Hole #1: The SYLVAN (PAR 2)
Transylvania (ROM: TRANSILVANIA) - The Land across the Forests...
Its name comes from the Latin words :
"Trans" meaning across/over
"Sylvan" meaning wooded, covered in or full of trees.
The Ancient Forests of Transylvania covering the Carpathian Alps, are full of wild life: Boar, Wolves, Fox, Deer, Goats and Bears.There are also poisonous Vipers and Bats and it is said they host creatures that only come out at night, like Warewolves and Vampires...Stories are often told of such creatures, while sitting around the fire after a hard days work!
When entering The Sylvan, you should always go with a friend - never venture out on your own...
Hole #2: The IMPALER (PAR 3)
Vlad the Impaler (Vlad Tepes in Romanian), is also known as Vlad Draculea, also nicknamed outside Romania as “the Prince of Vampires”...the son of Vlad Dracul, who is said to have been the inspiration for Bram Stoker's "DRACULA"...
He was held hostage by the Turks around his 6 years of age. The harsh lessons learnt from this time amongst Turks were put to use when Vlad became ruler of Wallachia & Transylvania. To keep law and order under his reign, Vlad used Impalement as a capital form of punishment and as an effective weapon in his fight against the Turks and Saxons armies.
Hole #3: The GOLDEN GOBLET (PAR 4)
Thieves seldom dared practice their trade within Vlad's lands – they knew a big impaling stake awaited those who were caught!
The legend of the "Golden Goblet" shows his fierce insistence for honesty and order: Vlad was so confident in the effectiveness of his law, he placed a golden goblet on display on the well in the central square of Tirgoviste (Wallachia's capital town), for everyone to use and quench their thirst. The goblet was never stolen and remained there throughout Vlad's reign. When the goblet dissapeared from the well, everyone knew Vlad was no longer alive...
Hole #4: The COFFIN (PAR 3)
Transylvanian folk legends imply that a Vampire cannot be killed unless a wooden stake is driven through their heart! Vampire Slayers would chase them into the misty Graveyards, armed with the essential weapons: Holy Water, a wooden Stake and a string of Garlic, to ensure they will never get out of their “resting place” : the COFFIN...
Vampires only come out at night: the coffins have eyes, the trees have ears - WATCH OUT!... Enter if you DARE!
Hole #5: DRAGON'S DEN (PAR 4)
The father of Vlad the Impaler, also Vlad (Prince of "Valahia – Muntenia" in Romanian, Wallachia in German) was a member of the Medieval Knights "Order of the Dragon" - a religious order vowed to defend the Cross of Christianity mainly against the Ottoman Empire's expansion attempts.
He was ennobled in 1432 in the Nuremberg Cathedral as “Prince of Wallachia, Duke of Almas, Fagaras and Transilvania". He was nicknamed Vlad Dracul by his enemies: latin name for Dragon is "Draco" - "Dracul" in Romanian means The Evil One, the Devil. It is said that Bram Stoker heard of him whilst visiting Budapest, capital city of Hungary, and that's what gave him the inspiration of his character name "Dracula"
Hole #6: DRACULA'S CASTLE (PAR 4 - best Score: 3)
BRAN castle, depicted as Dracula’s castle, was built in 1212 by the Knights of the Teutonic Order.
There was a commercial war between Vlad and the Saxon merchants: Vlad killed a few hundred Saxons spies, by impaling them - in retaliation, the Saxons, who had very small army power, helped one of his relatives, Radu the Handsome, to fight Vlad trying to get his reign. But they were all defeated and as a result, Vlad plundered the Saxons lands in Southern Transylvania, killing thousands. His headquarters for this campaign was the Bran Castle near the town of Brasov (south-eastern Transylvania).
In revenge, the Saxons started an "anti-Vlad campaign": they wrote a book about his cruel practices and spread the word all over Europe about this ruler's cruelty and gruesomeness. That, and the local folklore stories passed from generation to generation, is where from the "Impaler" legends originate.
