Matthias Schwab, Austria's figurehead in golf, is a brand ambassador for SalzburgerLand. In the interview, Schwab talks about travelling around the world and why he always returns home to recharge his batteries.
Matthias, you are an ambassador for SalzburgerLand. What does this partnership mean to you?
For me it is a great honour and I am delighted to represent SalzburgerLand in my international appearances. The region is known worldwide for its special combination of culture and sport, and I am pleased to be able to contribute to this. In winter sports, SalzburgerLand is a force to be reckoned with anyway – just think of ski legends like Marcel Hirscher or Hermann Maier. But for summer sports, especially golf, I see it as my job to make the region even better known throughout Austria and internationally for its outstanding golf courses and offers for golfers. As a ‘half-Salzburg native’ – my mother comes from Radstadt – I always had very close ties to SalzburgerLand, and I also went to school in Radstadt for a long time. I grew up just a few kilometres outside the federal state border in Schladming. And when it comes to golf, I have always been very closely associated with SalzburgerLand: together with my brother Johannes, we were in the ÖGV regional squad in the middle of Salzburg in the Salzburg group. We had a really great time and trained with Jonathan Mannie at the Gut Altentann Golf Club.
You use the training centre when you are not competing on one of the two tours. What does it make it so special?
Coaches, physiotherapists, sports psychologists, training diagnosticians: they are all in one place, they all communicate, all of the other coaches or physiotherapists know what level I am currently at. This is especially helpful when there are problems. Then everyone is involved, I don't have to go and make sure that the physiotherapist knows what hurts or that the coach is informed. Everyone pulls together. I can spend the whole day here without getting bored. I can train, go to the physio, maybe play a quick game of Playstation down in the lounge and do something with the sports psychologist. It's great support.
What makes golf in SalzburgerLand so special?
Both the quality and the variety of the golf courses in SalzburgerLand are truly impressive. The design, the level of maintenance and the backdrop are simply outstanding. Above all, the unique views of the mountains and the fresh air are second to none. But the proximity to the city of Salzburg, with its historic old town and world-class cultural offerings, also contributes to the attractiveness of SalzburgerLand as a golfing destination.
What are your favourite golf courses in SalzburgerLand and what makes these courses so special for you?
First of all, there is definitely the GC Gut Altentann for me personally. I know the course very well from countless training sessions with Jonathan Mannie, who was a professional golfer for many years and is now one of the best golf coaches in Austria. Another outstanding golf course is the GC Zell am See-Kaprun Saalbach Hinterglemm with its two 18-hole championship courses. Its location at the foot of the Kitzsteinhorn glacier and numerous ‘three-thousand-metre peaks’ in the region provide a fantastic panorama. Finally, I would mention the GC Radstadt, which I played very often during my school days. They have very good training facilities there, and the course itself is also extremely interesting. The ascent with the gondola to hole 12 and the 13th tee, which goes steeply downhill, is unique. It's very special and cool to play, and you should definitely see it at least once. The 9-hole course at the Golf & Country Club Salzburg-Klessheim also has a special atmosphere: beautifully situated in a park, very close to the city of Salzburg, it is also a course with a special history. Klessheim is one of the oldest golf courses in Austria. The course was built a good 70 years ago by US soldiers stationed in Salzburg. I've been told that two former US presidents, Gerald Ford and Richard Nixon, have also teed off there.
You played a lot on the PGA Tour, now it's primarily the DP World Tour – that means a lot of travelling. Is this a burden for you as a professional, or is it routine now?
In theory, I know what I have to do to cope with the long trips. Generally speaking, From Europe to the US it's no problem at all, you're in the zone after a day. The same goes for Asia to Europe. In the other direction – from the US to Europe – it's more difficult. But I've also played in the US for a week and then flew to Europe from Sunday to Monday. And then I played well. So the changeover seems okay.
How do you switch off from the stresses of touring when you are at home?
That depends on the season. In summer, I love hiking, and you will often find me and my brother Johannes on our way to a mountain peak, mountain lake or a cosy Alpine hut in the region. In winter, skiing is of course my top priority, it's the first thing you learn where I live. I feel at home in the Ski Amadé ski area, where I know every descent like the back of my hand. I like to go to the regions that are close to me, such as Obertauern, Flachau or Altenmarkt-Zauchensee, which all offer truly excellent skiing opportunities. And of course, no visit to SalzburgerLand would be complete without attending the Salzburg Festival. The most important cultural festival in the world, set against the atmospheric backdrop of the city of Salzburg with its iconic fortress, impressive baroque buildings and narrow streets – it's an experience you should definitely have at least once.
Holidays in your own country are a big thing right now. Have you ever been on holiday in SalzburgerLand?
Unfortunately, I haven't had time for a longer holiday in SalzburgerLand yet. But at the top of my list is a visit to the Gastein thermal baths, which my brother highly recommended, combined with a walk through the chic, historic spa town of Bad Gastein. Incidentally, there is also a very attractive golf course there.
On the subject of cuisine: how does top golfer Matthias Schwab eat and what significance do regionality and seasonality of food and specialities have for you?
Of course, we are well looked after in culinary terms at the tournaments, but after a while I start to miss something. That's why I'm always particularly happy to come home and enjoy my mother's cooking. The taste of my homeland is simply irreplaceable. On the many tournament trips, you realise how valuable our Alpine habitat is, where we can find fresh products and ingredients right on our doorstep and cook them up. This is a quality of life that cannot be taken for granted and that you learn to appreciate when you are often in other cultures.
What are your favourite dishes, and do you have favourite restaurants too?
I love the cuisine of the Alpine huts. There is nothing better than a delicious Kasnocken (cheese gnocchi) or Gröstl (pan-fried potatoes with meat), freshly served in a pan. A Kaspressknödelsuppe (cheese dumpling soup) is a very simple yet special dish that probably doesn't exist anywhere else in the world in a similar form. That's why I would say that my favourite restaurants are the huts in SalzburgerLand.
What is the first thing on the table when you come home after a long tournament?
A good Brettljause with local products from our farmers. I generally prefer sour to sweet!