when dates ended with BC. The ancient hum from the mountain and glint from the prehistoric granite puts me in a dream like haze.

There is no more dramatic trio of opening holes in the world.

We race round the rest of the front nine. Hoven reflects in the eerily still, dark water hazards that flank the fairways on 8 and 9. Eventually the persistent light fades and we make our way to Laven for dinner. The restaurant is just a stone's throw down the winding road from the first tee and located in a large converted barn. High wooden ceilings are propped up by varnished tubes of timber, hanging from them are large oatmeal coloured drapes that kiss the floor. This is dinner in a Viking longship. The food is painfully fresh, and served by a young skeletal Norwegian man with tasteful tattoos on his forearms and a polite, gentle manner that makes you sink deeper into your chair. We eat cod with pickled cabbage and peas, beef entrecote with perfectly roasted baby potatoes. I feel stronger with every bite.

7. You're not to think you are good at anything.

8. You're not to laugh at us.

The next morning we head back to the course. I’m eager to explore the back nine but we can’t resist the magnetism of the opening trio. We cruise round the first 12 holes before we're stopped in our tracks. The 13th tee reaches back towards the beach at the farthest point of the course offering the most epic view of Hoven we’ve seen. The fairway is impossibly narrow, denoted by a small red and white marker propped on a boulder. An Arctic breeze is tumbling across the course from left to right, demanding a sliding fade.

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With the shoot wrapped up we head south to the island of Henningsvaer. The weather has turned but it enhances the drama of our short journey. We cross endless rounded bridges linking blocks of angular grey islands. Pulling into the small town reveals a large factory building with a camel colour facade: Trevarefabrikken, our watering hole for the evening.

Rushing indoors offers a soothing Scandinavian embrace. Between the distressed cement walls are stylish dark wood tables garnished with candles and clear glass bottles with dried flowers. Guests are dotted around them on worn metallic chairs and meandering to the wooden bar. We order half a dozen pizzas for the group, an armful of IPAs, some natural wine and flop into our seats. As I gulp my beer I hear locals jumping off the peer at the back of the restaurant into the dark sea and rushing back towards the sauna perched on the rocks.

My mind tracks back to Frode who, 30 years ago took on his late father’s dream to build ‘the most awesome golf course in the world’. He ploughed through snow and ice, to board meetings and agronomy seminars in the hope that maybe he could turn his family’s farmland into something truly special. 30 years later, Lofoten Links debuted in the World Top 100.

But as our group of ten chatter around the table it's clear to me that his ambition has amounted to something far greater than a breathtaking patch of manicured land. 10 of us have flown from the farthest corners of the planet and met here, on an island deep in the Arctic Circle to embark on an adventure that otherwise would not have crossed our paths. We've hiked mountains, swam in oceans, eaten unthinkably delicious food, lost dozens of golf balls and met gritty, inspiring people.

In a land where you’re not supposed to think you’re anything special, Frode Hov decided this place was. Embarking on a display of ambition that would make even the most outspoken culture gulp. On behalf of golfers the world over, thank you, Frode.

9. You're not to think anyone cares about you.

10. You're not to think you can teach us anything.