Hole #7: BAT CAVE (PAR 3 - best Score: 1)
In 1462 Turks invaded Valachia, after Vlad killed the Sultan's deputation of 300 people by caning a nail in each ones head when they refused to take off their turbans! The Turkish Sultan sought revenge for this action.
There was no chance for 20,000 soldiers to defeat a more than 100,000-strong Turkish army, led by the Sultan himself. Therefore Vlad has chosen to fire and poison everything in front of the sultan’s army, trying to provoke disease, starvation and fear. But the huge difference in numbers soon became evident...
In an attempt to save the little left for him, Vlad decided on a night attack: Valachian soldiers, disguised in Turkish clothes, rushed simultaneously from different directions into the Turk's camp. Soon afterwards, everyone was fighting everyone. The massacre stopped only with the first morning light, Turks army loosing about 20,000 in a matter of a few hours.
It is said that Vlad dressed as a Turkish officer made it to the Sultans tent, and only after he returned the battle began. The Sultan was saved by his precaution not to sleep in his tent - the man who was ordered to sleep in the Sultan’s bed was found dead! The next day was a long race: Sultan tried to catch Vlad, with the risk of loosing more of his army. But he did not succeed: Vlad and his small army hid in the mountainous region around Dracula’s castle, seeking shelter within the Bat ridden caves...
Hole #8: FOUNTAIN OF IMMORTALITY (PAR 3)
It is said that once you are bitten by a Vampire, you become Immortal.
To live forever may sound appealing, but your life will not be the same: one needs to stay out of sunlight and to quench hunger and thirst, one can only drink the blood of it's victim. With that, they not only take their life, but their souls also...
Vampires often find their victims in the centre of town, gathered around the Fountain.
Hole #9: THE IMMORTALS (PAR 5)
Once bitten by a Vampire, one will not age, nor feel any joy or sorrow, turning into a creature of the Night, eternally hiding from the power of Light!
If a Vampire gets caught in sunlight, their skin will burn and they will turn to dust...or so they say! ;-)
Hole #10: THE VILLAGE (PAR 2 )
A merchant from a foreign land once visited Vlad’s village. With the reputation of Vlad’s quest for honesty in his lands, visitors felt they could leave their possessions safely unguarded. Aware of this reputation, he left a treasure laden cart unguarded in the street over night. Returning to his wagon in the morning, the merchant was shocked to find 160 golden ducats missing.
When the merchant complained of his loss to the Prince, Vlad assured him that his money would be returned and invited him to remain in his castle that night. Vlad then issued a proclamation to the village – find the thief and return the money or the village will be destroyed.
During the night he ordered that 160 ducats plus one extra be taken from his own treasury and placed in the merchants’ cart.
On returning to his cart in the morning and counting his money the merchant discovered the extra ducat. The merchant returned to Vlad and reported that his money had indeed been returned plus an extra ducat.
Meanwhile the thief had been captured and turned over to the Prince’s guards along with the stolen money. Vlad ordered the thief impaled and informed the merchant that if he had not reported the extra ducat he would have been joining the thief in his fate.
Hole #11: SILVER BULLET (PAR 2)
Werewolves: the only Creatures that can kill a Vampire!
Legend has it, that if you are going to kill a Vampire or a Werewolf, you could only do so by shooting them it in the heart with a silver bullet.
Be wary as you walk through Transylvania, as the forests are teaming with warewolves and other creatures of the night...can you hear their howls???
Hole #12: THE GATE (PAR 3 )
The gate leading out of "Transylvania" is the last hope for those that try to escape the bite of a Vampire. Many have tried to leave Transylvania alive, before they are taken into the realm of the Immortals...
The last thing they hear is the flapping and screetching sounds of the BATS! If you hear them coming, head out and save yourself...GO TOWARDS THE LIGHT!